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Did You Read It?

I like to write. It's more of a hobby than anything else, but I enjoy doing it. I get to create worlds and characters, so it's like a workout for my imagination. And if this blog is any indication, my writing isn't going away any time soon. Basically, it's something that gives me a little bit of joy.

Now, I don't just write here, I also respond to Reddit writing prompts on occasion. I have to admit that I don't write there as much as I would like to, but it's more fun with an audience. Sure, I can still come up with interesting ideas or a clever turn of phrase when I write on my own, but that forum is nice because it has a built-in reader base. So I can see what works, what doesn't, or even if someone has constructive feedback. Basically, it's more fun when people read my stuff.

However, not all feedback is created equal. I definitely appreciate the congratulatory "well done" and I find the constructive criticism helpful. After all, that's how you get better at your craft; you keep at it and incorporate what works while cutting away what doesn't. The bit that I'm referring to here, though, comes from folks who seemingly didn't read the actual submission. I've had folks tell me that the character that tried to kidnap someone was a "good guy." That's not even a metaphor, there was an actual character in one of my stories that tried to abduct someone, and the commentary had something about how he was one of the heroes.

Now, I prefer not to get into arguments with people on the Internet, so I didn't waste much time correcting this person. Still, I couldn't help but laugh about the whole thing. I literally wrote the story, so I'm something of an authority on the subject. If the writing isn't that good and something could be interpreted a different way, that's one thing. But in this case, someone was telling me about my own writing. That'd sort of be like listening to a band for the first time, and then telling the lead guitar that he really meant to play a different chord on the third note of the song. There's an off-chance that you might be right, but the odds are overwhelmingly against you. And do you really want to be that guy?

Regardless, the whole episode cracked me up, and it reminded me that writing lands differently for everyone. I may or may not have brushed up on some pithy responses should this happen again, though.

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