Yes, yes, I know. But if I don't rant somewhere, I will end up shaking this reader instead. Once again, the age-old question, "Am I overly sensitive, or are you dumb?"
Tonight, I finished a chapter of my ongoing original story after working on it for three straight days, and after editing it quite a bit, I posted it. The chapter was coming after a string of more tense chapters, so I took a break to set things up for the next series of events, and focused on developing the group dynamic and the characters, which is something I've been wanting to do. I kept the events running in the background, but I needed to slow things down in order for the next events to happen.
I knew it might be a letdown for people who were expecting the consequences of the aforementioned tense chapters to come right away. But my friend gave me a very useful critique a while ago when she told me I could afford to slow the pacing and develop everything a bit further, and I agreed with her. And hey, even if the readers are bummed that things haven't blown up yet, they should know it'll come in the next chapter, yes?
Nope. A woman who reads my stuff regularly (and tends to compare her epic fantasy story to my story nearly every chapter, despite the fact that hers is about blind soldiers and allegory and mine is apparently about godless heathens) told me the chapter was "fun, but felt like a lot of talk that answered nothing."
I don't even care about this woman's opinion, but that is so frustrating to hear. And she's supposed to be a writer! Has she ever heard of setup? Character development? If she thinks the chapter was slow, and it didn't hold her interest, that's fine! But it's one part of a multi-chaptered story! It's not meant to be a stand-alone! How is this not clear?! WHY AM I YELLING?!
asfhdjk. XD This would not normally bother me at all. But considering two weeks ago I was told that my stories were too reliant on plot and lacked character development, now I think I am being told that I'm too reliant on character development and lack plot...? YOUR CONTRADICTING OPINIONS HURT MY BRAIN, LIFE.
I am once again reminded that I need to find myself a sage mentor who knows my strengths and weaknesses as well as Stephen did. Well, first I have to e-mail the man himself and figure out if he was one of the people who shut me out of the Creative Writing department, and get his advice if he is still on my side. I think I will do that tomorrow. If I am going to be told that I fail, it's going to be right and proper, dammit.
