I am always right. Well, nearly always
01/11/2007 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
Read those opening words in the opening title above very carefully. Either I'm turning you people reading my editorials into yes-people or I'm writing absolute truths that you don't disagree with. I mean, no one really ever disagrees with me or could it be said, don't want to try. Am I right or am I right? Are you even reading me here? That statement could lead to paranoia. I think there has to be an accepted given that no matter what is written on the Net, someone out there is reading it or why else are blogs becoming so popular? Hello everyone
Read those opening words in the opening title above very carefully. Either I'm turning you people reading my editorials into yes-people or I'm writing absolute truths that you don't disagree with. I mean, no one really ever disagrees with me or could it be said, don't want to try. Am I right or am I right? Are you even reading me here? That statement could lead to paranoia. I think there has to be an accepted given that no matter what is written on the Net, someone out there is reading it or why else are blogs becoming so popular? But are you just reading or not making comments? The real question is how motivated are you in reacting as opposed to soaking up what you read?
With the amount of information there is on the Net, I suspect much of the time we're all more lurkers than responders. After all, it's impossible to answer to everything you see and read even when you have something to say. Well...not unless you have infinite time and knowledge. You might spot something is wrong but unless it hits your sensibilities or there is a means to contact a website which doesn't blank-wall when you find the software doesn't recognise Vista, you're not going to dwell on a subject. Well, you might ensuring those websites are not on your Favourites list. As such, its inevitable that you're making personal choices as to what you believe or not, let alone can verify to their accuracy.
A couple things can be learnt from this. Either we're not retaining all the information we're reading or we don't really care what other people write to reply. For the Internet which is essentially a communications medium seems something oddly neglected or it doesn't reflect in proportion to the number of hits received. That could also be seen as a blessing in disguise. Odder still because information changes how we view the world. Looking at a computer screen isn't a local community interest even if you're in a cyber-café. Even with Internet chat, you're only taking for granted what someone is telling you is true or not. Consequently, you might argue the opinion on something rather than the truth of the original information.
It's a given that not too many thanks are issued simply because it would over-whelm a website's answering sections but how much can you can add to a e-conversation that can add to its knowledge that just read them? It is your judgement call or common-sense as to accuracy or can verify from other sources, assuming that they are true as well, let alone telling other people. It says nothing about accepting misinformation or even outright lying. If an error is copied across several websites, something is considered accurate simply because its there...or at least until enough people start making contrary noises that something is looked into and changed. Hopefully, the information reaches back up the chain as well.
This is a far cry from the original depictions of computers in Science Fiction as being potential megalomaniac world rulers and number-crunchers. Then again, computers were often regarded as magical devices with no thought given to the need for people to program them and incapable of true creative thought. SF never made much of the computer's inventors or programmers other than being slightly mad, criminally insane or weak compared to their creations. The reality is far different. What we see on the Net is the machinations of individuals with their own agendas with an assumption that honesty will rule. Hmmm....that may not be so different after all.
As commented in the past about our computer-driven village, we're bound to have a criminal element as much as village idiots running around in cyber-space. Such chaotic behaviour could mean you could belong to any such group depending on the day of the week or your views at the time. An individual menace in a core number of groups could cause mayhem by mistake or deliberation that would spread across the Net could be just as dangerous as the reckless hacker. Taking that aside, you do need to consider your own passivity with what you read as a means to lose free will or if you don't then I could be considered being right all the time and that would or should never be.
Then again, if I'm always right does it matter when you visit here? Do I have to say something outrageous to hit on your sensibilities or be continually contrary to solicit response? Some probably do but invariably run out of things to say because they are not true to themselves. Maybe that has something to do with my editorial stamina here and spreading across various subjects. If anything, I find it interesting that I rarely cross anyone's bad books - well, outside of reviewing them that is - although can hit the occasional nerve or heart that reflects in us all. Being true to yourself is probably the most honest thing that can be done in any format on the Net.
But, and it's an important but, does it always make me right or am I self-deluded in this statement? Am I on the top of such an ivory tower that people are scared to attack an opinion or afraid they don't have the means or knowledge to contest me on a subject? All right, so the odd debate we've ran here tends to make me seem, shall we say, formidable but often as not I tend to go for the source of the knowledge rather than an opinion about it. That would be true of any discussion, cyber or otherwise.
Being right is probably a lot better than being wrong or taking a side purely because it's the underdog. It often means to those watching a discussion in progress that you might side with one person or the other irrespective of how right they are. How you make such a choice could depend on how you perceive someone's character and their honesty as much as you know about the subject in question. It then needs to be addressed as to whether you have learnt from a discussion or can add something constructive that might conceivably draw a conclusion.
No doubt you'll go away and have a think about what I've presented here today. It's only you who can decide if I'm right or not. I'd hate to be that perfect.
Thank you, take care, good night, be safe and be honest
Geoff Willmetts
editor: SFCrowsnest.co.uk
Observation: When you watch any SF TV series or film which shows a barren planet with an oxygen/nitrogen based atmosphere, ask yourself what sustains that world? Without a plant ecology to support it, such atmospheres wouldn't last very long.
Parallel Births:Has anyone noticed how much Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and actor Doug Hutchison, who played Eugene Tombs in the first season of 'The X-Files' episode 'Squeeze', look alike enough to be siblings?
A real Zen thought:If side-effects happen if you are close to an event, why is there never a name other than dead for when you are in at ground zero?
Another real Zen thought but this time for potential writers: If you can express an opinion independently of others and aren't likely to bend to the masses then you might show potential as a writer.
zen for those who are scared by all the instructions below: Many of the instructions are things you should be doing automatically if you're developing your writing skills. If you do them already then focus on the ones that you don't get right. They are there to help you as much as me to get the best writing from you. If you think you're 80% there then I'll help you get the final 20%. Trust me, I'm an editor and I can get things right.
BOOK REVIEWS Do you love books? Do you like curling up and reading a book? Do you have a preference for fantasy, SF or horror? Do you find it the greatest pastime you have next to being on your computer? Are you very vocal about what you like and don't like in what you read? Would you like to share your thoughts with others about books? Would you like an endless supply of books to do this with? Do you live in the UK?
If you've been nodding your head up to this point then link in below and see if you have what it takes to be a reviewer at SFCrowsnest. If you have that special knack to read and write or want to develop said skill then the only way you're going to find out is to take the plunge yourself rather than wait for others to do it first. Reading a lot of books is a requisite for any writer. Being able to say what makes them good or bad hones your own skills. It's got to be better than waiting for the sun to come out as the winter draws near. It's also amazing how much you can read in an hour a day. If you've survived this far in the editorial, let me reiterate something from the website newsletter and the above editorial. As you can see from the main page, we have one of the biggest SF/fantasy/horror monthly reviews columns on the Net. Our success has increased the number of books that comes in and our policy is to read everything and give it a roadtest before giving a review so you have some idea of what you're letting yourself in for. You want the bottom line about what you're going to choose to read. That means we need people actually willing to read the book and tell others they're opinion in reviews. For that, we're always on the outlook for more reviewers. Do you think you have what it takes to review a book? It's a skill that can be easily mastered and we need a few more. If you love fantasy, we have more than enough to keep you busy for instance. Apart from the ability to put words into sentences, you also need to know how to précis, do a little research on associated subjects and can express opinions constructively about the good and bad points about the books you read. We even let you choose from our pile of received books rather than foster something on you that you wouldn't normally read. You'll even get a little editorial help in how to write good copy and that can always lead to other things. I did say you have to love books and willing to read beyond your favourite authors, didn't I? If you like reading books in the genre and can average two or three a month, can really think and show you can write a decent review and, most importantly, live in the British Isles (sorry, expense, time and distance travelled mostly prohibits elsewhere), then use the link below and see our requirements. We can't pay you but a review for the price and regular supply of new books, this has to be a good incentive to see if you have what it takes. Do you think you're up to writing a review? If you think you can, then you're really going to think you've landed your hands in the biscuit tin. It won't hurt to try and see if you have the right stuff by sending me a sample review. Look up the Review Guidelines by linking here: with a press of a mouse button.
SHORT STORY SLUSH PILE We always have an interest in short stories which can be anything from one to thirty or so pages long. We're always willing to give short story writers a chance to be seen if they can withstand my scrutiny even if we can't pay for their efforts, your material will be seen by a lot of people. If you can get a short story written well then it'll make it easier to move up to novel-length. Look up the Short Stories Link by linking here with your mouse.
FLASH OR ONE-PAGE FICTION We've also a teaching ground of one page stories, so check out the rules elsewhere on the website. It's far too easy to just write and write and hope something good comes out of it. What writing a one page story does is test your ability to control your word count and still tell a story in a concise way. This doesn't mean we don't accept stories of different lengths - a short story can be anything up to 30-40 pages long after all - but opens up the means for really short stories from ideas that don't need as much space. Flash fiction stories by linking here: with your mouse.
NOVEL-LENGTH SAMPLES IN THE FIRST INSTANCE For those keeping track, I'm actually now caught up but don't tell everyone as I'm undecided as to whether to keep looking at novel-length story samples, move over specifically to short stories - which we do anyway for the website - or get a couple of my own book projects completed. The latter, I still intend to do anyway. There might not be much of a wait unless I get a deluge, however those sending in ebook samples, please read the Guidelines by linking here with your mouse here or through the bottom line menu on the opening page of the SFC website. They are there to help you do some of the right things and reduce the number of times I'm repeating myself over silly grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that you shouldn't be making if you're serious about becoming a writer. It makes editing a lot easier if any editor has less work pointing out poor English which you should have been sorted out in the first place and more focused on other areas of your work that deal with plot and the other serious elements of storywriting. As a writer, it is your command of the English language and its grammar that will show how serious you are about writing.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WRITING BUT AFRAID TO ASK General advice for those who want to become writers of any sort: There's an old editorial adage, if you can't aim for perfection why should an editor nurse-maid you to that state? Nominally, my job is to catch minor glitches not total mishaps. If you're a writer, then you should understand the words, sentences and grammar of the job you're supposed to be writing or are you considering it as mundane and boring as any other job to get right? Fall in love with making every sentence the best you're ever written, read up and understand the rules of grammar. Put the time in researching any subject you're using in the story. Be prepared to put a story away for a few weeks and go back to it for a self-edit. Even I do that. You look good. I make you look better but you have to start off with good. A lot of the time, errors will just stare you in the face when you didn't see them the first time round. Once you know where your weaknesses are, they can be sorted out and allow you to move a little higher up the ladder towards making your material look its best and more importantly, getting your material seen by readers. The link here will show you the Common Problems Link page and what I see mostly with your mouse. It's the smart writer who doesn't get caught out with these.
Good luck. Geoff |
|
Add SFcrowsnest.com daily news updates to your
own web site or blog - just cut and paste the code
below...
POST YOUR COMMENTS  CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY
|
