B&A: How do you feel about this?

Question

How do you feel about people who ask for ideas online?

I wouldn't be able to do it myself, but it's something that you see very often on here. So apparently this is okay in a lot of people's eyes. I find that interesting, so I want to know - how do you personally feel about it? What advice would you give those people? At what line does "asking for assistance" turn into "leeching"?

(Suggested Category > LGBT. Lol, Yahoo Answers, what??)

BQ1: Just a random thought - does it bother you that the word "circle" doesn't have an "o" in it? I mean, wouldn't that make sense? The word "line" has a line in it, and TRIANGLE (in capital letters) has a triangle in it (the A). Shouldn't a circle be called a "corcle"?

BQ2: Do you write in 1st or 3rd person? Ever tried second person?

BQ3: What do you struggle most with in writing?

Answer 1

Well, I don't have much to add, but I think it somewhat depends on their age and experience with writing.



When I was ten, I think I would have probably gone and asked people for all their great and plentiful ideas if I knew such a thing as the internet existed. But then again - I wouldn't have really cared because my stories had no plots (as in beginnings, middles, and ends) anyways... :P

But it's true you can always be excited about all those little things - like that nice spot on your shoe, the snail that left a trail on your mail (har, har :P), your object of affection (namely those wonderful stuffed animals sitting over there :P), or a computer game... well, it works... >.>

So I guess I'll conclude some people are not happy with what they come up with, or find their own world too boring/too difficult to extract ideas from.



Therefore, by the Great Decree of 2011, all idea-sapped writers shall commence the History of Clementines. I, personally, think it's a wonderful idea-starter: doesn't it make you have to come up with the history of clementines? :P You could research it, make up talking clementines, take them from a sci fi point of view - you know, crashing into the earth or created from some strange whoknowshwat...



I think I'm getting carried off... :/



BQ1: Just a random thought - does it bother you that the word "circle" doesn't have an "o" in it? I mean, wouldn't that make sense? The word "line" has a line in it, and TRIANGLE (in capital letters) has a triangle in it (the A). Shouldn't a circle be called a "corcle"?



Brain. Exploded. Your logic has overpowered me.



BQ2: Do you write in 1st or 3rd person? Ever tried second person?



First, when I'm bored. Third, usually - I do it better. Second, I would probably mess up horribly. :P



BQ3: What do you struggle most with in writing?



Now I could go on forever... :P Now, plot aside (since it's not the *most* important aspect - in some ways - yet still enough to get me stuck up on it for a few months... -_-) I have a multitude of problems :D

-Stereotypes, unrealistic characters/events/world, extreme cheesiness

-Boring, a crime. And too many words, too little ideas conveyed. I try to write a short exchange of "How was your day?" and it takes a page.

-'tis shallow. Little, if any, deeper meaning behind it.

-Inaccuracy (which goes together with the unrealistic part) :P I try to research, but sometimes I have preconceived notions that make me screw up anyways...

-Writing that is plain, dull, wordy, rambling, choppy, and what have you.



Oh, wait, were we suppose to choose one? :D I'll keep this list with me anyways... XD

Answer 2

They need to stop being lazy and come up with ideas themselves. Chances are they aren't that serious about writing and expect that if they string a few paragraphs together and add some dialogue that they'll automatically be published but there's a lot more to writing than that. I just skip over those kind of questions. I will help someone develop their idea or perhaps improve it but even the so I would rather they, as the author, figure out ways on their own:)



BQ1: Just a random thought - does it bother you that the word "circle" doesn't have an "o" in it? I mean, wouldn't that make sense? The word "line" has a line in it, and TRIANGLE (in capital letters) has a triangle in it (the A). Shouldn't a circle be called a "corcle"?



lol how creatively funny;) corcle lol



BQ2: Do you write in 1st or 3rd person? Ever tried second person?



3rd person. :) and ewwww NEVER lol thats pretty taboo in writin.

Just doesn' bode well most of the time...



BQ3: What do you struggle most with in writing?



Pacing my novel. But I am slowly getting a handle on that:)

Answer 3

Honestly, I think people who ask for ideas don't have what it takes to be a writer yet. Maybe in the future when they have more maturity and creativity, but defiantly not now. I mean, if you can't even come up with a very basic plot line, how do you expect to come up with all the characters, settings, and details that make a book good? Chances are, you can't. Coming up with a very basic idea is probably the easiest part, then you expand it, add in special details, and just write. Asking for help is fine in most situations, but I think there's a fragile line between getting ideas and being lazy.



Although, I kind of like the questions on here, just because they always have the most hilarious answers. In fact, some of the questions themselves are just funny. I remember someone once asked for a plot idea for a book she was writing based on her life. I still don't get it, did she hit her head and forget what happened in her life?



BQ1: Whoa, I never even thought about that. I have an idea! *grabs a dictionary, crosses out "circle" and write corcle* okay, we are good now. Squares on it's own though, we'd need to invent a new letter for that. Actually, I just checked, if you change the font to wingdings, the "q" and the "r" in square are squares. Actually, the "l" in circle is a circle if you do that, so we're good.



BQ2: I do first and third, but I'm thinking of changing my fantasy story to first with changing POVs. I'm not sure though.



BQ3: I have three things,

1. Descriptions. When I'm writing, nothing bothers me more than spending pages reading something that is not important to the plot whatsoever (I mean the ones that give you every detail on a room the character only goes in once and never returns, something like that) so when I'm writing, I tend to under-describing things.

2. I have a hard time with characters emotions. Well, mostly one character, her emotions always sound cheesy.

3. Getting distracted so I can't write. For example, right now! I was going to sit down and write, and my mind wandered over to Y!A. So here I am, answering your lovely question.



Hey, I just realized, you changed your name and user picture again. You keep confusing me!

Answer 4

I think those people are just beginners who haven't really thought it through before they asked. I treat these questions with all the attention it deserves: none. I just skip.

When you think about it, do they even really know what they're asking for. I'm sure if we were to give them a full exploitable plot, they would not be able to write it even if they found it a brilliant idea. But maybe there's no harm in giving them a prompt instead: "two friends fall in love with the same boy. Now go." (a crappy one for the example here hey).

Always keep in mind most of the stupid questions (team edward or team jacob? I want to write, can you give me ideas? I'm 10, I want to write a book when I have an idea, can I get it published or will my age get in the way of my awesome talent?) are asked by people who are essentially children. The other half is trolls. Is it really worth reacting over? No. The children will learn in time and trolls shouldn't be fed.



BQ1: "round" has an O if that makes you feel better.

BQ2: Never tried 2nd. I write mostly in third, but I have some first person works. I do whatever I feel the story calls for.

BQ3: a lot of things, the latest I have noticed is I write very little dialogues and when I do they're always short. I think it's half because my characters tend to have communication issues and half because I don't actually like writing dialogues. I'm more of a description person. Dialogues are a weakness of mine. I have difficulties reproducing a character's speech pattern or voice, even when they sound real clear in my head. I struggle with world-building too. I prefer character-building.

Answer 5

I don't mind when someone has a vague idea already and they're just asking for oppinions or help developing that initial idea. But when these so-called "writers" are asking for the entire idea, start to finish, I don't think that's right. I find it rather distasteful actually and I'm just as perplexed as you as to why some people think this is acceptable. I usually just ignore these questions, but if I'm in a particularly critical mood I tell them to get their own ideas. Writing is about creativity, after all.



BQ: I never thought of that...interesting. What about the word 'square' then?

BQ2: I usually write in 3rd, but I use 1st pretty regularly too. I wrote in second once or twice when I was younger just to prove how great my writing skills were. Lol, epic fail!

BQ3: I struggle with beginnings. I end up doing complete rewrites and changing starting points at least a dozen times before I get something I can even work with

Answer 6

I don't mind people who ask for a little guidance, but I do not agree with providing people stories. I figure that if I'm going to give them a plot, I might as well just write the book myself. lol

BQ1: I can tell you with 100% honesty that the whole circle thing has never - not once - crossed my mind until now. Actually, for some reason, I think that the look of the word kind of fits with the definition of it. haha. There is something so 'circular' about the word circle, if you know what I'm sayin.

BQ2: I guess I usually write in 1st person. For short stories I often write in 3rd person, but if I'm gonna write a novel I can't stand putting in he or she all the time so I gotta go with 1st person. lol

BQ3: That's a very difficult question. I think I'm always so worried about being technical that I sometimes lose the importance of expressing an idea in a way that is new and interesting. I'm a bit too caught up in my writing, perhaps, so I kind of lose sight of what I started with. Also, I struggle with knowing that as my stories progress, my writing ends up getting worse and worse as I go.



How would you like to answer your own questions?



Have a good night!

lbee

Answer 7

I understand why people ask. In writing, you go through these moments where you WANT to write something but your mind goes blank. You end up doing things like typing song lyrics on Word documents or going on Y!A for a few hours because you don't actually have a story to write. That's why people ask...but understanding that doesn't make me any more inclined to give ideas. For one thing, I wouldn't be doing anyone a favor by "handing them" a plot; I'm extremely unoriginal. For another, coming up with your own idea that you yourself are excited about is part of the writing process. You can't really be a writer unless you can actually see an idea all the way through. I would advise people who are in a hype about writing but can't seem to think of anything to go to www.creativewritingprompts.com and utilize this free resource purely for practice. They have some interesting ideas for short exercises and stories and there's no need to leech off us. In my opinion "asking for assistance" is where you say, "So this is my idea for a story. How can I improve it?" whereas leeching is either, "Give me a plot that I can write" or "will you write this idea I already have for me?" You see the former a lot more than the latter unless we're talking about a school assignment. I would say it stops being assisting and starts being leeching when the poster refuses to do his/her own work...but of course, there's some gray areas.



(I guess it's the "feel" question? But that's really weird!)



BQ1: I never thought about it, but it doesn't really bother me. But now I'm trying to imagine a world in which Magellan "corcumnavigated the globe"...



BQ2: Usually 3rd, although I've recently been experimenting with 1st. I'm OK at both, but 3rd comes more naturally to me. I can't do second at all. I tried with a paragraph and it was so terrible I stopped!



BQ3: FINISHING things!

Answer 8

When it comes to asking for possible solutions to plot holes and things like that, I don't think it's too bad, though I'd still never ask that kind of question.

But when someone asks something like, "I want to write a novel. Give me a plot," I get a bit annoyed. if I had an extra plot idea lying around, why do you think I'd give it to you to use?



BQ1: Well, it has two half-circles(the letter C) that I suppose could add up to a full circle...

BQ2: Both, but more often 1st. I've tried 2nd for school assignments and I didn't enjoy it at all.

BQ3: Finding the right balance of description and action. It seems it's always either too fast paced with not enough detail, or too much detail and not enough action. :/

Answer 9

Hello, Its now not the top of the arena if you aren't getting first-class reply. This isn't Who Wants To Be a Millionaire or Jeopardy in which there are fiscal rewards, prizes or certificate. We can not live to tell the tale facets and enhances finally. I simply get a bit frustrated while anyone asks a query and there are particularly considerate well solutions which mostly took an hour or extra of labor and study that are disregarded and facets are given to a couple 2 or 3 phrase intelligent a ss reply or the reply given is a entire tautology and is entirely disregarded via the asker because it contradicts what she or he thinks. Also while a character takes the problem to reply a query it might be well manners for the asker to supply him a investigate mark to recognize that a minimum of they learn the reply; particularly while there are 30 or extra solutions. Cheers, Michael Kelly

Answer 10

I feel that if people are asking for ideas then they're not putting forth enough effort to try to think of something themselves. There's a line with me. If they have an idea they want to broaden then it doesn't bother me one bit. But if they're just saying they intend to write a story and need someone to give them characters/character names/plots/themes... basically the whole story...then I just skip the question and stifle a yawn. Sometimes people need a little help, but most of the time people just need put forth effort. So I have no pity for them yet no hate. I just know they'll never be published.



BQ: No, but it bothers me that there's no "s" in circle. Why should c's sound like s's. Try explaining that to a 5 year old. lol.



BQ2: I write in both. The shorty story I'm doing now is in first person



BQ3: Hmm, metaphors I think. I have a certain way I want to say something but I have to constantly retool my metaphors so that they say it just right and don't sound as cheesy as they did before hand. I also struggle with motivation and maintaining my motivation to continue writing.

Answer 11

I don't agree with it. People need to think of their own ideas.



BQ: It hasn't until now, but now every time I see the word I'll think of that. We just started doing curcles in trig too...

BQ2: In the book I'm writing now it's in first person. If I had it in third it would both give too much and not enough away for the plot; it's hard to explain :P

BQ3: Character development. And judging myself. And not going off on a completely different tangent. there's probably about five million personal flaws for me at the moment; I'm only 15, so even if it seems pretty good to me, it's probably not. Characterization is probably the worst thing though. At least for the 'good' characters. The bad ones are easier for me to write, somehow.

Answer 12

I feel like they really arent putting in enough effort. I know i have

plenty of ideas that float around in my mind. Watching TV, living life, hell, walking

around outside can spring ideas into your head. You just have to sort out the good

ones and see what you can make of them. I think they just look for the easiet way

to start and sure getting a great idea isnt the easiet thing in the world but thats the

POINT, you put so much effort into the idea that you give it life and you creat a great story.



BQ1: Circo lmao, My sad attempt at trying to respell Circle. I didnt think it was weird

before but now that you've pointed it out...thanks..

BQ2: I write in first person, i think i can get my point across and more emotions out. Nope

never tried 2nd.

BQ3: Description of surroundings. Which is why right now i'm on YA instead of writing my

story. Descriptions always put me off of my story. Makes me go BLEH. I tend to put '(ADD DETAILS OF AREA) and move on so i can come back and add it later...

Answer 13

People who ask for ideas on a plot as it tells me that they do not have what it takes to be a writer. A writer has the ability to create a plot on their own efficiently.



BQ1: No. I think they are fine the way you are.

BQ2: Always in first. I can get a better feel and better connection in first person.

BQ3: I can write around 10, 000 words in one sitting at a time, but then sometimes I just stall for a while to refresh my brain I guess and then get back to writing.



Please answer mine:



https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20110514002547AAkqgFi

Answer 14

BQ!- it bothers me that "monosyllabic" isn't.