A small rant regarding the quality of writing.?

R

Robin Gabriel

New member
I am seriously annoyed, as you may have worked out by the fact I've written a rant. By the end of this rant, you will probably judge me to be selfish, stupid, immoral, unreasonable and a total bitch.

So, what am I annoyed about? I recently entered a creative writing competition for young people my age in my region, and the shortlist for finalists was announced yesterday evening, so today in school I found out who had been accepted. I worked really, really hard on my piece - it won my school's creative writing competition, so it wasn't terrible - but I wasn't shortlisted. I got over that last night, and I accepted that whoever won would be the superior writer and I could deal with it. But then today, I was stopped in the corridor by a member of my creative writing group, called L. She asked me if I had been shortlisted, to which I replied that I hadn't, and she told me that both she and B (another member) had. I was shocked and angry. L is a terrible writer. From what I've read of her work in the creative writing group, she should never have even entered her writing is so bad, whereas my entry was well-written, original and interesting. I haven't actually read most of her entry, but what I have I found to be really boring, if original, but not very well written at all. She wrote the prayer book of some explorer, and I wrote about a steampunk assassin. When I write it like that, it looks like she's obviously going to win because of a safer concept. But the competition wasn't just on concepts, it was about how good you are at writing, and I am better than her!

I'm pissed off because:
1) I feel like I deserve to be shortlisted, even if I didn't win, because I worked so hard and had a good piece to submit.
2) L is a terrible author
3) I had the support of my English teacher, Miss S, the whole way through and I feel like I've let her down.

On another note, I am happy for B. He is genuinely a very good writer, and he totally deserves to win the competition. I can deal with being beaten by him, but not by her. I would be fine if I didn't know, it's just the fact that she told me that I'm so upset.

I'm so sorry, Miss S. I really have let you down. I got both of us excited. How am I going to face you in English class?
 
I know how you're feeling. I've had the same feeling many a time in school speech competitions. The judge was always biased towards certain individuals, even though I knew I was the better competitor and people always said to me 'I can't believe you didn't win' it can be gut wrenching when you someone else isn't very good at something you love and yet they seem to do well. I know the feeling only too well, 4 years running the guy judging our competition picked the same people. It sucks. It makes you doubt yourself and your own abilities lucky for me we had a different judge on my last year at school who picked me as the winner which was a relief. Made me realise I hadn't been deluding myself all along...
The important thing to remember is that it's school and school is an immensely tiny part of your life - focus on what you love doing and just take stuff on the chin because obsessing over it will do you no good what so ever.
When you leave school if you have real talent, people will see and take note - if there is favouritism going on at your school those getting the best treatment now will see what the real world is like - you're just getting a taste early on.
 
I know I'll be thumbs-downed for this, but I just have to say it: writing about the prayer book of an explorer is both more original and riskier than writing about a steampunk assassin. Steampunk is the "in" thing right now, and assassins are always cool, whereas praying is very "out". L took a risk writing about something as old-school as a prayer book.
 
Aaaaaaaaand this is why rants are not allowed on Yahoo Answers. What do you expect us to say? You were totally robbed? Maybe you were, but I can hardly judge that from what little you've told us.

I don't know the terms of the contest, and despite your very subjective assertions, without samples of both of your work to judge, I can't say that L is a terrible writer or that you deserve to win. For all I know, your teacher supports you because she feels you need her support the most, and maybe your school's creative writing doesn't actually offer much competition at all.

Life is full of disappointments and we can't always get what we want. Platitudes, perhaps, but true nevertheless. And sometimes, crap just happens and in our own personal melodrama there's just no justice in the world. The sooner you learn to deal with disappointment in a healthy way, the better prepared you'll be for life.

Oh, and I'm not sure your beloved teacher would appreciate you ending your tantrum with an ostensibly selfless claim that you're not disappointed for yourself, but for HER. I would have respected your need to vent more without that part.
 
I know you're angry - I would be too - but you're coming off as pathetic and bitter in this rant. The judges - for whatever reason - did like hers better so it can't have been absolutely hideously written.

Miss S will not feel like you 'let her down'.

Just pull on your big girl panties and be a gracious loser.
 
You have not let your English teacher down. If she is a writer herself, she will understand exactly what you are going through.

As I'm sure you already know, being rejected is a big part of being a writer. We're not going to have every manuscript published, be shortlisted for every competition or win every prize. All great writers have disappointments on the way to success. You've just had your first.

Ultimately, whenever we submit a written piece for a competition we will not know what the judges are looking for. Sometimes what is technically the best piece of writing will be overlooked for something that has a more universal appeal. This rule also applies with publishing. Also, writers can be terrible judges of their own work. It is much harder to see the errors in ones own work than it is in another writers. (While this may not necessarily true in your case, it is useful knowledge for the future.) Do not feel bad about it. Concentrate on continuing with your writing and improving. How important is the competition anyway? Do you think people will still be talking about it in two years time? Or is it entirely possible that you may have won other competitions by then?
 
Well no use crying over spilt milk. What's done is done right?

I'd be pretty upset as well and defeated, but I wouldn't let that shatter my confidence. It's just a silly competition right? Maybe her theme was more appropriate?

I prefer your theme but maybe for that particular competition?
Your teacher won't feel like you have let her down.

Don't be a bitter prune and get over it.
 
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