The Misery of it

[Mark Odell]

I thought I had a new (voluntary job) as a cultural correspondent for an online magazine. Turns out they are were 'evaluating' me and said it is clear my writing needs work - so a job which I was so proud of telling people I did has been taken away from me.


It always needs work. No matter how hard I work, it still 'needs work'. I will be correcting and rewriting until doomsday. Sorry for posting this but I thought if anyone would understand, it's other writers.

I felt like a writer. At the moment I just feel like a guy who pretends to be a writer. One of my darker moments.

 

[Jennifer Stone]

That's harsh! They should have been honest with you about the position offered. Try to look on the bright side, if you can find it. All our work needs work, regardless of what genre you write.
"Never wear a cloak of guilt because others are evil."-Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

 

[Carol Rose]

I'm sorry. Sounds like they led you on and that's not right.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Sorry Mark, and as Carol said, or didn't, something sinks! But we get these periods, just focus on that tiny light far ahead, it's someone with a torch!

 

[K.J. Simmill]

Sorry to hear that. Don't let it get you too down, from experience, as a writer your style improves and grows over time. I wrote my first book ten years ago (yes the one I am just releasing) but my style changed and grew so much that I had to rewrite it. The same is true with any writer, you will find as they grow and mature, so too do the styles. Your work will always improve, the secret is knowing when to stop re-editing your first work and accept that your first works will be your starting point, but those that come after it mature as you yourself do.
It is always disheartening, especially when they seem to have been very underhanded with their honesty and treatment of you. Your time there will have taught you something, so as long as you take away what your learnt you have gained some valuable experience and lessons, and these experiences are what better help us to hone our craft. It doesn't mean it doesn't suck though but try to stay positive.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Hang in there! When you're on the bottom, the only way you can go is up! (I know, it still sucks to be down, but...you've got plenty of company down here).

 

[Emurelda]

Flipping heck! That's just rude of them . I'm sorry my post isn't comforting but am upset for you.

At first when I read the title I thought it was about the weather..but you were working in the voluntary sector and they did this! That's very upsetting.

I used to work in the voluntary sector and seen that only serious people work passionately for what they believe and enjoy. It is not on to take advantage of that. Very silly they weren't honest about the initial period.

You know you can still be cultural correspondent for your own self. There's nothing stopping you and you can submit your articles to local media and if they like your spin they will publish it. If you are regular with it then you become the lean-to guy who is expert in that area. You can turn anything around to work out for you.

But first release the anger somehow or channel it so you benefit from this experience. Sorry you went through this.

 

[Karen Gray]

Wow, that's below the belt. Something similar was proposed to @Marc Joan
Accept it as a difference of opinion and move on. We all know how subjective the industry is, just because they didn't see the worth of a piece doesn't mean that the piece didn't have worth... Know what I mean? x

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Very unprofessional behaviour on their part, Mark. If that is how they behave to contributors, little wonder you've decided not to write for them again. We're all sadder and wiser by the day, and it's too soon now, but in time, you'll look back and see what you learned.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

That's a shame. I'm sorry to hear that, Mark. That's incredibly unprofessional and rude. But it's their loss.

 

[Lex Black]

Mark, I fully understand and sympathize. I hope you feel better in time. Either way, we're here for you.

 

[Mark Odell]

Thanks guys. I'm calmer today but it's always hard when a writer gets told that his work is of an inferior quality and gets exactly no feedback on why his work is supposedly inferior.

So yeah, a blow. The writing won't stop, but it was an evening in my literary career I would much rather forget.

 

[K.J. Simmill]

It is crap they didn't even have the decency to give feedback. What they did was just rubbish. Unforgivable.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

 

[Frances Gow]

A writer is someone who writes… there's no 'pretend' about it. Keep on writing Mark - we all have moments like this and they pass. As Karen said - it is very subjective.

 

[Meerkat]

Whatever you do, don't let them silence you or your perspective.

 

[Richard Sutton]

Sorry, Mate. That sucks. I had a similar experience with two book awards I received for my first two. The were awarded gold medals from the highly critical AIA reviewing site, having been suggested by readers, unknown to me. Then, two years later, the head critic shuffled up the site, brought in new reviewers and criteria (or so they said, by way of explanation... yeah, right.) and removed my books from the winners ranks. I think she expected me to immediately pay for her editing expertise, which I didn't do having already had the books edited, thank you every much. Such are the pitfalls of being an Indie. It's sometimes so full of thornbushes you want to just sit on your laurels... if they're still lying there... When the weather shift patterns, we sometimes get caught in the downpour, I guess.