The Cold War

In the same vein as updates...

A few months ago on Critique Circle there was this person who posted a query where two sisters go back in time to 1692 Salem for basically the hell of it.  I wrote an entry about it.

Back in November this person posted a revised version.  I was busy and didn't really want to make a thing of this so all I said was "It's better than your last attempt but 175,000 is very unlikely to get published. You'd be better off breaking it in two if you can't cut 75,000 words.  Which is just the conventional wisdom.

Then this person says, "can I have some feedback on the query itself?"  Maybe I would have later but I didn't really appreciate being called out so I said No.  Just that:  No.

And this person just lost his/her shit.

This is a relatively small taste of your usual saltiness, but I am going to nip it in the bud. 

This is for all to read because I am not alone. I am sick of the way you interact on here. That was a rude and unnecessary response. I am 100% certain I've done nothing to offend you, and I don't deserve to be treated this way, even if this is merely an internet forum and you think you're somehow exempt from common decency. Don't be an obstructionist jerk. You're not cool, you're not funny, you're not helping.

Also, for everyone to read: Over the past year, I have reported Grumpybull on numerous occasions due to the way Grumpybull has interacted on my posts but more often for what I have seen on other people's posts. Grumpybull, I wish there was a way to block you fully, but there isn't. So, unfortunately, I, and everyone else on CC, are forced to put up with your counter-productive, worthless infringements on our progress to become better writers. Is it a literary rite of passage to be harassed, belittled, irritated by Grumpybull? I don't think so, and in that case, I'm not going to put up with it! If you want to be like this, GO AWAY! BE GONE!

This is a place for community and for sharing our work. I genuinely welcome feedback and want to make my query better (wouldn't have put it on here otherwise), but I do not want this kind of crapola on my post feed. If you don't want to interact, no one has a gun to your head. If you want to be a bully, rude, destructive, please - SERIOUSLY - stay away. You're not welcome.

To everyone else: PLEASE don't let this little side trip into Crazy Land stop you from commenting on the query. I appreciate the real feedback with my whole heart, and honestly, I am depending on it. Please do not let Grumpybull stop you from posting on this feed or any other.

It was pretty freaking ridiculous considering I didn't say anything about them and I didn't say anything negative about his/her story except it was too long.  Which any "expert" would tell you 175,000 words is too long, especially for a first-time author.  There was hardly any "harassment" or "belittling" except this person's treatment of me.

I still didn't feel like making a big deal about it so all I said was, "I spent more than enough time commenting on your last attempt. I said this was better than that last one. I don't owe you anything."

Which is true.  I did waste a lot of time on the first version of the query.  And I said this attempt was better.  So I don't know why you're accusing me of being negative and harassing you and whatever. 

And no, I don't owe you anything.  Just because I said no doesn't mean you can throw a temper tantrum and call me a bunch of names.  Spoiled, entitled brat.  Honestly, what did this person ever do for me?  Nothing.  You didn't critique my stories or queries and yet if I don't give you as much as you want on yours I'm the villain who needs run out of town. 

If there's one good thing, it's that no one joined Spartacus's calls to have me run out of town.  I'm sure he/she would have liked a slow clap turning into a standing ovation or an angry mob with pitchforks and torches.  Instead there was mass not giving a shit.  No support for me either, but you can't have everything--or anything.

Anyway, it's sad that sometimes you try not to start a thing and it starts in spite of it.