A Responsibility Taken Lightly

My formal apology to all the new writers

A few days ago, I wrote a scathing message to new writers who frequent these hallowed writing hallways of ours. By scathing, I mean it was a brutal tongue lashing. It was a message that was full of vitriol and condescending tone about my take on a few new writers who, in my opinion, don’t take their work seriously.

Even a few veteran writers were shocked and taken aback, and they told me so, some via private message, and others by open comments. Not a single one of them disagreed with what I said, but whoo boy, a shit ton of them disagreed with the way I said it.

Seriously, people, it was almost the rant to end all rants. This morning, although it’s had several reads, actually more than it probably deserved, I thought about deleting it.

Then I thought, no, I’m not going to delete it. I want that piece out there to serve as a constant reminder to me that I screwed up royally. Every time I go back to it (and I will), I will read it and shudder and wince at its vicious, almost vindictive delivery style.

And no, I’m not going to provide a link to it. Let’s just let that sleeping dog lay, shall we?

I want to set the record straight right now. To all you new writers who have been writing here for six months or less and perhaps read my vitriolic spew:

I’m sorry.

What I said still stands, the way I said it? Uh, uh. Bad P.G., bad, bad, bad P.G.

This morning it occurred to me as a veteran writer and avid reader, I took an individual responsibility lightly. I was reminded by several vets that way back then during the Jurrasic period, I was just like you, a new writer.

I was reminded that all of us were born not knowing how to write. We all, at one point in our lives, experienced that struggle to piece the words together just so, trying things all over the map in a frustrating search for our tone and voice.

The same struggle you new writers are going through now, I as well have experienced.

So, it should come as no surprise to any of you newbies, that if I’ve already been there, done that, and have both the trophy and the T-shirt, I (and many of us veterans) should be willing to offer my mentorship to you. We all need a helping hand, and as a life-long writer, I should never take my responsibility as a mentor lightly.

But I did that exact thing a few days ago. My responsibility was, and will always be, to write, but also to guide a new writer along the path. Guide being the operative word here, not berate and scream at faults and mistakes. We all have flaws, and we all make mistakes.

Some not as bad as the one I made a few days ago, but we all make them.

I should never take the responsibility of lending a helping hand to a new writer lightly, especially one who is struggling simply because English is a second or third or fourth language to them.

Imagine the mistakes I would make if I chose to post a blog written in Arabic or Spanish or German or Hindi on an indigenous web site. I’m confident I would quickly be ridiculed and thought a complete fool.

The point is, none of you are fools, and neither am I (a least I don’t think I am), and if you’re struggling with your pacing, your syntax, your grammar, or your spelling, then I should be willing to help you. Not scream at you because you miswrote something.

Hell, I’m from Texas. English is a second language for me as well.

So, here I am as contrite as a stubborn old coot can possibly be, telling all you new writers I’m sorry. Instead of scorn, I should have offered sage. Instead of vitriol, I should have provided guidance.

As a new writer, you’ll learn soon enough just how hard this writing thing is. My initial message still stands, though. You must be willing to do the work. The rejections are going to come. If you haven’t figured that out, then I’d suggest that you step your submissions up a notch.

If an editor passes on your work, take a real hard look at it and try to figure out why. Hell, if you have no idea why it wasn’t accepted, then seek out some of the veteran writers here and ask them to take a look.

If they offer you a few suggestions, trust them. They have no vested stake in your post, other than to try and help you succeed. If an editor passes on your work, but offers some suggestions on how to make your work better, then take them up on it, do the work and resubmit.

Be willing to do the work, that’s all I’m asking you to do. Spend those hours with your butt in the chair (or sprawled on the couch with pen and paper), those days, weeks, months, and years working, really working to improve your craft.

When I wrote that vile piece, I evidently took my responsibilities lightly and forgot the reason I’m here. I’ll not do that again. I’m here because I love to write. I’m here because I love to read beautiful stories written by not only the veteran writers but you new writers as well.

All of us have a shared passion, and by this one fact, a lot of us here have walked the path you’re just now starting on, and we know most of the pitfalls. If you ever need help, then reach out to us. Reach out to me, reach out to writing groups, reach out to veteran writers here.

Just ask for help.

This is no excuse, but those who’ve read my work know I tend to get a little irascible and cranky at times. Most of the time, it’s when I forget to take my daily dose of humility.

Or is it Metamucil? Probably both.

Anyway, although the message today may be pretty much the same as the message I ranted about the other day, I hope the delivery method is a little less acidic and much more palatable. In hindsight, perhaps this is the piece I should have written.

Thank you so much for reading. You didn’t have to, but I’m certainly glad you did.

Let’s keep in touch: [email protected]

© P.G. Barnett, 2020. All Rights Reserved.