Intro to Morgan A Collins

[Morgan.A.Collins]

Thank you for taking the time to comment/interact here! I f

Discussion between people who agree on absolutely everything is an oxymoronic entity, I believe. But hurling angry/condescending comments at your adversaries will never be one either.





Not cool, babe.



I'm sorry Morgan, but, as David said, you don't get to decide if any of your fellow writers have or haven't something to say. You are also not there to question their motives. None of us knows the secret of "the truest of the true writers". My guess would be because one doesn't exist.

I understand that it was not your intention at all, but I really don't like the direction this thread is going.

Neither do I. To be quite honest, I'm shocked out of my socks. Seems what I thought to be an interesting intro was understood to be meant as a "confrontation" by some. I just meant to do something different to "Hi, my name is..." and grabbed the first subject on my mind, which at the time happened to be politics since I just read the news right before joining litopia. Well, I should have listened to my English teacher in school who told me when in other countries than the nation you are born in, avoid talking about two subjects at all costs: politics and football. I suppose now is not a good time to say I don't like football?

 

[Morgan.A.Collins]

Thanks for the kind response.
For info - the dog is Sheba, I'm Les, and I live in a village called Edith Weston. (And I'm a bloke!)
And I think that writers can do a better job of making the world a better place than most politicians.

Provocative thinking is good for writers.

P.S. I really meant to add that confrontation is not always entirely compatible with support - and I value the support on this site.

I like your sentence "provocative thinking is good for writers".
I'm startled - I just said "shocked out of my socks" - about the accusations of "confrontation" here.
What did I do? Is it the mystery of communication I didn't get? I mean, they say over 90% of communication is body language. Maybe we should all meet up for a pint so everyone can see me smiling and my soft, gentle, supportive, lovely, warm personality that carries my provocative discussion-openers?
Oh. I just noticed for my warm personality I picked the wrong avatar. I should have chosen Tweety.

 

[Morgan.A.Collins]

Welcome to Litopia Morgan.

This is not a politics forum - are you in the right place?

When I studied American Literature and Culture, "political correctness" was actually a mandatory seminar...
It is one part I find particularly fascinating. When we write, we engage in today's world. We shape it, a tiny little bit, with what we write and publish. So, when I write "the black doctor chose the scalpel", am I being racist? Should I say "the African American doctor", or "dark skinned", or, as it is in today's Divergent trilogy "his dark skin... " .
After heated discussions how to address someone's race in writing, my black professor asked the question in the room: "Do you have to mention his skin colour at all?" (Answer: No. I only say "my black professor" because you can't see him.)
So. The thing is... political correctness (which is a very loaded term, granted, overused, controversial and all those things, yes...) is to me the very heart and soul of writing.
I thought with my leading question I introduce myself nicely. That seems to have gone badly wrong. I'm still struggling to understand why. Because, yes, of course I meant "political correctness IN WRITING", since I posted the question in a writer's forum.
I received my master's degree in Literature for a thesis that discussed whether Walt Whitman's Drum Taps mark Whitman as nationalist or patriotic. So, to me, politics and writing somehow always have been not exclusive, but a match made in heaven.
(Cliche, I know. But forgive me. I'm really upset about people here asking me to basically "be nice or leave" and I don't see where I wasn't nice. I chose to become part of this colony because it was advertised as friendly and warm and "the nicest". Now I see this thread I myself started and .... am shocked. Speechless. Which, if you know me, is saying something. Seriously. I'm shocked. Any chance we can fix that?
Let me know.)

 

[Les of Edith Weston]

I'm startled - I just said "shocked out of my socks" - about the accusations of "confrontation" here.

Hi Morgan - I confess to being a wee bit surprised at some of the heat that has been generated in this thread
I'd be really sad were I to be unable to discuss things with you here.
I'd also be really sad if you felt that I was in any way trying to demean or belittle you.
I try to counsel people against confrontation as a means of moving forward unless there is no real basis for reconciliation and nobody will convince me that reconciliation is not what everybody wants here including both you and me. (Is that correct grammatically?)
You are obviously highly intelligent and blessed with a very articulate "voice" and equally obviously able to respect a different opinion; my feeling at the moment is that we are in such turbulent and frankly frightening political times in UK and USA and elsewhere, that any mention of politics brings very raw feelings to the surface that makes folks a tad uncomfortable.
Maybe we should be concentrating on how, as writers, we should be approaching the political scene to help the reader gain a different perspective.
I'll take up your offer of meeting for a pint if you tell me what the **** your current avatar is representing!
Arrabest.

 

[Les of Edith Weston]

Think I prefer your "human" avatar

 

[Morgan.A.Collins]

It's "Death" from Neil Gaiman.
I don't post my picture online. My husband suggested to choose a comic avatar that I can identify with.
You would recognise me in a pub after seeing this lady here. It's as close as it gets to how I look. Oh. Wait. Was I talking about Tweety? Kidding.
Thank you for praising my IQ. Word on the street is I'm intelligent, yes. But they say my bedside manner has potential for improvement. I wonder why.
All I ever do all day is writing, running and teaching Krav Maga (Israeli self defense and anti terror tactics) to antifascist groups using (blunt!) metal knives. Why would anyone call me antisocial? ?? I tell ya. The mysteries of mankind....
Feelings are raw in the English speaking world. Indeed. Cooperation is key. Ey. Yes what a great subject. How DO we writers build bridges after two democratic systems decided to burn them?

 

[Katie-Ellen]

The verb to poll: record the opinion or vote of. Synonyms: canvass, survey, ask, question, interview, ballot, sample

I welcomed you Morgan, and tried to open up a discussion asking about the poll. It didn't make sense as a poll, it was a question of language but you went on to the offensive immediately while it emerged that your poll was an idee fixe. This is a writing forum. Thinking is the lifeblood of writing of course, and I am certain to agree with you about some things and not others, but I don't need to bend your ear about it and you're not going to bend mine.

Re: the 'poll.' What I think about those allegations and Donald Trump isn't helpful or useful to anyone but go on then, pass the mike. If I was a US citizen I'd probably have voted for Hillary as such a very canny, seasoned politician, but I am not and also see why people; white, black, Asian, poor, not so poor, M/F straight and LGBT voted for Donald, and such is the nature of this great working democracy. Who wants to tear it down? What I think about predatory sexual behaviour in general and how I handled those experiences myself and taught my growing daughters to handle it is another matter. As a teen then grown woman, not some poor defenceless child, and short of encountering a violent attacker, though I have once or twice, and been lucky to get away on two occasions that I know of, I just expected to deal with it and put that person back over his side of the line, whoever he was. Sometimes this involved nothing more than a firm no. Less often it involved kicking or walloping with a handbag. As a teen I'd stare in horrified wonderment at Jimmy Savile on the box. You only had to look at him to know he must never catch you alone. But that's the hardest challenge for a writer. To reach out for what's self and what's other, and paint a hero or an anti-hero.

For the rest, Francis Bacon wrote, 'Truth is the daughter of Time and not of authority.' Time will tell.

 

[David Newrick]

When I studied American Literature and Culture, "political correctness" was actually a mandatory seminar...
It is one part I find particularly fascinating. When we write, we engage in today's world. We shape it, a tiny little bit, with what we write and publish. So, when I write "the black doctor chose the scalpel", am I being racist? Should I say "the African American doctor", or "dark skinned", or, as it is in today's Divergent trilogy "his dark skin... " .
After heated discussions how to address someone's race in writing, my black professor asked the question in the room: "Do you have to mention his skin colour at all?" (Answer: No. I only say "my black professor" because you can't see him.)
So. The thing is... political correctness (which is a very loaded term, granted, overused, controversial and all those things, yes...) is to me the very heart and soul of writing.
I thought with my leading question I introduce myself nicely. That seems to have gone badly wrong. I'm still struggling to understand why. Because, yes, of course I meant "political correctness IN WRITING", since I posted the question in a writer's forum.
I received my master's degree in Literature for a thesis that discussed whether Walt Whitman's Drum Taps mark Whitman as nationalist or patriotic. So, to me, politics and writing somehow always have been not exclusive, but a match made in heaven.
(Cliche, I know. But forgive me. I'm really upset about people here asking me to basically "be nice or leave" and I don't see where I wasn't nice. I chose to become part of this colony because it was advertised as friendly and warm and "the nicest". Now I see this thread I myself started and .... am shocked. Speechless. Which, if you know me, is saying something. Seriously. I'm shocked. Any chance we can fix that?
Let me know.)

Of course we can fix that. If we are to be a community we not only have to accept differences but absolutely celebrate them. Now that you are clearing things up then we can settle back and discuss things.

Your point on political correctness is an interesting one. I work a lot with BME communities so issues like skin colour and culture modifiers are to the fore most days. It can be relevant to ask 'do you have to mention his skin colour' and you need to answer that in a convincing way that demonstrates its relevance - which isn't easy, but well worth the exercise. Ask yourself why, for example, you say one character is black but don't say every time that a character is white? If you are making assumptions about your characters then who or what put those ideas and notions into your head? However I would stress that this applies to all communities and attitudes need to be challenged on both sides of this discussion. What does your reader need or not need to know? As long as you have a reasoned and well thought out answer to that then go ahead with it in your work.