gatekeeping pisses me off so much. i got into writing properly by writing fan fiction. and i still enjoy it a lot. and i enjoy it. and i hate it so much when I’m told that’s not ‘real writing’. Like,,, it’s fun and has honestly taught me a lot and given me a lot of space to grow and figure out my writing style. just let people write what they want (as long as it’s not hurting anyone)
I write it as practice for my novel, and honestly I agree with it being fun and a good way to get better at writing. But I have never been brave enough to tell anyone I wrote it because I'm so scared of the people that will judge me for it
@@fearfulgrape2666 Fanfiction is great practice, and I write it out of love for the fandoms in which I participate. In all honestly, if I found fanfiction of my book online (as if it'll get off the ground lmao) I'd be delighted. Seeing a comment makes my day. I don't see why anyone would be disgusted at the thought of having people express love for their art in the best way they know how. I'm sorry you feel scared. I agree it's a horrible thing to do to a person, to shame them for expressing love for something they're into. But if you're too scared or uncomfortable to post stuff under your name, maybe get a username and go to a fanfiction-centered website. Archive of Our Own is my favorite, and the community there has been nothing but kind, and even somewhat helpful with advice. Hey, if you do (or even if you don't and you post/sell original works) tell me and I'll take a peek! :)
always counter the “fanfiction isn’t real writing” with the fact that Dante’s Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, The Aeneid, Penelopiad, Wide Sargasso Sea, Grendel, and a ton of ‘Sherlock inspired’ mysteries are essentially fanfiction
11. The Fanfiction/fanart-phobes: the type of author who is offended that people love their work enough to want to interact with it creatively because "it belongs to me alone! That's not how it's supposed to be! I imagined it like X despite never mentioning this in my book. Just give me your money and praise and be done with it!". If you're this freaked out by others responding to your work, maybe keep your writing private or just ignore the responses. It just comes off as snobbery to me, like they are putting their art and themselves on a pedestal. Fanfic is how universes get expanded and writers develop their skills. Not to mention the fact that most art is derivative or inspired by another work at some point.
@@Shalaena I'm more of an only fanfic... but just saying, I've planned this stuff out like a book! I have spent so long on this and so far I've written up to like a quarter way through the second season and it's like at 60,000 words 😅. Fanfics can be just as amazing as real books if they put in the effort. What kind of fanfics do you write?
@@imogenwilde6982 I write mostly World of Warcraft, though I've written others like Lord of the Rings. I had a long running WoW series I wrote with my friend. I also did one-offs and a lot of smut. My main age range in books is YA/NA, so if my readers want some smut, they look at my fanfiction, lol.
To be fair though, if you compare it with art. You painted a beautiful picture of someone or something. And then people copy it all over the place. But they add dildos and freakish hair or whatever (I don't know what would upset you). Maybe it wouldn't be fun anymore? Just saying. While there's no need to get super offended about it, because fanart and fanfiction IS love. But it is ALSO taking something you created and doing something that's not actually right to the characters that were created. So... I think some respect would go a long way from the fan fiction writers too. Like, ask if it's ok to do it. Most authors are ok with it, some do like GRR Martin, and say "Do it if you like, but don't show it to me", and others hate it. It's just respectful to ask, in my opinion. (But I agree it can be good practice and probably fun)
I had my own experience with gatekeepers. One of them criticized that I wasn't "fit" for writing speculative fiction because I haven't done proper research on history. I was still starting out on it and I was mainly doing research on the Occupation of Prague in the 1930's and 1940s but this person said I wasn't ready for it, even though he didn't even read my manuscript. Then the writer went off to send me his own manuscript which took place in the 1800's with a fictional Mary Shelley and magic. And when this person found out I was also a graphic designer, he kept asking me to occupy my fully-booked schedule to make illustrations for his story. It wasn't a pleasant experience, I can assure but I long since stopped talking to him.
@@SadieParker799 It was pretty much a vampire horror-drama where the main vampire was fleeing from an experimental lab that turned her and other children into blood-thirsty creatures but upon arriving in Prague, it gets occupied by Nazi Germany, with even the people that turned her following not far behind having plans to turn the Czech citizens into vampires as superweapons. She and other characters witness all the horrors that occurred in Prague until early 1945 where the citizens of Prague decide to drive the enemies away. I actually read about the Occupation of Prague and from what I remember, Soviet Russia tried to convince the Czechs (even by force) to give the Soviets credit for driving the Nazis away. It was pretty dark stuff.
@@otgenesis7410 I'm by no mean an expert but Ennies Lobby would probably make her FEEL things. The good bye Merry part would most likely break her cyborg heart in so many ways...
Jenna, I once had a guy give me the world’s longest lecture after I gave his book a three-star review. Not one star, not two stars, but a three-star review. I won’t say this person’s name, but it’s very likely I won’t buy any more books from his catalogue. I appreciate you calling out people like that. If anybody is equipped for the job, it’s the Cyborg Queen herself!
Omg I had a guy get really upset with me for a 3 star review too! It was my very first experience, as an author, having someone reach out to me to see if I wanted to do a swap where we each read each other's books and review them. One of his books sounded interesting to me, so o said sure. I actually liked the story, and talked about a lot of things I liked in the review. But I also mentioned some things I didn't like, and one of them was about the book being full of a lot of grammatical/formatting issues. He got SO upset. Apparently, according to him, I never should have posted such a negative review and I should have just told him my issues privately. I was honestly baffled by his response, because I don't really consider 3 stars to be a negative review, especially when I talked a lot about everything I enjoyed in the book. He ended up giving my book 3 stars too, and at first he said he wasn't going to review it at all because he didn't want to give me a negative review at 3 stars. But I told him I don't consider 3 stars to be negative and that I would really appreciate the review, so he posted it. I honestly think he was just embarrassed and upset about his book having so many issues. He said there must have been some kind of problem in the formatting or something, so he had to fix it. But not before giving me a lecture about how I shouldn't have said anything about that in my review, because indie authors already have such a bad rap for grammar issues. Overall, not a fun experience, especially so early on in my career.
@@CassTeaElle Can that dude's ego get any more fragile? I'm sorry you had to put up with his nonsense. You're right: three star reviews aren't the worst thing that can happen to an author. I've gotten a few of them myself and I can't say I'm losing sleep over them.
@@Garrison_the_Barbarian right? I was honestly shocked that he acted like such a baby about it. I literally got a one star review once that just said "there are a lot of good self published books out there. This isn't one of them." And I handled that better than this guy handled an overwhelmingly positive 3-star review.
You go, girl! I think 99.9% of writers can relate to 10 because we all fear those critical reviews, but they're inevitable and it's okay to feel defeated. Just don't do something you'll regret with said feelings.
I majored and also have a masters degree in creative writing so I feel like I've seen all the snobbery, entitlement and gatekeeping to last a lifetime. I'm a fantasy writer so I was always told by teachers and students alike to find something more meaningful and profound to write about, big yikes all around.
And the especially dumb ones say to stick to the classics like Dickens. Forgetting that Dickens used to sell his books by the chapter. Hell, half of the classics have such unique writing styles because their pay was based on some weird metric, like by the word, by the line, etc. Which I'm sure you're aware of, lol.
To me, there is nothing more meaningful or profound than fantasy. It's what I live for in books. :) It's also the second best selling genre after romance.
I'm a professor at a So Cal University and academics are universally shitty about my novel writing. One prof actually said to me, "I'd like to write a novel, but then no one would take me seriously." I was like.... OK.... Thanks? So I said I started writing novels because I was tired of writing History books no one read but other academics. End of that conversation!
Me: *is on my bed, face down, crying because I just discarded my seventh first draft. Jenna: *uploads a video* Me: *starts my eighth first draft because Jenna said shut up and write the book* 💗
❤ "You're not a real Author, you're a serial writer." "I have a contract." "A contract isn't a book." - Oddly enough, had this conversation more than once. Love your videos Jenna! And your books were pretty awesome too.
Let’s not forget the mods and admins of the writers factory discord server. They have created a toxic as hell environment on top of plagiarizing the other members’ work while simultaneously banning them or anyone else that try to stand up to their toxic bs.
@@unavailableexe4002 they ban anyone who tries to speak up or out against them within the server. And most other servers have the disgruntled former members that it’s preaching to the choir. Some of up have tried to report them the the discord mods but without access to the server we can’t present the evidence they need to take further action.
I tried joining and after looking just at their rules and the list of things that can get you warnings and bans, I turned around and said "lol nope". Do they still have a thing about absolutely no profanity? I think before I noped out I got two strikes on minor swears because I forgot....you know, this being the internet and it not being a minor oriented discord server.
I’ve been a big fan of your content for a while and it's really helped me grow and learn as a writer. I’m finally actually confident with my writing and okay with letting people read what I've written rather than just telling them what I was doing. I’m currently working on a short book for extra practice before writing my much bigger projects and I just wanted to thank you for helping me along the way to improve my characters and writing. 💗💗💗
How do people claim the whole "You can't please everyone", and then go off and get upset when someone critics them? It's so stupid! ❤️ I'm the "I don't do things to please anyone, but myself" and, yet, I still want someone to enjoy what I do. Is that normal?
Yes, it is perfectly normal. It does create a conflict between our reason and emotion but that's why we have this reason to let us cope better with the emotion. Because logically we know that we can't please everyone but we still want our hard work be loved by everyone. And we don't understand when it isn't. And thus, when it does happen, a writer can be sad but still they can go back again to reason, maybe analyse a bit why it is that way (what could go wrong for that particular reader from the writer's part and who this reader could actually be, because maybe it's someone "out-of-the-target", etc) and let go. I hope my message doesn't sound too messed up 😅
♥️ During my entire school career, I had several writer friends and we worked together to make each others' stories better. I was over-descriptive of scenes but they helped to point out what wasn't needed. I thank them a lot~!
I reached a compromise with a friend, because I had/ have the same problem; they said- take an overview look of the whole manuscript, & take out one third of the overly detailed sections. Ultimately, I took out more than a third, but looking at just how many I had, & where I had them was important. It’s like an additional editing phase for me, now- like line edits, but just focusing on where there’s a lot of description. It helps me focus on what you can/ should indulge in a little more, & where you *need* / could do with the brevity- in order to get to the point.
I have a theory that the ridiculous descriptions of women's body parts might be author's, whether conciously or not, emulating the narration style of old-school pulpy, noir detective fiction. Stuff like, "She had legs that went on for miles."
I am so glad that you did decide to make this channel. As I'm working on my book, I keep finding myself drawn to your channel for tips, encouragement, and enlightenment on how to improve my writing. It was actually through you I found out about vanity presses and now know to stay faaar away from them when I eventually finish my book. 💗
I think depending on the website you’re on, writing communities can vary in terms of toxicity. For example, the writing community on Reddit is extremely toxic. In fact, most communities on Reddit are toxic. I’ve never had a pleasant experience on Reddit. However, 99 percent of my experiences on Booksie have been extremely positive. It really does depend on the website.
It really pisses me off when someone uses a trope that has been used like a million times before but the person is convinced THEY invented the trope and noone else is allowed to use it anymore!
I love seeing diverse characters in books. The problem I see sometimes is when the author writes racially diverse characters in a real world setting, and writes them exactly the same way they write their white characters. People of color react and interact with the world differently than most white people. And when it comes across as checking a box, rather than actually writing believable characters. 💗
And the world reacts and interacts with people of colour differently than white people. I can deal with a black guy behaving similarly to their white friends in general situations, if the author can do a good job of the group coming across a racist person. Especially when they're in a position of authority over the group that they have to deal with, rather than just ignore.
how exactly do the do that then, i've met and interacted with those who aren't white and i've seen no diffrence in our interactions with the world. the only thing that determines how we interact with this world are the situations and circumstances, cultures and civilizations we find ourselves born into. skin colour has zero to do with it.
@@smartgoku9048 You have the minority you are writing, read your writing. They will tell you what you're doing wrong. You might miss the harmful stereotypes or implications, but they won't. Also, white privilege is a thing. Things like gender, sexuality, and race do affect how you are treated. You would be naive to assume otherwise.
You're right to an extent, but... I recommend watching Accented Cinema's video on Shang-Chi, it covers the pitfalls of writing diverse characters with their specific culture in mind.
You know what else sucks? People who think their political/idiological views give them the right to decide who will be permitted to create art and who should be cancelled, doxxed, and silenced.
💜 I'm Aussie and I've actually heard people complain that black Friday is American and shouldn't be here (it cropped up about 2 years ago)... they're sales, that last for about a week or so here, why is that bad?!?!? Whelp, off to check out your merch
The "If it ain't the original, then it's trash" Fanfiction Authors are what drove me away from FFN. "The cartoon is superior to the live action. The live action is a disgrace on the original and I will die on this hill. Oh and OCs are forbidden. They're not allowed around here, only canon characters can be written for it to be a good story." God it's been like 8 years and people like this still irritate my soul. It's FanFICTION it's not supposed to be completely accurate. You know what accurate writing of a show is? THE CANON.
@@TheArchangel254 For real though. I understand trying to get the accurate feel of a character, but there's a reason stuff like coffee shop AU is so popular. Also FFN is an awful place now with tons of ads. My eyes bleed just trying to read some old ones I liked on there
I've tried making diverse characters. But I'm told that since I'm not a part fo that group, I should not write them cause I don't have experience. But if I don't write them, I'm a bigot for not being "inclusive." I honestly just gave up trying at this point.
She kept me laughing while I cried and wrote non fiction from hell. She literally made me feel better and normal. Writing is not a normal career. Lol Thank you Jenna! 😁
@@mamabear3887 same! I'm seventeen and writing a dark fantasy romance trilogy, Jenna is the only reason I've kept with it! Now it's getting great reviews and my editor predicts it could become really popular.
And then there are people who are like, ''oh you took TWO YEARS to complete your ONE book! I completed mine in just 4 months. Haha.'' Like what? First draft? Ps. I love you Jenna and your videos are the best.😭💓💓
I agree that literature needs to encompass all kinds of representation, but I also feel that lazy token representation to earn cookie points is an unfortunate side effect. Then again, bad literature is bound to have existed for as long as people have put messages into writing, and if it is the price we need to pay in order to pave the road for the quality fiction and non-fiction with true representation then I'll gladly pay tenfold. Puffed up "neckbeards" as you call them, often the very same people that gatekeep while twiddling their mustachios, appear to be rather common not just within literature but all forms of art and creative pursuits. My theory is that the creative mind is, to some extent, egocentric in that we constantly measure our creations and seek to attain a higher standard. Combine this with with an inflated sense of self-worth, mixed in with crippling insecurities and you have a nice cocktail for varying degrees of narcissism. Not to say that all writers or artists are stone cold narcissists, but that if it was graded on a scale most people would figure somewhere on the scale. I really love your videos, not just because of your to the point style and informative, thought provoking content, but also that I really vibe with your sense of humor. So thanks for all the laughs! Perhaps I'm the only one who doesn't know what the short command for a heart is, but let's try and see how I do:
Been watching your channel for about 4 years, now I'm writing a novel while I'm making my way through undergrad! Thankful for your videos and how they've inspired me ❣️
I have been watching your videos for a long time now, and on the last week's Monday I started to write my first book, which is about an angel whose wings were taken from her. My fingers have been on fire from writing over 43k words since then, if I keep going at this speed my first draft will be ready on the weekend next week! Thank you!
@@thejadedcommenter7371 this is really not at all usual for me, I've had the same "issue" myself before, I have been out of my mind for being able to write this much. I guess I found my passion project after years of struggling :D
a type i can't stand. My friend is a writer and will tell you at every given opportunity he can to tell you he wrote a 1000+ page fantasy novel, and will use this to either put you down or brag saying "*well I could do that while taking 5 ap classes and apply for collages so I don't know why you're complaining about your ADHD, oh did i mention i have server ADHD too?*" I'm an artist. I get the creative side, but he has a massive ego and its horrible since he's so mean too, like damn.. (ps. he has since blocked me on discord for talking back to him, or interrupting him when he's speaking. Well texting..)
Please strongly consider blocking him back and never speaking to him again. He's not a friend, he's a little punk who wants to use the people around him to stroke his ego.
@@maplepainttube8158 oh yeah i did, just have very bad impuses so it's hard to not want to fix things, not to sound attention seeking or anything but I have some pretty bad mental health issues that also interfere with people taking advantage of me, including him pushing me about and treating me like a child tho him only 14 and he's only 17
I laughed so hard at both the "just like high school" comment and the section on sentient boobs. I think it was earlier this year when I first discovered some of the online posts with those kinds of descriptions- they both made me laugh and boggled my mind. Thanks for a fun video, Jenna. 💗
I have been (seriously) working on becoming an author for about 2 years now and in that process I discovered Jenna. Her hilarious advice made me interested and the truth of it all made me stay. I would say the only piece of advice she gives that invokes the "but Jenna" response is building author platform. I am not a social media guy and my STEM based career is 180 degrees opposite of my love for Sci-Fi, Military Fiction, Middle Earth-esque, and "cultured" writing. Loved this video because #10 was the number 1 thing I'd always heard when talking to people about writing. ❤
Or the "I can't include POC characters because its not historically accurate" (medieval inspired) fantasy writer who then ignores the myriad of real historical inaccuracies in their book.
Even in medieval times, there were still wars, trade, diplomacy, and religious pilgrimages that could explain how a character of a different ethnicity might wind up in "mid-900s rural England" for example.
Yes, but if it raises questions in the reader's mind, you owe them an explanation. I was watching the trailer for the new Wheel of Time series, and all the characters seem to have the same medium-dark skin tone, which is fine. But then, out of the blue, there is an actress with definitely African features, i.e. she is clearly from a different ethnic background and region than the others. In the book, the village is fairly remote and isolated, without outsiders traipsing through. If I see a multiethnic population, I'm going to assume something about the world, whether the creator likes it or not.
I have to say I’ve found your videos the most rewarding. Specifically, you mentioned pro writing aid in one of your other videos and let me tell you. That thing is what I needed. I’m horrible about leaving whole words out of a sentence and no matter how much I proof, I still miss the error. And I love how it explains your error, explains why, even has a video to explain. Thanks for what you do!
I'm 24 I almost stopped writing so many times because of toxic people in the writing community. Especially as a person with not the highest self esteem it's really difficult to keep motivated when you meet the Karen superiority complex gatekeep writers.
#4 Same goes for women who have never seen or touched men. Or write about how hard the muscle man plows the self-insert character. But yeah sure, objectifying someone only goes in one direction, huh? /sarcasm #9 This has nothing to do with not having representation. You can use it, but if it's forced or doesn't add anything to the story… roll a dice? keep it natural instead of lecturing people what colors to use. I don't lecture fellow artists to use a certain color palette. I let them use whatever they want, even if it's all shades of red. It doesn't improve someone's writing, it just lectures if you tell them to write what you think is diverse. And if they try to do it and you tell them it's wrong how they do it, they'll never touch a diverse character again. So, it's a lose-lose situation. Just chill the eff out with the forced diverse cards.
Women writting man, also need special place in hell... "Twilight" is good (or really bad) example. Seriously, when i was younger i was so confused seeing weird stuff that both Bella's love interests doing. I even started to think that maybe i'm weird if "cool guys" do this kind od stuff. Representation is a hard topic. I was thinking about character, or two on my novel through that lens and... i finish thinking "Just write a good character. If he/she fits and do his/her job is good". If you are overthinker (like me) in that case, sometimes you can fall into bottomless hole of thinking too much and in the end feck this up by writting one dimensional crap. But hey! This is just my experience.
💗 What I liked about Jenna’s videos is that she’s not afraid to teach people with her straightforward words because she knows that’s the only way to change the perspective of writers and for them to be good at writing. I am a writer with so many unpublished books, but thanks to Jenna for helping me gain self-confidence and make my readers swept away by my imagination.
@@JMObyx If said sentence was the conclusion of a 15 minute review by someone who read it start to finish its valid, at least subjectively. Oh, if you ask me how the book is, don't ask me, haven't read it myself.
It's natural to be disappointed, sad or frustrated if someone doesn't like your work. What matters is how they respond to it. It's best to not respond then at all (especially if it's not specific or just someone being unnecessarily rude) or calmly thank them for the honest review and saying "sorry / too bad you didn't like it" and stuff. I haven't seen anyone complain about Jenna so far, so I assume she's fine.
Can writing diversity be a minefield? Absolutely. Do it anyway. Just do your best to make authentic people and characters you love. If someone (like those sensitivity readers you hired... because you did hire them.... RIGHT?) who is from a specific community tells you something is insensitive or flat, it's true. Especially if it has been said more than once. They know. Don't get defensive. Fix it. Make a better book and publish good shit. Write it because you want genuine diversity and realistic communities not because you don't wanna be called out for being an arse. If you do those things then you know you did everything possible to be true to you and the communities you represented and your work will be better. That's just my take on it. I'm far from perfect but trying is the name of the game 💗💗
❤️ When I started out, these types of people made me ashamed to tell people I was an author because I didn't want to be perceived as one of THOSE authors.
Most people for Thanksgiving: "I am grateful for my family, my job, my friends..." Jenna on Thanksgiving: "Here are the little shits that make my life hell."
Vanity press is another big issue in the modelling community. I know some models and photographers who will pay magazines to feature them, even though the only ones who buy vanity press magazines are those who paid to be in them. It's just ugh
One piece of advice I've heard recently is' "you'll never know unless you write it" I've been struggling to put something on paper because it very against the grain and I'm very sensitive about my work as any writer should be, a lot of times I psych myself out and make unnecessary changes that don't add to the story to be more mainstream marketable, it's a very dark fantasy with a lot of trauma and trigger warnings so the fear is there. Thank you for all your advice, it really puts a good head on my shoulders about the writing process. It's hard to know when too far is too far, but if I don't write something, it's just thoughts inside my head, a scramble of words on my computer. Trauma is a very normal thing, but I psych myself sometimes, because it could ruin my writing career before it even starts, all it takes is one bad book. Haven't gotten TSS yet, the pandemic was a bit of a jerk, but I can't wait 💜
Gatekeepers peeve me off. In whatever industry. Had an argument with a gamer recently (I'm casual and they're the completionist type) and it sickens me when people go off at others for not doing things the way THEY do. This person even called this other type of gamer "filth". Gatekeepers are the *worst.*
I don't think that anyone can claim that men writing women isn't a serious problem. But let's not pretend that female author books like Twilight or Shades of gray or Obsidian aren't sexist against women as well. Diversity is good, of course. But I would try to keep it balanced. Macabre storytelling did a great nuanced take on how people from all sides, for example, made Black Panther all about diversity and if it's good or bad instead of caring about if it's a good film or not.
💖🧡💛💚💙💜💗 My browser crashed, so I'm not sure if my comment posted. I don't see it. Sorry if this is a duplicate. 💗 Great video, Jenna. I've encountered some of these types of people. That said, the sighing nips and inside out V are new to me. LOL! Glad I wasn't drinking at that moment because it would've been a spit take. Is it bad that I want to read that part of one of those books for giggles? Have a great Thanksgiving! 💗
When I was writing fanfiction (still not afraid to admit I still do, it's good practice) someone flat out told me my story sucked, I should delete my story and never write again. That shit hurt! But it also encouraged me to work harder and write better
💗 I had no idea all these people existed in the writing community, although I shouldn't be surprised as all communities have their own share of bad eggs. Luckily I haven't encountered these people before, but I guess that'll change one day! 💗
gatekeeping pisses me off so much. i got into writing properly by writing fan fiction. and i still enjoy it a lot. and i enjoy it. and i hate it so much when I’m told that’s not ‘real writing’. Like,,, it’s fun and has honestly taught me a lot and given me a lot of space to grow and figure out my writing style. just let people write what they want (as long as it’s not hurting anyone)
Fanfiction gatekeepers are the actual worst.
I write it as practice for my novel, and honestly I agree with it being fun and a good way to get better at writing. But I have never been brave enough to tell anyone I wrote it because I'm so scared of the people that will judge me for it
I love writing fan fiction! I never show anyone else though. It's just a fun little treat for me 😁
@@fearfulgrape2666 Fanfiction is great practice, and I write it out of love for the fandoms in which I participate. In all honestly, if I found fanfiction of my book online (as if it'll get off the ground lmao) I'd be delighted. Seeing a comment makes my day. I don't see why anyone would be disgusted at the thought of having people express love for their art in the best way they know how.
I'm sorry you feel scared. I agree it's a horrible thing to do to a person, to shame them for expressing love for something they're into.
But if you're too scared or uncomfortable to post stuff under your name, maybe get a username and go to a fanfiction-centered website. Archive of Our Own is my favorite, and the community there has been nothing but kind, and even somewhat helpful with advice. Hey, if you do (or even if you don't and you post/sell original works) tell me and I'll take a peek! :)
always counter the “fanfiction isn’t real writing” with the fact that Dante’s Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, The Aeneid, Penelopiad, Wide Sargasso Sea, Grendel, and a ton of ‘Sherlock inspired’ mysteries are essentially fanfiction
Nothing can brighten my day better than Jenna roasting everyone, no exceptions xD 💗
Ain't that the truth! These videos make my day, and I look forward to them each week.
Hear hear!!!
If an Aries agrees, your 100% right!
yup yup!
The roasts are fresh!
11. The Fanfiction/fanart-phobes: the type of author who is offended that people love their work enough to want to interact with it creatively because "it belongs to me alone! That's not how it's supposed to be! I imagined it like X despite never mentioning this in my book. Just give me your money and praise and be done with it!". If you're this freaked out by others responding to your work, maybe keep your writing private or just ignore the responses. It just comes off as snobbery to me, like they are putting their art and themselves on a pedestal. Fanfic is how universes get expanded and writers develop their skills. Not to mention the fact that most art is derivative or inspired by another work at some point.
When you write fanfic: 😅
I write fanfiction as well as my own original work, and I have readers who devour both. Being against fanfiction just lessens your audience interest.
@@Shalaena I'm more of an only fanfic... but just saying, I've planned this stuff out like a book! I have spent so long on this and so far I've written up to like a quarter way through the second season and it's like at 60,000 words 😅.
Fanfics can be just as amazing as real books if they put in the effort.
What kind of fanfics do you write?
@@imogenwilde6982 I write mostly World of Warcraft, though I've written others like Lord of the Rings. I had a long running WoW series I wrote with my friend. I also did one-offs and a lot of smut. My main age range in books is YA/NA, so if my readers want some smut, they look at my fanfiction, lol.
To be fair though, if you compare it with art. You painted a beautiful picture of someone or something. And then people copy it all over the place. But they add dildos and freakish hair or whatever (I don't know what would upset you). Maybe it wouldn't be fun anymore? Just saying. While there's no need to get super offended about it, because fanart and fanfiction IS love. But it is ALSO taking something you created and doing something that's not actually right to the characters that were created. So... I think some respect would go a long way from the fan fiction writers too. Like, ask if it's ok to do it. Most authors are ok with it, some do like GRR Martin, and say "Do it if you like, but don't show it to me", and others hate it. It's just respectful to ask, in my opinion. (But I agree it can be good practice and probably fun)
I had my own experience with gatekeepers. One of them criticized that I wasn't "fit" for writing speculative fiction because I haven't done proper research on history. I was still starting out on it and I was mainly doing research on the Occupation of Prague in the 1930's and 1940s but this person said I wasn't ready for it, even though he didn't even read my manuscript. Then the writer went off to send me his own manuscript which took place in the 1800's with a fictional Mary Shelley and magic. And when this person found out I was also a graphic designer, he kept asking me to occupy my fully-booked schedule to make illustrations for his story. It wasn't a pleasant experience, I can assure but I long since stopped talking to him.
I had a writer trash my book, then ask me to beta read their latest WIP. 🙄
What was your story about and how did the Occupation of Prague fit in?
@@SadieParker799 It was pretty much a vampire horror-drama where the main vampire was fleeing from an experimental lab that turned her and other children into blood-thirsty creatures but upon arriving in Prague, it gets occupied by Nazi Germany, with even the people that turned her following not far behind having plans to turn the Czech citizens into vampires as superweapons. She and other characters witness all the horrors that occurred in Prague until early 1945 where the citizens of Prague decide to drive the enemies away. I actually read about the Occupation of Prague and from what I remember, Soviet Russia tried to convince the Czechs (even by force) to give the Soviets credit for driving the Nazis away. It was pretty dark stuff.
@@cinthiacruzado2594 Wow, that sounds really interesting! I'd totally read that
Goddd how are people so delusional 🙄
The worst writers are the ones that shit on whatever's popular all day but haven't put words in their manuscript since 2013.
“ it sounds a whole lot like high school to be honest”
-Jenna Moreci 2021
No writer on earth is spared once Jenna calls them out....and that's why we love her.
Loving your pic. Would love to see what Jenna would say about Robin...
She'll have to make an entire lecture about her😂😂😂
@@otgenesis7410 I'm by no mean an expert but Ennies Lobby would probably make her FEEL things. The good bye Merry part would most likely break her cyborg heart in so many ways...
We'll see about that. But I totally agree with you. It's great you're into One Piece too😁😁😁
@@otgenesis7410 yeah the main problem is that I want to be a writer but barely read any books. Mostly watched anime and cartoons
Jenna, I once had a guy give me the world’s longest lecture after I gave his book a three-star review. Not one star, not two stars, but a three-star review. I won’t say this person’s name, but it’s very likely I won’t buy any more books from his catalogue. I appreciate you calling out people like that. If anybody is equipped for the job, it’s the Cyborg Queen herself!
Terry Goodkind?
@@amandaforrester7636 Nope.
Omg I had a guy get really upset with me for a 3 star review too! It was my very first experience, as an author, having someone reach out to me to see if I wanted to do a swap where we each read each other's books and review them. One of his books sounded interesting to me, so o said sure.
I actually liked the story, and talked about a lot of things I liked in the review. But I also mentioned some things I didn't like, and one of them was about the book being full of a lot of grammatical/formatting issues.
He got SO upset. Apparently, according to him, I never should have posted such a negative review and I should have just told him my issues privately. I was honestly baffled by his response, because I don't really consider 3 stars to be a negative review, especially when I talked a lot about everything I enjoyed in the book.
He ended up giving my book 3 stars too, and at first he said he wasn't going to review it at all because he didn't want to give me a negative review at 3 stars. But I told him I don't consider 3 stars to be negative and that I would really appreciate the review, so he posted it. I honestly think he was just embarrassed and upset about his book having so many issues. He said there must have been some kind of problem in the formatting or something, so he had to fix it. But not before giving me a lecture about how I shouldn't have said anything about that in my review, because indie authors already have such a bad rap for grammar issues.
Overall, not a fun experience, especially so early on in my career.
@@CassTeaElle Can that dude's ego get any more fragile? I'm sorry you had to put up with his nonsense. You're right: three star reviews aren't the worst thing that can happen to an author. I've gotten a few of them myself and I can't say I'm losing sleep over them.
@@Garrison_the_Barbarian right? I was honestly shocked that he acted like such a baby about it. I literally got a one star review once that just said "there are a lot of good self published books out there. This isn't one of them." And I handled that better than this guy handled an overwhelmingly positive 3-star review.
You go, girl! I think 99.9% of writers can relate to 10 because we all fear those critical reviews, but they're inevitable and it's okay to feel defeated. Just don't do something you'll regret with said feelings.
A critical review is ok as long as the reviewer tells you what is wrong and hopefully gives you advice.
I majored and also have a masters degree in creative writing so I feel like I've seen all the snobbery, entitlement and gatekeeping to last a lifetime. I'm a fantasy writer so I was always told by teachers and students alike to find something more meaningful and profound to write about, big yikes all around.
And the especially dumb ones say to stick to the classics like Dickens. Forgetting that Dickens used to sell his books by the chapter. Hell, half of the classics have such unique writing styles because their pay was based on some weird metric, like by the word, by the line, etc. Which I'm sure you're aware of, lol.
Totally. Snobbery is a serious disease in this "industry", together with labelism and genricism
To me, there is nothing more meaningful or profound than fantasy. It's what I live for in books. :) It's also the second best selling genre after romance.
I'm a professor at a So Cal University and academics are universally shitty about my novel writing. One prof actually said to me, "I'd like to write a novel, but then no one would take me seriously." I was like.... OK.... Thanks? So I said I started writing novels because I was tired of writing History books no one read but other academics. End of that conversation!
I want to take a creative writing course for fun I love writing !
Being a writer with both anxiety and depression is a uphill battle XD 💗
Me: *is on my bed, face down, crying because I just discarded my seventh first draft.
Jenna: *uploads a video*
Me: *starts my eighth first draft because Jenna said shut up and write the book*
💗
❤ "You're not a real Author, you're a serial writer." "I have a contract." "A contract isn't a book." - Oddly enough, had this conversation more than once. Love your videos Jenna! And your books were pretty awesome too.
Let’s not forget the mods and admins of the writers factory discord server. They have created a toxic as hell environment on top of plagiarizing the other members’ work while simultaneously banning them or anyone else that try to stand up to their toxic bs.
oh no! im in the server and never heard of this D:
but then again i hardly ever look there cause of how strict it is
@@unavailableexe4002 they ban anyone who tries to speak up or out against them within the server. And most other servers have the disgruntled former members that it’s preaching to the choir. Some of up have tried to report them the the discord mods but without access to the server we can’t present the evidence they need to take further action.
@@coolcat7011 maybe i should start looking for a new writing server then
Don't forget the big writing subreddits too!
I tried joining and after looking just at their rules and the list of things that can get you warnings and bans, I turned around and said "lol nope".
Do they still have a thing about absolutely no profanity? I think before I noped out I got two strikes on minor swears because I forgot....you know, this being the internet and it not being a minor oriented discord server.
I’ve been a big fan of your content for a while and it's really helped me grow and learn as a writer. I’m finally actually confident with my writing and okay with letting people read what I've written rather than just telling them what I was doing. I’m currently working on a short book for extra practice before writing my much bigger projects and I just wanted to thank you for helping me along the way to improve my characters and writing. 💗💗💗
How do people claim the whole "You can't please everyone", and then go off and get upset when someone critics them? It's so stupid! ❤️ I'm the "I don't do things to please anyone, but myself" and, yet, I still want someone to enjoy what I do. Is that normal?
Yes, it is perfectly normal. It does create a conflict between our reason and emotion but that's why we have this reason to let us cope better with the emotion. Because logically we know that we can't please everyone but we still want our hard work be loved by everyone. And we don't understand when it isn't. And thus, when it does happen, a writer can be sad but still they can go back again to reason, maybe analyse a bit why it is that way (what could go wrong for that particular reader from the writer's part and who this reader could actually be, because maybe it's someone "out-of-the-target", etc) and let go.
I hope my message doesn't sound too messed up 😅
@@tosterka Makes sense to me. Thanks!
Sure. It means there is someone who likes the same thing than you. It means it's possible to bring joy without being unhappy. :)
@@TYess1 Thank! I feel better about it.
If I am going to be called out by anyone I am happy it's Jenna 💗
If a book cannot entertain me while I'm waiting at the airport or at the doctor's office, chances are that it's a dull, rambling mess.
♥️ During my entire school career, I had several writer friends and we worked together to make each others' stories better. I was over-descriptive of scenes but they helped to point out what wasn't needed. I thank them a lot~!
I reached a compromise with a friend, because I had/ have the same problem; they said- take an overview look of the whole manuscript, & take out one third of the overly detailed sections.
Ultimately, I took out more than a third, but looking at just how many I had, & where I had them was important. It’s like an additional editing phase for me, now- like line edits, but just focusing on where there’s a lot of description.
It helps me focus on what you can/ should indulge in a little more, & where you *need* / could do with the brevity- in order to get to the point.
I have a theory that the ridiculous descriptions of women's body parts might be author's, whether conciously or not, emulating the narration style of old-school pulpy, noir detective fiction. Stuff like, "She had legs that went on for miles."
I am so glad that you did decide to make this channel. As I'm working on my book, I keep finding myself drawn to your channel for tips, encouragement, and enlightenment on how to improve my writing. It was actually through you I found out about vanity presses and now know to stay faaar away from them when I eventually finish my book. 💗
"Pubic hair that shines like a shampoo commercial" WHAAT?! I SPAT MY WATER OUT! I need you to drop a book list or it didn't happen. 😂😂💗
I love watching Jenna absolutely roasting people lmaoo 💗💗
I scream all of these points constantly! THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS!
Sometimes I feel like I have a gatekeeper in my own head telling me how & what to write. You tell 'em, Jenna! 😆💗
❤️ Yes to ALL of this! As a reader, there's not much that makes me run away from an author faster than seeing any of this behaviour.
I think depending on the website you’re on, writing communities can vary in terms of toxicity. For example, the writing community on Reddit is extremely toxic. In fact, most communities on Reddit are toxic. I’ve never had a pleasant experience on Reddit. However, 99 percent of my experiences on Booksie have been extremely positive. It really does depend on the website.
❤️ Thanks, Jenna. Another swing and a hit.
Bottom line for everybody : Mind your own buisness. Do your creations. Focus on what you're doing. Let others be creative in their own way.
It really pisses me off when someone uses a trope that has been used like a million times before but the person is convinced THEY invented the trope and noone else is allowed to use it anymore!
"You can proclaim your hatred for people all over the world."
-- Jenna
This made my day (well, night) ♥💜💓💗
I think some people forget they're supposed to create drama on the page, not in real life 💗
I love seeing diverse characters in books. The problem I see sometimes is when the author writes racially diverse characters in a real world setting, and writes them exactly the same way they write their white characters.
People of color react and interact with the world differently than most white people. And when it comes across as checking a box, rather than actually writing believable characters.
💗
And the world reacts and interacts with people of colour differently than white people. I can deal with a black guy behaving similarly to their white friends in general situations, if the author can do a good job of the group coming across a racist person. Especially when they're in a position of authority over the group that they have to deal with, rather than just ignore.
how exactly do the do that then, i've met and interacted with those who aren't white and i've seen no diffrence in our interactions with the world.
the only thing that determines how we interact with this world are the situations and circumstances, cultures and civilizations we find ourselves born into. skin colour has zero to do with it.
@@smartgoku9048 You have the minority you are writing, read your writing. They will tell you what you're doing wrong. You might miss the harmful stereotypes or implications, but they won't.
Also, white privilege is a thing. Things like gender, sexuality, and race do affect how you are treated. You would be naive to assume otherwise.
@@smartgoku9048 you do realise that culture and skin colour have like... A connection right.
You're right to an extent, but... I recommend watching Accented Cinema's video on Shang-Chi, it covers the pitfalls of writing diverse characters with their specific culture in mind.
You know what else sucks? People who think their political/idiological views give them the right to decide who will be permitted to create art and who should be cancelled, doxxed, and silenced.
100% agree!
Definitely!
Bingo! (And sometimes they try and cancel people and their work, and just make those people even more successful! See Troubled Blood...)
These types suck worst of all
YES!!!!!
💜 I'm Aussie and I've actually heard people complain that black Friday is American and shouldn't be here (it cropped up about 2 years ago)... they're sales, that last for about a week or so here, why is that bad?!?!? Whelp, off to check out your merch
I'm glad that Fanfic has become slightly more accepted, but I feel like it still has a while to go before we truly lose the gatekeepers for it ❤
The "If it ain't the original, then it's trash" Fanfiction Authors are what drove me away from FFN.
"The cartoon is superior to the live action. The live action is a disgrace on the original and I will die on this hill. Oh and OCs are forbidden. They're not allowed around here, only canon characters can be written for it to be a good story."
God it's been like 8 years and people like this still irritate my soul. It's FanFICTION it's not supposed to be completely accurate. You know what accurate writing of a show is? THE CANON.
@@TheArchangel254 For real though. I understand trying to get the accurate feel of a character, but there's a reason stuff like coffee shop AU is so popular. Also FFN is an awful place now with tons of ads. My eyes bleed just trying to read some old ones I liked on there
I've tried making diverse characters. But I'm told that since I'm not a part fo that group, I should not write them cause I don't have experience. But if I don't write them, I'm a bigot for not being "inclusive." I honestly just gave up trying at this point.
You've literally helped me write my entire book series💖🥰
She kept me laughing while I cried and wrote non fiction from hell. She literally made me feel better and normal. Writing is not a normal career. Lol
Thank you Jenna! 😁
@@mamabear3887 same! I'm seventeen and writing a dark fantasy romance trilogy, Jenna is the only reason I've kept with it! Now it's getting great reviews and my editor predicts it could become really popular.
And then there are people who are like, ''oh you took TWO YEARS to complete your ONE book! I completed mine in just 4 months. Haha.''
Like what? First draft?
Ps. I love you Jenna and your videos are the best.😭💓💓
can't wait to read your works, you're the only honest writer TH-cam lmao💗
A bunch of reasons I don't go to open writing groups anymore...
I agree that literature needs to encompass all kinds of representation, but I also feel that lazy token representation to earn cookie points is an unfortunate side effect. Then again, bad literature is bound to have existed for as long as people have put messages into writing, and if it is the price we need to pay in order to pave the road for the quality fiction and non-fiction with true representation then I'll gladly pay tenfold.
Puffed up "neckbeards" as you call them, often the very same people that gatekeep while twiddling their mustachios, appear to be rather common not just within literature but all forms of art and creative pursuits. My theory is that the creative mind is, to some extent, egocentric in that we constantly measure our creations and seek to attain a higher standard. Combine this with with an inflated sense of self-worth, mixed in with crippling insecurities and you have a nice cocktail for varying degrees of narcissism. Not to say that all writers or artists are stone cold narcissists, but that if it was graded on a scale most people would figure somewhere on the scale.
I really love your videos, not just because of your to the point style and informative, thought provoking content, but also that I really vibe with your sense of humor. So thanks for all the laughs! Perhaps I'm the only one who doesn't know what the short command for a heart is, but let's try and see how I do:
Been watching your channel for about 4 years, now I'm writing a novel while I'm making my way through undergrad! Thankful for your videos and how they've inspired me ❣️
Let’s see if Jenna is gonna roast me
okay but did I? XD
Comment is 6 days old, but the video was uploaded today 🤔
@@odin7552 🤔 We have a mystery onhand
@@MrNationalWonder a paradox? 🤔
We’ve got a time wizard here
Love how brutally honest and sarcastic you are. I'm here for it. I honestly wish I could be. These are all so real.
Another fantastic video!
I have been watching your videos for a long time now, and on the last week's Monday I started to write my first book, which is about an angel whose wings were taken from her. My fingers have been on fire from writing over 43k words since then, if I keep going at this speed my first draft will be ready on the weekend next week!
Thank you!
43k words in a week. That is beyond impressive
Holy shit! 43k words in just over a week? I can't even write 500 on a normal day 😭
I’ve written less than 8k words in the past almost 4 weeks, how have you written so much
That's amazing! IT sounds like you're super inspired!!
@@thejadedcommenter7371 this is really not at all usual for me, I've had the same "issue" myself before, I have been out of my mind for being able to write this much. I guess I found my passion project after years of struggling :D
Jenna being absolutely zero chill is a delightful surprise for my birthday.
a type i can't stand. My friend is a writer and will tell you at every given opportunity he can to tell you he wrote a 1000+ page fantasy novel, and will use this to either put you down or brag saying "*well I could do that while taking 5 ap classes and apply for collages so I don't know why you're complaining about your ADHD, oh did i mention i have server ADHD too?*" I'm an artist. I get the creative side, but he has a massive ego and its horrible since he's so mean too, like damn.. (ps. he has since blocked me on discord for talking back to him, or interrupting him when he's speaking. Well texting..)
Please strongly consider blocking him back and never speaking to him again. He's not a friend, he's a little punk who wants to use the people around him to stroke his ego.
@@maplepainttube8158 oh yeah i did, just have very bad impuses so it's hard to not want to fix things, not to sound attention seeking or anything but I have some pretty bad mental health issues that also interfere with people taking advantage of me, including him pushing me about and treating me like a child tho him only 14 and he's only 17
I laughed so hard at both the "just like high school" comment and the section on sentient boobs. I think it was earlier this year when I first discovered some of the online posts with those kinds of descriptions- they both made me laugh and boggled my mind. Thanks for a fun video, Jenna. 💗
Not that I disagree that some men can't write women. But in a lot of cases, women can't write men. For instance, 50 shades.
Thank you for adding "some."
@@captaincanterberrystudios6920 Some stories written by men have amazing female characters.
@@unlikelyevents1842 Cases: Brandon Sanderson with Sarene, Brandon Mull with Mira. I don't know many male authors . . .
I have been (seriously) working on becoming an author for about 2 years now and in that process I discovered Jenna. Her hilarious advice made me interested and the truth of it all made me stay. I would say the only piece of advice she gives that invokes the "but Jenna" response is building author platform. I am not a social media guy and my STEM based career is 180 degrees opposite of my love for Sci-Fi, Military Fiction, Middle Earth-esque, and "cultured" writing. Loved this video because #10 was the number 1 thing I'd always heard when talking to people about writing. ❤
But Jeeennna... 💗
Another fun video. Hurt my feelings a little, but that just means I need to improve as a person. Thanks for the awareness booster. 💗
"get to the fucking point" is stephen king in a nutshell 💗
I love your little “I’m not sorry for any of it.” 💗
Or the "I can't include POC characters because its not historically accurate" (medieval inspired) fantasy writer who then ignores the myriad of real historical inaccuracies in their book.
Even in medieval times, there were still wars, trade, diplomacy, and religious pilgrimages that could explain how a character of a different ethnicity might wind up in "mid-900s rural England" for example.
@@nocelebrity6042 Exactly!
Yes, but if it raises questions in the reader's mind, you owe them an explanation. I was watching the trailer for the new Wheel of Time series, and all the characters seem to have the same medium-dark skin tone, which is fine. But then, out of the blue, there is an actress with definitely African features, i.e. she is clearly from a different ethnic background and region than the others. In the book, the village is fairly remote and isolated, without outsiders traipsing through. If I see a multiethnic population, I'm going to assume something about the world, whether the creator likes it or not.
Thanks for shining a light on this topic. ❤
I love all of your writing advice, Jenna! As a fellow writer, you really help me as well as give me a good laugh or two when I watch your videos! 💗
I have to say I’ve found your videos the most rewarding. Specifically, you mentioned pro writing aid in one of your other videos and let me tell you. That thing is what I needed. I’m horrible about leaving whole words out of a sentence and no matter how much I proof, I still miss the error. And I love how it explains your error, explains why, even has a video to explain. Thanks for what you do!
All of these were beyond accurate. I'm only 20 and I've met every single one of these through writer Facebook groups and discord chats lol ❤
Sis spill the tea
I'm 24 I almost stopped writing so many times because of toxic people in the writing community. Especially as a person with not the highest self esteem it's really difficult to keep motivated when you meet the Karen superiority complex gatekeep writers.
Coffee and Jenna roasting people, can't get better than that
#4
Same goes for women who have never seen or touched men.
Or write about how hard the muscle man plows the self-insert character.
But yeah sure, objectifying someone only goes in one direction, huh? /sarcasm
#9
This has nothing to do with not having representation. You can use it, but if it's forced or doesn't add anything to the story… roll a dice?
keep it natural instead of lecturing people what colors to use.
I don't lecture fellow artists to use a certain color palette. I let them use whatever they want, even if it's all shades of red.
It doesn't improve someone's writing, it just lectures if you tell them to write what you think is diverse. And if they try to do it and you tell them it's wrong how they do it, they'll never touch a diverse character again.
So, it's a lose-lose situation. Just chill the eff out with the forced diverse cards.
Now we need a "10 WORST People in TH-cam Comments Section."
here’s some advice:: never get reddit or go on the writing communities they are SO toxic!
All the big writing subreddits have the same crappy mods removing any good content
Women writting man, also need special place in hell... "Twilight" is good (or really bad) example. Seriously, when i was younger i was so confused seeing weird stuff that both Bella's love interests doing. I even started to think that maybe i'm weird if "cool guys" do this kind od stuff.
Representation is a hard topic. I was thinking about character, or two on my novel through that lens and... i finish thinking "Just write a good character. If he/she fits and do his/her job is good". If you are overthinker (like me) in that case, sometimes you can fall into bottomless hole of thinking too much and in the end feck this up by writting one dimensional crap. But hey! This is just my experience.
💗 What I liked about Jenna’s videos is that she’s not afraid to teach people with her straightforward words because she knows that’s the only way to change the perspective of writers and for them to be good at writing. I am a writer with so many unpublished books, but thanks to Jenna for helping me gain self-confidence and make my readers swept away by my imagination.
Lol I make fun male writers who sucks at female anatomy in one of my manuscripts
Jenna seems like if the girlboss trope had a good twin counterpart 💗
5:35 so JK Rowling?
"Today I'm here to piss a whole bunch of people off"... love it 💗
Jenna: "Art is subjective, all reviews are legit"
"The Savior's Champion is is below average at best"
Jenna, internally: 😠
Is that really?
@@JMObyx
What do you mean?
@@Alias_Anybody Are said criticisms valid or is it flames for the sake of flames?
@@JMObyx
If said sentence was the conclusion of a 15 minute review by someone who read it start to finish its valid, at least subjectively.
Oh, if you ask me how the book is, don't ask me, haven't read it myself.
It's natural to be disappointed, sad or frustrated if someone doesn't like your work. What matters is how they respond to it. It's best to not respond then at all (especially if it's not specific or just someone being unnecessarily rude) or calmly thank them for the honest review and saying "sorry / too bad you didn't like it" and stuff.
I haven't seen anyone complain about Jenna so far, so I assume she's fine.
Asking the writing community to be straightforward makes sense but also seems an insane task. 💗 the writing advice can be hard to find.
and also sometimes I actually like to watch long and detailed writing advice, especially on super specific and complex craft related topics
Can writing diversity be a minefield? Absolutely. Do it anyway. Just do your best to make authentic people and characters you love. If someone (like those sensitivity readers you hired... because you did hire them.... RIGHT?) who is from a specific community tells you something is insensitive or flat, it's true. Especially if it has been said more than once. They know. Don't get defensive. Fix it. Make a better book and publish good shit. Write it because you want genuine diversity and realistic communities not because you don't wanna be called out for being an arse. If you do those things then you know you did everything possible to be true to you and the communities you represented and your work will be better. That's just my take on it. I'm far from perfect but trying is the name of the game 💗💗
❤️ When I started out, these types of people made me ashamed to tell people I was an author because I didn't want to be perceived as one of THOSE authors.
It's always a good day when I hear Jenna's hello. :D That she pretty much calls everyone out afterwards just adds to it. ❤
Your channel recently has gotten me back into writing and I am almost done with my first draft! Whooo! 💗
Most people for Thanksgiving: "I am grateful for my family, my job, my friends..."
Jenna on Thanksgiving: "Here are the little shits that make my life hell."
Vanity press is another big issue in the modelling community. I know some models and photographers who will pay magazines to feature them, even though the only ones who buy vanity press magazines are those who paid to be in them. It's just ugh
❤️ Thanks for the chance, Jenna! (And Cliff. And Butters.) ❤️
Cannot miss posts from my favorite brutally honest cyborg and author! My days would not be the same without one of your videos. 💗
I see you're getting ready with your own roast for Thanksgiving xD Always love the energy and vibes of the WORST series
Glad to have found your channel! ❤
Love your videos. Watching you roast everybody is always a treat! 💗
Had a writer in my discord, who literally talked as if their story was the best thing since sliced bread.
Quite the opposite, actually. ❤
One piece of advice I've heard recently is' "you'll never know unless you write it" I've been struggling to put something on paper because it very against the grain and I'm very sensitive about my work as any writer should be, a lot of times I psych myself out and make unnecessary changes that don't add to the story to be more mainstream marketable, it's a very dark fantasy with a lot of trauma and trigger warnings so the fear is there. Thank you for all your advice, it really puts a good head on my shoulders about the writing process. It's hard to know when too far is too far, but if I don't write something, it's just thoughts inside my head, a scramble of words on my computer. Trauma is a very normal thing, but I psych myself sometimes, because it could ruin my writing career before it even starts, all it takes is one bad book. Haven't gotten TSS yet, the pandemic was a bit of a jerk, but I can't wait 💜
Just bought The Savior's Champion
Show, don't tell: "Get to the fucking point" -- Jenna Moreci
As a male writer, I love the men writing women subreddit.
Gatekeepers peeve me off. In whatever industry. Had an argument with a gamer recently (I'm casual and they're the completionist type) and it sickens me when people go off at others for not doing things the way THEY do. This person even called this other type of gamer "filth". Gatekeepers are the *worst.*
I love when someone shits on my work, I makes me see that I can improve.
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Gosh I love you! You put my thoughts into words and are so unashamed of it, I need to learn from you!
do something productive ❌
listen to The Writing Lady™️ complain about something once more 💗✅
I don't think that anyone can claim that men writing women isn't a serious problem. But let's not pretend that female author books like Twilight or Shades of gray or Obsidian aren't sexist against women as well.
Diversity is good, of course. But I would try to keep it balanced. Macabre storytelling did a great nuanced take on how people from all sides, for example, made Black Panther all about diversity and if it's good or bad instead of caring about if it's a good film or not.
The resurrection series that get more and more attention these days make me realize humanity is a mistake.
💖🧡💛💚💙💜💗 My browser crashed, so I'm not sure if my comment posted. I don't see it. Sorry if this is a duplicate.
💗 Great video, Jenna. I've encountered some of these types of people. That said, the sighing nips and inside out V are new to me. LOL! Glad I wasn't drinking at that moment because it would've been a spit take. Is it bad that I want to read that part of one of those books for giggles? Have a great Thanksgiving! 💗
When I was writing fanfiction (still not afraid to admit I still do, it's good practice) someone flat out told me my story sucked, I should delete my story and never write again. That shit hurt! But it also encouraged me to work harder and write better
One of my favorite AuthorTubers, you’ve helped me figure out so much with what to do with my story! You’re awesome💗💗
"What do you mean art requires growth and learning!?" ❤️💗
💗 I had no idea all these people existed in the writing community, although I shouldn't be surprised as all communities have their own share of bad eggs. Luckily I haven't encountered these people before, but I guess that'll change one day! 💗