Hello everyone
Just wanted to make a quick Note to tell you about something that was happening for the last two days. Ok I think it isnt a Note...a Little Rant Out maybe perhaps?? Hehe...😜😜But writing it out is going to help me feel so much Better rather than just keeping it in the walls of my Head, because I most definetly have had some positive lessons and takeaways and constructive learnings from everything that happened.
So yeah..here it goes...
So, as you all know from my previous note that Hit Wicket My heart was listed in Wattpad India's- We Recommend You Review Book,along with a list of works of some amazing writers who have been writing up some amazing stories and plots in the community.
However there were a group of people, who probably felt that the list of recommendations put up by Wattpad this week didnt deserve as much attention as they were disappointed that Cliche'd Romance categories that were all done and dusted and already overloaded on Wattpad were being listed out and featured and that the more number of reads did not necessarily mean that a book has good content.
I truly beleive that everyone is entitled to have their own opinions and I respect that, and at first I was trying to ignore the words and tones they had been using in their comments to express their disappointment over the same. However day before yesterday evening, while I was going through the comments that were dropping in the Post - A Humble Request( which was made by Wattpad India in the book as they regulated the hurtful comments on the request of a fellow author who was featured in the list alongside me ), I just thought that since it's an open community, i can atleast try to explain to them, what we felt as writers, over they way in which they had chosen to express their disappointment to our work. Theres obviously nothing wrong in giving honest feedback after reading the book..as long as one is kind and open to listening to what the other side (we)also has to say about it.And I did get into a one on one with one of the users, in the inline comments and tried to handle it all with a lot of love and politeness from my end , and by the time the matter settled down day before yesterday night, I went to bed with a learning,that maybe from next time..theres no point in trying to make the other see your opinion incase they are not open/ receptive to even think of ones POV with a calmer eye. ( since this was the first instance that I got into something like this discussion on Wattpad).
However once again yesterday morning, as the comments on WattpadIndia's post off Humble Request from one of the other users also came up, I most definetly wanted to talk to the user to thank her for investing her time into reading 20 chapters of my book and to tell her that yes ...you are right and I am aware that the editing and grammatical errors exist, as I have not proofread the work before posting, and I put the disclaimer for the same before every post/ chapter I post up, so that the readers know that they will come face to face with grammatical/ typo/punctuation errors. And I even told her that infact I myself have been thinking of taking up some courses online to improve on all of that and that I will definetly take in all her suggestions as a part of my learning curve. And well, I thought that was going to be the end of the discussion..however I was obviously a little taken aback when she started posting up inline comments calling out other positive and loving comments and feedbacks I had received as lies and sugarcoated words which in her opinion everyone were writting as a mode of flattery and misguiding me.I had also casually mentioned to her my reasons as to why I am short on time for proofreading/editing just now( but will get around to it soon nonetheless), and she twisted it all up in inline comments and started saying things like - I am stating all these things as excuses to gain false sympathy to cover up for my flaws or something like that(which was never really the case, because I had mentioned that I take full Ownership of my work nonethelss).She even clearly stated in her comments as to how she couldnt beleive how a book that needed editing and grammatical corrections was getting all goody goody and positive feedback which to her eye were all Sugarcoated Lies.And then once again as I poliltely made an effort to make her understand that it's just probably a difference in perspective , everyone is leaving comments on basis of what they felt as they read the book and a different POV from hers doesnt necessarily constitute a Sugarcoated Lie. And all the feedbacks were welcome to me.
But that just led to her to get a little more rude in her comments as she went on a mission to remove the blindfold off my eye that( which according to her was on my eye along with the belief that I could write something that was receiving positive,goody goody feedback and she started saying things like god you are so afraid of failures,pride is nasty etc etc) and even though I was polite and courteous in my replies to her nonetheless,stating that failures are learnings and why must one be afraid of them..i most definitely am not and have taken all her suggestions as a learning curve for myself but we surely can mutually agree to disagree that differences in POvs doesnt mean the other is a sugarcoated Lie because one may look at the same glass differently..like half glass/half full situation...but then I spotted her calling on more of her acquaintances to say harsher messages and comments to me by posting messages on her Message board,by saying that the author of HWMH has gone haywire because I pointed out her errors etc etc,completely leaving out the information in it that I have no problem with her feedback on flaws...and yes the point I made was with Regards...to when she starting calling out others feedbacks as sugarcoated lies( and it turned out that both the users I got into the discussions on both the days were friends and acquaintances from before) and that was when I realised that theres really no point to go on with this debate( as I'm probably walking into something that they wanted me to walk into...maybe..because they were probably still disappointed over Cliche'd romance category being listed out and strongly felt that my work was not worthy enough of the attention and that Wattpad needed to stop promoting cliche romance books with editing grammatical errors..) and I tried to wrap it all up with peace and love...stating that I have accepted all my faults and flaws that they wanted to point out with a lot of Love! And just wished her all the best for her future endeavours.
And well,all of this led to another learning that maybe what I thought I had learnt the previous night( that there no point in discussing something when the other person believes in just one sided conversations/ and isnt open to listening to the other side of the coin and wants to turn and twist everything you say to look like an excuse or cover up for flaws etc)...I hadn't probably learnt it well enough..that's why this incident happened to cement my learning on the same.
However as I slept over it all and woke up this morning I wanted to drop a message to Wattpad India saying that my only Regret out off this entire experience was that maybe all that continuous discussions in the inline comments led to some kind off a inconvenience to them.( since it was happening on their book page)
And I did receive a message from them saying -
So yeah.. guys the We Recommend You Review Book is taken down for now ,however all the works they had listed out this weeks stands included in their Reads of the Week - nonetheless.😊😊😇
Sooo..Yeah...this was all that was going on for the last couple of days and now I have just been trying to look back at it to see what can I learn from this entire episode ..you known since it's all a learning curve for us and sometimes only when we engage into something do we learn and adapt from it.
SO yes.
I do have a couple of takeaways from this entire experience that I want to look at optimistically as a part of my learning curve, for sure.
1. I have obviously kept Editing and Proofreading in my list of things to get to as soon as I am able to fend some time out for the same.( as until now my intent off writing has been as a platform to just freely express my plots and emotions because I am passionate about it..and It really wasnt at the back of my head to pursue this as professionally. And until I am able to get down to editing/proofreading, I have also now included a Disclaimer in the very Intros of all my works stating that the chapters I have posted are the First draft surely and hasnt been proofread for typo/punctuation/ grammatical errors, so that every reader who comes across my work knows about it from the start. It is never my intention to set out False and Misguided Expectations for my works)
2.Apologies to all of you my curent readers as well incase youv faced issues in your reading experience while reading my work because I am aware that my work posted up right now is not as Picture Perfect grammatically/editing wise - and I want you all to know that I take full ownership and responsibility off it. ❤
3.Another thing I have learnt from all of this once again is that sometimes setbacks as and when they happen do have the tendency to pull one low...but you gotta accept it as a learning curve adapt to it by giving your emotions it's due in the process, and then spring right back up, embracing the lessons learnt backed by the focus of positivity and the aim to keep switching on that Light Switch off Hope❤❤ I will be lying if I say that this entire experience hadnt been exhausting for me and pulled me low...I literally could not finish up my updates as planned on the last two days. I just couldnt write even though I opened up my laptop screen in front of me so many times, it's like there was this energy block that I was facing...and you know what..that is when I realised that all of this is maybe because I am so very emotional about my Writing, and all of this happened to make me realise that I also need to include a emotional contingent reserve buffer in the balance sheets off my emotions with regards to my writing, so that the next time something like this happened.. I can handle it better perhaps? You know how since it's a open community and everyones opinions are more than welcome, just gotta figure out a way to absorb just the learning from it all constructively and not let the taut negative tones get to me and make me feel low because they will lead to a block in my energies.Its only obvious that Not everyone will like what you do...and hey that's okay❤
So now that iv absorbed in the learnings..I am sitting back and looking back at all the lovely feedbacks and comments that all of you my readers have left me over time with regards to the storyline in the journey of Hit Wicket...so that I can take all the power from the Love and Positivity of it all and get back into My Writing.Once again I am deeply grateful to all of you for all the love and support you have SHOWERED on my work until now guys..its most definetly means a lot to me❤ Each of your kind and loving and positive feedbacks from beginning to over time until the end..to the plot and storyline depicted in Hit Wicket has really helped me a lot in these last couple of days.
I aim to continue to write with the same belief in my heart with the aim of continue to improvising on my writing skills nonetheless...as that will only make me a better version of myself as a writer and look at this experience as a learning curve and as a part of my writing journey.The literature in my work may be Flawed with grammatical/editing errors as of now( will get better on that soon) but even before edit or after edit, I assure you one thing will remain the Same , and that is that all my words and plots are something that I have penned down truly from my Heart,nonetheless❤ ( and once again..I most definetly will be getting around to Editing/Proofreading Soon as well as and when I have little more time on my hands... to make it all more come across as Crisper...so that incase you guys pick up a Chapter again...your reading experience will be better on the grammatical/editing front as well)-Promise*pakka Se Wala to that❤
I am truly Greatful to You All.
Also.yes....none of this has been able to take away my thrill and Happiness of Hit Wicket being featured in WattpadIndia Reads of the Week - reading list😊😊😊 That truly means a lot to me and has been possible because of the readership and each of yours support to my work..irrespective of the errors of editing in it!❤❤❤
Thank you so very much for Investing Your precious time into the FICTIONAL tales of my Head...once again Guys😇😇😇😇
I will be back with the Update Soonish ❤❤
❤❤❤ A toast To Expecto Patronus❤❤❤
❤❤❤ A toast to Turning on the Light❤❤❤
Much Love Guys
Always
❤
Prachi