Let's all strive to avoid something like this, mmkay?

[Fate Flyer]

Someone on my Facebook just posted a link to this, and as I was reading through it, I just thought, "Wow, I need to share this with FoG!"

http://www.theonion.com/articles/novelist-has-whole-shitty-world-plotted-out,21193/

On the one hand, I feel bad for the guy, but on the other, it's like anything -- if you're really not good at something (be it singing *ahem-American Idol*, dancing, sports, art, etc.), the best thing for you is to probably hear the honest truth. Sometimes, people who are the family or friends of these less-than-adequate undertakers are just too nice or would feel too bad to tell them, "Sorry, but you are really horrible." Granted, it doesn't have to be quite that blunt, but I'm just getting straight to the point.

The article itself is written in such a way that it is clear the author has little restrictions in regards to being pilot or politically correct. The straightforwardness of it though is a reminder of just how judgmental and critical our readers can be. While it's never easy to hear such brutal criticism, and though it might not all be completely warranted (ie. "...conducting in-depth historical research in order to conjure, as if out of thin air, the fictional and entirely bullshit universe...", as countless fictional stories take place in equally fictional universes), there comes a point when you, as a writer, have to open your mind to the possibility that there is some truth behind what your critics could be saying (ie. "...his novel's tedious descriptions of local flora and fauna, needlessly complex and yet childishly rendered sociopolitical context, and embarrassingly obvious parallels to major events in American...").

Food for thought.

[Chainlinc3]

Ummm... Fate? The Onion is a satirical news source.
For example:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-gop-strategy-involves-reelecting-obama-making,21113/?utm_source=recentnews

They don't care about politeness or anything because they're being asses INTENTIONALLY for our amusement. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy in the picture works for The Onion, and the name itself is entirely fictional.

[Fate Flyer]

Oh, I didn't even look at where the link was from. I'm well aware what The Onion is. (I used to read The Onion paper while on the Metra going in to Chicago.) I have absolutely no idea why I didn't pay attention to what the URL was.

Well, alrighty then. Never mind.

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