Tag Book

PWA 2019 Tag

Hello! Hope you're all well. Life is keeping me busy, but I got tagged. This'll be a long post, but since it needs to be addressed, we will. I advise you to keep an open mind, should you choose to read this entry. It was not easy to say most of this, nor is is fun to say anything less than positive on an account I care for so dearly. I really wasn't going to do this for several reasons, but was tagged by the lovely @Dictator-chan so here goes.

1. Which entry are you excited about most for PWA 2019?

I'd have to go with Lost Among the Thorns since I love mystery-adventure novels and this one is Pokémon as well so it is right up my alley.

2. What is your favorite thing about the PWAs?

Alright. Before we deal with the Donphan in the room, let's talk about what has been done right. Everyone has been saying this, but this is my honest opinion. It's the community. Not only did it get me back into writing, but I've met my best friends through this account. Many started off as authors I admire that quickly became good friends of mine. Not only that, but the leaders were so welcoming when I first entered despite the fact that I was new to the community at that time. And even though I didn't win, I learned so much and grew as a writer that following year due to their honest input (Maple sure doesn't hold back in her reviews but it helps). Although things have changed this past year, I still value my time in this community and hope to see it become the amazing group I know it to be.

3. What is your least favorite thing about the PWAs?

Okay gang, hang on to your butts for this one. I'm posting this on my personal account for a very important reason—what I say on this matter is personal and does not reflect the PWAs as a whole, despite being the new admin. These are my long observed reflections on the state of the union. I don't say any of this to tear other people down, but so that we might grow as a community.

Let's get one thing straight, I love this community. The PWAs have been a dear part of my life for the past five years. I entered in 2015 and became a judge in 2018, both during rough times in my life. I had just begun college and throughout my years, both in school and on here, I have seen many changes in how people perceive many aspects of the world in which we live. While some changes have greatly helped out lives, others can be a hindrance if allowed to be. Some of this has already been said by others, but I'm going to add my take on them. There are three main issues I'm going to be covering, but these are not the only ones. Check out @Dictator-chan or d_s_t_e for their posts on this subject. Mine will be over 1) writing, 2) community engagement (or lack thereof), and 3) competition. Also, know that although I am not a psychology major, I have taken many courses on it (such as the human development course I'm currently taking) on my journey to be an educator. That said, let's get to it.

We all know how social media has changed everything in the past decade. From looking up a recipe for dinner to saving a precious memory with friends or family, these apps and sites allow us to share our corner of the world with others. This and of itself is not awful. Tools like this can be used in a variety of ways depending on each user, but in recent years it is has become more toxic as people stop talking to people in person and start posting views that may not reflect a person's intentions to a sea of others who don't know the people involved or only listen to one side of the story. Authors love the saying that there's always more than one side to a story. Understanding motives of multiple characters really helps improve someone's storytelling. This is true in real life too. Being too quick to judge without having all the evidence is not ideal, and in a court of law is illegal. If this wasn't important, defendants wouldn't get a say, or vise versa. During the past year, the PWAs has strived to improve the quality of entries and assist writers in improving their craft, which is especially helpful to those who wish to make it their career. However, even though it's not the cause of it, and in no way desired this effect, it has made authors overtly critical of themselves. Combined with the "perfect" world we see online everyday, it should come as no surprise to anyone how prevalent the issue of perfectionism has become. Not only do I see it in the community, I also find it to be true for myself (despite hardly touching many social media sites).

Though there are groups out there trying to combat this, it's a global epidemic that won't be easily cured. Due to this, many community members feel either divided or ostracized as of late.

It seems to me, from everything I've gathered in my years of observing the community, that where people used to be supportive of new authors, this has declined. I didn't want to address this, but it needs to be. I don't say any of this to put others down, but that through it people can gain knowledge and understanding. After that we should let it go since the people involved need to move on.

Last year, unbeknownst to me, someone (let's call Voldemort shall we) harassed one of my favorite people in this community. However, unknown to most of you, I was also attacked (albeit in a lesser way). Everyone should know what harassment looks like. It's when someone asks for information that should not be shared online, or stalks that person in order to get the information. In no way, shape, or form is this okay behavior. While it may look innocent, if someone does or says something to you that makes you uncomfortable or gives you a bad vibe, leave. Immediately. Don't respond. Save all communication with that person and report it to your local authorities. Even if you can't do anything about it, you have the right to feel safe online. That's why those internet safety classes came about when computers hit schools. And while we're on the subject, stop with the victim shaming. In no way does anybody ever ask for this to happen to them. Telling the person they are wrong or that it didn't happen when it did only seeks to isolate that individual. They need support, not guilt that isn't theirs. Statistics show this happens mainly with women, so guys, man up and do your research before calling someone a liar. Especially online. I repeat, nobody ever asks for this to happen to them. And to insinuate that they're attention seekers or are lying about their experience when you haven't lived it is bs.

On other note, this discourse has led to many people feeling unable to join the community due to this inappropriate behavior. While feelings of inadequacy and being harsh with oneself are normal, it can become toxic if it reaches a certain point. I believe, despite being an indirect occurrence on behalf of the PWAs, this level has been reached many times over in the past year. Less authors say they enjoy their writing and I for one agree. Although this attention to detail is good for improvement, every creator has to decide how they'll react to it. Will comments be taken at face value or will they be seen critically through the eyes of someone who knows their story better than anyone could? Will lack of readership cause you to quit or keep writing for the story inside you? These are questions I've had to ask myself and I believe should be for anyone looking to not only write well, but enjoy the journey. Creatives are the most notorious for being overtly critical of their work. Which is good if you use it to improve your craft, but hard to take when you're just starting out and want to please everyone. However, there comes a point for anyone who sticks with it long enough, to where while you appreciate your audience, you must do right by yourself and write or create the way you see fit. Whether this is sticking to a story that's not growing an immediate audience (although it might given time) or editing that one story for the millionth time in order to tell your tale properly, we all go through it at some point.

However, that said, some people can take it out on out others when their story doesn't win in a competition such as the PWAs, instead of focusing on the good, such as making it to say the semi-finals. The PWAs has never been and will never be, a popularity contest. Those authors you see year after year have worked tirelessly to improve themselves and hone their craft, which shows if they win an award. As someone who is in their second year as a judge, I can promise you that these entries are heavily evaluated and many do so without considering who the author is. Although we may enjoy a certain authors style of writing, many stories win on their first year. This happened just last year when Swanna Girl and Braviary Man won its category, even though the author had never entered before and had only that year joined the community.

I could go on and on about these topics, but I'll leave it at that since many of these issues have already been covered by others in this tag. I would make this an even longer post, but the necessary changes to the PWAs to mend some of these issues will be started soon. Most will come after this year's competition is over, so be on the lookout for those. I sincerely love this community and appreciate everyone I've come into contact with through it. For those of you who would like for this to end on a more positive note, I'm sorry. I would love to give you all the answers you need, but since issues like social media influence are not one and done aspects, I cannot. I hope you'll continue to support the PWAs in the coming years as we strive to better ourselves and our writing. For now though, enjoy the wholesomeness that is Rowlet and Meltan.

Happy writing!
c
-CoordinatorIza out! ^_^