The Greedya Creative Writing Matrices (removed)

Oh, Greedya, LOL. I swear such blog entries intimidate the help out of me. I like that you know exactly what you like, and as you said readers are Gods, and above are your commandments for getting into what is your reader's heaven.

For the most part I agree (i.e the characterization and narrative matrices), as a lover of Romance (boo all ya like, lol) I think you can have an old plot, perhaps a bit predictable, but if the characters are fresh enough, then it still makes the read interesting and enjoyable. Also, there's something comforting about predictability. But, of course, stories that are unpredictable and award twists that blow the reader's minds--that's great too. I just think both have their place.

Thanks for the read!

Oh, Greedya, LOL. I swear such blog entries intimidate the help out of me.

Oi! Sorry for intimidation. lol

You can have an old plot, perhaps a bit predictable, but if the characters are fresh enough, then it still makes the read interesting and enjoyable.

Like I said, this is a just matter of taste. There is *no* story that is an interesting and enjoyable read for *all* readers.

Maybe I should add another matrix. This would be a 2x2x2 matrix. I read stories that have:
- great narration and at least ok characters, regardless of the plots
- great plot and at least ok narration, regardless of the characters
- great characters and at least ok narration and at least ok plots

LOL! (The jock side of me yells, "NERD! NERD!")

I am definitely one of the writers who 'write aimlessly' I never have a structure and I guess that shows in a lot of my stories, it has to.

I like to think that my characters are three dimensional and that all of my stories have some kind of humour, other than that they tend to be self indulgent. Sometimes I go into them with a deliberate attempt to explore certain situations emotions, etc etc but mostly I just get carried along by the story.

I do however welcome criticism. Constructive criticism is a great validation of a piece of work. It means that someone has thought deeply about what you wrote and cared enough to evaluate it and highlight places where it could have been better. I don't always agree with the criticism... as you say it is subjective but I always welcome it.

As for gods and goddesses... well of course the writers are gods... they create the worlds and then suck the readers into them. However, no gods can exist without belief and if the readers don't beleive in the writers they end up as tortoises in the desert. (shameless Pratchett reference)

I am definitely one of the writers who 'write aimlessly'

At least you set the tone before writing something. And you even have character plans - develop them organically and not revealing everything in one go. Again, this is kinda subjective

the writers are gods... they create the worlds and then suck the readers into them.

I respectfully disagree. The writers create the worlds in the readers' minds. And in the readers' minds, readers are gods. The job of the writers is to manipulate (lol - sounds evil) their emotions and give them a good journey. This is why psychology helps. If writers are gods, they don't have to worry about how to best project the images into the readers' minds 'cause gods are omnipotent and omnipresent. Just my 2 cents.

Nobody else is going to call you out on 'schmoopy' wth is schmoopy? How can I possible achieve your goals for a writer if you insist upon using words that schmoopy! I'm lost in the word maze you provided with no hope of an outlet. No fair! Also... a true geek would have said you were using 2³ matrix. You shame all geeks everywhere with your made up words and your lack of proper formula. Shame, Shame!

That being said... I'm an avid reader. I love it when a writer provides me with a great plot and characters to match. I can make up the details of the scenery on my own as long as I have those things. The one thing I can not abide is improbability or cliched writing. I have to agree with you on that. All too often writers will use trite circumstances or throw the same tired plot ideas at you over and over again. I can't read that. I had a story with characters I truly liked I was reading just 2 days ago and because the story failed to stay off the 'gay pattern' like you described I couldn't read it. It wasn't probable and it made me wonder if the writer really had any idea of how to compose a story without using those cliches.

For me the real purpose of writing is to tell a story. I like to include some form of a romance in my stories but they are rarely just about that romance. There has to be something else going on, a corrupt leader bent on galactic domination, a young man caught up in the world of crime by poor choices he blames himself way too much for... things like that. There is a story behind the relationship the characters are involved in and the relationship has to further that story in some way or it's just gratuitious. I need that when I read as well. I can enjoy a good story that focuses on the character progression but I prefer them to have more substance than that.

No fair!

Are you fair, Cia? This is my reading taste. Just a matter of taste. I'm not calling anyone to please me. I'm not saying what writers should or should not write. I just write what I want to read and what I don't. It is a matter of personal preferences. If you have a problem with that, you shouldn't have read beyond the first paragraph.

If you are criticising a diner's preferences just because he prefers eating spicy food while you love mildly tasting food, then I don't know what to say. Welcome to democracy 101. There is diversity in tastes, preferences and cognition.

In case we define things differently, 2x2x2 matrix is a matrix with three dimensions, each dimension having two possible values. This is what I know from matrix algebra in mathematics and database design in computing. I don't find anything wrong with what I have said.

You seem to care about the label 'geek.' What is the quintessence of labeling someone? And if I make a mistake, it's completely my own. You don't have to drag other people in to make me feel guilty... or to seize an opportunity to call me shame. Do you think this is fair? What is your definition of fairness, if definable?

A formula is a group of symbols that make a statement or principle. In this case, I'm talking about MY taste, and it is not something stable enough to be formalised or modelised in a rigorous manner. And you may or may not know that in creative writing, there is NO proper formula from the writer's side. I wrote this blog post from the reader's - one reader's - side, and if this brings shame to someone else because I am associated with them, the shame happens only in your mind. When an American makes a mistake, does it bring shame to the whole nation? Of course not.

I don't like the idea that when a member of group X does something bad, (the image of) the entire group is affected. I also don't like the idea that someone has to be perfect and not making mistakes. Finally, I don't like the idea that there is a stereotype / group involved in discussion.

I believe that creative writing is subjective and relative. Bad writing to you may be appealing to some readers and good writing in your opinion may be regarded as crap to particular audience. Different writers have different purposes in writing. So do readers. I like that we have these differences. I believe in freedom of expression when it comes to speaking of ideas as long as the discussion is strictly about work or ideas, not about the work or idea owners. I trust that civilisation and exchange of information can develop better without personal attacks. Although I believe that I am a shameful individual because I still have greed, anger and ignorance sometimes, I'm confident that merely pointing out what wrong I have done intellectually is far better without words like 'shame.'

I don't understand why you would remove your entry. This is a blog, which should tell you that your dealing with someone's perspective and opinions. You don't have to like them or agree with them, but the blogger has every right to put what they want on their entries since as readers you have the right to go somewhere else if you don't like whats being said.

I read the entry, you explicitly stated in your entry that it was subjective and merely your opinion on how you judge fictional writing. If anyone reading your entry got butt hurt over your views that's their problem. I read the blogs of other members, and while I may not agree with them sometimes, I can recognize that it's their perspective and opinion and not make a big deal of it, make a comment expressing an alternative opinion, or just avoid the blog.

This seems really silly to me. But, I'm sorry you felt that you had to remove your content when it really wasn't very offensive, Greedya.

If anyone reading your entry got butt hurt over your views that's their problem.

I adhere to the strictest ethical standards that if my opinions hurt someone, even one person, then they shouldn't have been expressed. That is, I maintain harmony by making only Pareto improvement. However, one of the commentators contended that this post brought shame to some other people, and it seems to me that she thinks she can't be wrong. If she likes strawberry but not chocolate and you like chocolate but not strawberry, then your taste is wrong.



Anyway, to nullify possible butterfly effects, I put a stop to it before it grows big and bring more shame to other people.

* sighs * This community seems to be much more sensitive than I originally thought.

* sighs * This community seems to be much more sensitive than I originally thought.

I don't see anyone being sensitive in this thread besides you. I don't believe you should have deleted your blog. It's a valid opinion, and your strict ethical standards just makes you seem childish, no offense, and this is all my opinion. Maybe you aren't childish, but you certainly seem to be that way because one person decided to post their opinion.


If you don't want people to see your ideas, then don't write them, especially if you'll just delete them the moment a little conflict shows up. Or better yet, lock your blog entry so people can only read it. You have every right to post whatever you want to post, and I actually thought this blog was really nice, but if you don't lock your entry, then I guess that means people have the right to express their own ideas as well.


Instead of people getting to read something stimulating, now all they get to read is some blog with butt hurt feelings and over sensitivity. I'd really like to see your original text back up, to be honest.

Maybe you aren't childish, but you certainly seem to be that way because one person decided to post their opinion.

I define childishness as behaviour that lacks self-control. Some children want to get what they want, no matter what, no matter how harmful it is. Risk aversion isn't the same as childishness. I am aware of the fact that some hurtful comments can lead to danger like suicide although they aren't intentional. I just want to switch off that possibility, regardless of how slim it is.

if you don't lock your entry, then I guess that means people have the right to express their own ideas as well.

Just because you can, it doesn't mean that you should. Rights and ethics are related but not equivalent. I speak of this as a general rule.