Not signed in (Sign In)

Categories

Vanilla 1.1.8 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome Guest!
Want to take part in these discussions? If you have an account, sign in now.
If you don't have an account, apply for one now.
  1.  

    Long post ahead, split up into short paragraphs for ease of reading, with a tl;dr version at the end.

    Long story short: I won’t be able to do the Breaking Dawn sporks and I’m sorry for getting everybody’s hopes up about it.

    First reason: real life has dealt me a couple of blows in past couple of days in the form of friends who need some serious looking after and study note exchanges from other friends having fallen through, effectively tripling my workload for the next three months. I’ll still have time for breaks and hanging out on II, but sporking something will take up too much of my time that I just can’t afford right now.

    Second, bigger reason: my conscience is starting to twinge about me sporking stuff like Meet Mr Cullen (if you’re confused just ignore this part), and Breaking Dawn , both of which I said I would do. For one thing, I have mentioned my dislike of fanfiction sporkings before, so it’d kinda be hypocritical of me to spork Meet Mr Cullen.

    Speaking of hypocrisy, to say I won’t spork Breaking Dawn or Meet Mr Cullen when I’ve been all for other sporks on the main site, and made quite a few mocking comments directed at Stephenie Meyer and other authors (but mostly Meyer)... You could definitely label that hypocrisy. I guess the main reason is that I’ve changed my mind. I honestly wish I’d been a bit more neutral previously and made my points against Twilight without throwing in a slur at Meyer or at her writing where a simple statement would have done as well.

    And I can see that same pettyness in my beginning notes for both sporks. Looking over them I’ve noticed already that they’re just filling me with more spite, more judgement, and more glee at the authors’ mistakes—and making me look for every single little thing I can possibly find to make fun of or pick on.

    I wish I hadn’t been so petty for the sake of humour—and, well, if I’m being honest, for the sake of mocking her just because the whole internet does it. This is not a reflection or criticism of ImpishIdea. I’m saying that the reasons I had for mocking Meyer were partly because I agree with you guys about the bad messages and writing in Twilight (good thing), and partly because I was finding fun in sniping at somebody who most of the internet already seems to revile (bad thing). In other words, there’s outrage, and then there’s mocking. And I used the first to justify the second, to myself at least (not sure if this ever came up in conversation with anybody else).

    Please understand that this is most definitely an individual thing— me judging myself because I’m realising what I get like. Other people are able to spork and analyse Meyer and co and not be so mean; but I’ve now discovered that I tend to get very overly nitpicky and superior and harping-on-at-her and generally being a complete, well, word that begins with ‘b’, if I do it. Constructive sporkism just doesn’t seem to be in my nature. And so writing these sporks is going to turn me a little more into somebody I don’t like, and accentuate the parts of me that I’d rather de-accentuate, if that’s a word. Not to mention it’s not going to help the site’s reputation or quality.

    Rather than just turn this into a big wangst ball, I want to make an apology or retraction or whatever you call it on the insults or general facepalms I’ve issued just because I could at Meyer. I also want to apologise for any bad impressions I’ve given of Christianity in being so… well, yeah. Everything I just said above.

    tl;dr: Real life has majorly gotten in the way and my conscience is tapping me on the shoulder about how sporking stuff will bring some of the more negative parts of my personality into full bloom. This is just me, not a prediction or judgement on everyone else. And no way do I mean it as a guilt trip.

    I’m really sorry for promising stuff and then backing out of it and not delivering. I hope you understand, but if you don’t, well, I can understand that. If I decide to contribute something to the site again, I’ll take more care in making sure everything’s okay first before I even mention it, and not being so spur-of-the-moment in saying I’ll do something.

    You guys have every right to be mad or annoyed or irritated or incensed or anything else like that. I know how I’d feel.

    (Edited for clarity.)

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeSep 22nd 2010 edited
     

    I completely understand. I know I’ve been… less than civil about authors I’ve criticized in the past myself. I’m not upset or anything! If you don’t want to do a spork, don’t. If you don’t think you could do it without it having bad effects on you or leading you to be more cynical than normal, then I completely understand.

    And, of course, all of my “definitely not annoyed, not even a little” goes double for Real Life stuff. Real Life stuff always takes precedence over Internet stuff. Good luck with the Real Life stuff, by the way!

  2.  

    It’s okay, Steph. I’ve been a little too mean in some of my comments about certain author/books as well, and I regret being outright mean about certain things. I’m sure nobody will be mad at you about this. So, don’t worry about it. All is well.

  3.  

    I dunno about others, but I’m willing to wait.

  4.  

    @ swenson:

    @ Nate:

    You’ll be waiting a long time for some action, then, and it won’t be me who gives it to you.

  5.  

    You’ll be waiting a long time for some action, then, and it won’t be me who gives it to you.

    Then who will be doing Breaking Dawn? Do I have to after T&P? =*(

  6.  

    Then who will be doing Breaking Dawn? Do I have to after T&P? =*(

    Whoever wants to and can do it much more nicely than I can.

    •  
      CommentAuthorHill
    • CommentTimeSep 25th 2010
     
    I am very impressed, Steph. I know how easy it is to get carried away. I haven't spent much time Meyer-bashing (at least not online), and I haven't had anything to do with it on this site, so I don't really consider my opinion altogether relevant. But I do know exactly what you're talking about, and how difficult it is to make choices like that, even small ones.

    Thanks for saying what you really feel about the whole thing, and being so honest. One is certainly hard-pressed to find many discussions like that.

    P.S. The tl;dr factor certainly did not apply this time for me. You are really good at writing confessions.
  7.  

    Hey, thanks, Hill.