@maryltabor
Dear followers, readers and friends. Find me now at marytabor.substack.com for "Write it! How to get started" and all things literary, movie reviews and more.
xo
Mary
@maryltabor thank you for following! This weekend, I'll look for you at substack, cheers!
Hunting you on this site after reading 'The Burglar' in that bizarre relic listed there as Literary Fiction and finding your 2020 goodbye, l better understand my disappointment in Wattpad as a 2021 newcomer. I thank you for leaving your reading list, a precious document, but I regret the complete removal of your own writing. I know, the six-pack and green eyed crowd is annoying, but there are amidst the hordes some gifted junior scribes. Tell me, who is going to show the kids how it's done?
I know, you have better things to do and time is always short. Don't you remember the thrill at the sight of a comment on your work from someone you had respect for? Respectfully.
@Jeanpragot Thank you for this lovely comment and encouragement. Find me now @ marytabor.substack.com Hope to see you there and all best no matter what you decide. --Mary
Hello Mary?
How are you doing it's nice meeting you, hope you're having a wonderful day so far?
Dear followers, Readers, Friends,
As I have said previously, Wattpad's mission is far from support--even a small space—and, for lack of a better word, "literary" fiction, memoir or essay.
I remain grateful for my time here, but have now decided to take down all that I had previously posted.
With special thanks to @zoedinovi, who found me, supported me and made this spot in life and time a heartfelt and deeply creative place, I take my leave. Thank you, Zoe, dear. I wish you and all my previous readers the best. Stay well and shoot for the moon!
I add this wisdom, not from my pen, but rather from the marvelous actor/playwright Sam Shepard after publication of his book of short stories entitled _Great Dreams of Heaven_ in an article by Mel Gussow in the New York Times:
Once free-form in his writing, he has become carefully disciplined. “It’s a strange thing about form,” he said. “When you’re younger, you tend to believe it doesn’t exist, or that you can ignore it or reinvent it. Slowly you beging to understand that there are certain essentials that have to be honored.” He added: “Horsemanship is the same way. You don’t just jump on a horse, spur him and hope for the best.”
I hope for the best for all of you, my friends, my readers, my followers.
With profound sadness,
Mary L. Tabor
@maryltabor Sorry to hear you are going, though I understand your reasons. All the best in your new endeavours!
How sad for us all! Your beauty in words, being, and expression will be missed. All the best in life and health for you...write on!
Read your last message. You are too good for what this site has become. Seems to be an opening for non edited thought. That is youth....oh forsooth! Discombobulated as I am, I still smell the changes. I think too that I will get off this particular planet . I have appreciated your reads of my work. I am visual foremost, yet words have always been there. Thank you Mary. You seem to know how to bite the world gently back when U have been bitten. Grapher thought>
Dear followers, readers, friends, with extra special thanks,
The Stars program has responded to my message with this closing comment: “Unfortunately, literary fiction currently isn’t a genre of focus for us. For these reasons, we completely understand why you would like to leave the Stars program, although we are genuinely sad to see you go.”
And, indeed I am sad to go. I have decided to leave up my profile and (Re)Making Love https://www.wattpad.com/story/14101251-re-making-love-a-memoir
This week and next I will be taking down the rest of my work.
Special thanks for your comments and support: @zoedinovi @GeekAtlas @WriterAEF, @Glory_feeling2 @MorrighansMuse @isabelle_bl @AyWrdWthU @Christine_Owen @MichaelGraeme @barry205 @KLCandela @Pietr0x @Hobnails @memoonzed @daviswin
Should Wattpad decide to create a niche for “literary” fiction, I’ll, for sure, be back!
Love the willed word,
Mary
@maryltabor For one that can actually think, construct coherence, delve emotion, SPELL and EDIT, this site has become a sad place. You deserve much more>
@maryltabor I am so frustrated at Wattpad's narrow minded decisions. So so so disappointed with this platform. I used to speak highly of Wattpad. I will speak of it that way in the past tense now. It used to be good. Wattpad staff and managers. How can you call yourself inclusive and diverse?You're really not.
Hello Mary, this is terrible news for Wattpad that you are leaving the site. That said, I discovered your message only by accident today. I haven’t been around this site for a while, for much the same reasons as you have given in your message today. It was only a message through he site to me from a follower that brought me here today.
When I first came to this site in 2012, it was a vibrant, exciting and supremely encouraging place to be. I met so many excellent writers and became friends and followers of them, yourself is included among them. We had a 100 over 2O group- a hundred members over the age of 20 and mind-blowing were the ideas and exchanges that ensued. I learned so much, and was able to contribute also. Wattpad changed its focus toward the young adult and teen market around the middle of the decade and many of those excellent talents withdrew from the site, myself included. My writings fall in the literary category- fact based fiction, historical and contemporary (but without smartphones, werewolves and spaceships).
But I really miss the old Wattpad and can only hope another appears where I can continue to digitally ‘rub shoulders’ and ‘bounce ideas’ from mentors such h as you, Mary. You have given so much to us, and have so much more to offer. Your departure will be the felling of another tree in the forest of literary endeavour- except yours is a great oak. Best wishes for the future, whatever you decide to do, may it continue to bring you the success and acclaim you deserve. Peter (Hobnails)
Hey Mary
I understand your concern really, but you should know you are cherished and no matter what, people will find you and recognise your incredible work.
Please don't feel heartfelt. Do what you think best and what will give you peace.
Much love
Dear Mary, I am sad to know that you may be leaving us. Wattpad has been important to me; but perhaps in ways that may resonate with your own reservations.
It has mainly been a place where have I found a number of fellow travellers who became very influential with me; and none more so than you. Sadly only a few of them are still participating.
I continue to appreciate WattPad as a repository of the things I want to write, even if not many read them. In a somewhat selfish way I write for myself, which is a denial of the community purpose of WattPad. But at times there has been a gratifying response to things I have thought important to say.
The other reason I will continue to post to WattPad is to share with others the poetry that I love. There is almost an imperative to try to share this, whether successfully or not.
@daviswin And a beloved thank you to you, good sir. See above, my newest post here and my decision. xo Mary
Dear followers, readers, friends,
I am now seriously considering leaving Wattpad for the following reasons, and despite considerable success and joys here that I will outline:
It appears that, in order to monetize, Wattpad has moved away from, for lack of a better term, “literary" fiction, memoir and essays.
I have long argued that literary writers should be on Wattpad: The future is here and it’s digital. I’ve been in the literary world for the best part of my life, published stories in literary journals, won literary contests.
I saw potential on Wattpad for both literacy and writers like me.
Let’s talk for a minute about literacy and art: A child paints a painting, you love it, hang it above your piano as I have. A child writes a poem and you save it and read it at their bat mitzvah or confirmation as I have. Literacy and art hold hands like children in a circle. They dance together.
That may still be so for many writing here, but it appears no longer the case for me.
I remain grateful for my success here in 2014-15 with special thanks to @zoedinovi for finding me, encouraging me.
Links to my joys here include a Watty for (Re)Making Love: https://www.wattpad.com/story/14101251-re-making-love-a-memoir
The writing tip I did for HQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Lh_UIX-4Q&t=1s
My work for Secret Lives of Americans: https://www.wattpad.com/user/SecretLivesOfAmericans
My feature on the New School’s profile: https://www.wattpad.com/user/NewSchoolNYC
Although I was considering posting my novel _Dangerous Love_ to Wattpad (one chapter of this novel is up), I do have this concern: I’m not sure that Wattpad would discover this novel because of HQ's change in focus.
As an experienced Creative Writing professor, a professional editor and a Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellow, I could and would love to help with editing young, emerging writers. But I no longer see a way to do this here.
Before I take down all my work, I would like your thoughts.
Mary
@maryltabor it seems the world is full of HUGE disappointments ... all the way around . The changes in WP are appearing to be more for monetary gain and less for the artist ! I'm sorry for fiction writers and for the communistic feeling it leaves ; the separation it leaves . Mary, I don't speak with big words are literary genius words , what i can say is spread your word to the outside world of WP , your love and devotion and passion for the written word is clear as a bell and for the creators of literary works ...i ''hope'' we writers ''never'' give up !! we are the catalyst to connecting humanness and the human condition .. thank you for ''you!"
@maryltabor Hi Mary, It is a huge disappointment that Wattpad is narrowing their focus on styles of writing when the world at large is having a heavy duty conversation about inclusivity and diversity. Why would Wattpad snub literary writing? It is a form of writing like any other kind and it has writers and an audience here. Some younger folks might not yet even know literary writing is what inspires and excited them. This decision by Wattpad is so, so short sighted and disheartening. What a shame. As for leaving, that's another issue. You know that I left Wattpad more than once and I had reasons for it. These have since resolved, but another reason Wattpad's evolution was not an evolution for a lot of us here. Something really magical disappeared with all of the upgrades. I have tried a number of other writing sites and never did I have the incredible experience I had at Wattpad, where within six months I had an instant community of writers who really really supported me. I also seemed to capture more readers in the beginning and I don't think it was because I was doing something better. Their system changes make me feel like a needle in a haystack now. All that said, someone above said, "stick around" and maybe strangely I agree. I think people who find your work on Wattpad will be moved and inspired and bettered and this is a great thing. Wattpad, also, is a fantastic place for experimentation in your writing. Loyal followers will always stand by you and I don't think that can be found on other writer sites. Until a site like Wattpad is created for literary writers, I will keep my profile here. I do feel a loyalty to Wattpad because I met You here Mary and I will really miss you if you remove your work and your profile. That said I do understand the disappointment. Wattpad needs a literary representative on staff, I think. All in all though, I support you making the right choice for you whatever that may be.
@maryltabor Hi Mary, I have not been back on here in a while. It's fair to say that I think I lost my writing mojo. I have checked in on the site once in a while, but as I have written but one poem in three years and have made several abortive attempts at getting a novel off the ground, but alas nothing more. I have so much to be grateful to you for - On Afghanistan's Plains would never have become a thing had you not encouraged me in my writing through your wise mentorship. I hope that you are well, and I wish you well, whatever you choose to do. Best wishes, Barry