Chit Chat thread

[Mad Hatteress]

Twilight offends me in so many ways, but especially as a writer. That someone with so little writing talent can make so much money off of moronic tweens and teens, and frighteningly enough mature-aged women that it shames every struggling writer with genuine talent that actually tries to craft something intelligent and worthwhile. It's just depressing. I've bitched about this in chat ad nauseam, but with New Moon fast approaching the hatred and loathing just builds within me more and more. And I actually read a little of Twilight just to see what it was like. God, so awful.

Foggle even brought up in the chat once that it's really a shame about your situation, for exactly the same reasons you listed, and I totally agree with both of you. In this day in age it seems like people would rather read pop-culturish trash rather than a novel that is a true work of art.

In my ceramics class there's those adult women you mentioned that are nuts over it. Of course, one of those women is also a fantard for Scooby-Doo so that tells you her intelligence level right their. What's truly awful is that she has a son and another baby on the way.   

[Pamplemousse]

Meh, I'm pretty accepting of what other people like. After all, the same friend once started leafing through an Excel Saga I had out on a table and managed to flip to one of the weirdest scenes-- Shioji or one of those fantasy sequences or something-- and only looked at me a little weird, so she still wins.
 
Twimania is pretty ridiculous, but I've done some crazy stuff before, so I can't judge. I just know I loved sparkles SO MUCH as a tween. And after all, I've spent hours with friends pretending to be a wizard in D&D, so I have no room to bash other people's hobbies. XD

But yes, as far as writing style and skill go, the series a travesty. Unless, of course, Stephenie Meyer is actually trying to capture the nauseating boredom of everyday life, and wryly commenting that not even vampires can make a teen's life interesting. If that's the case, kudos to her. 

Still, I felt like I had to read it before I critiqued it. And besides the two main characters and creepy moral undertones, it's not quite as bad as the hype makes it out to be? I'm actually finding it surprisingly amusing because I'm MST-ing it in my head.

I just can't get why people are so obsessed with it. All the minor characters are only there to act as satellites to Bella and Edward's creepy relationship and the plot and pacing are weak at best. I'll chalk it up to wish fulfillment.

Admittedly, I favor pop tripe to Real Novels occasionally. Sometimes I just feel like certain authors try too hard to be Artistic, so much so that they lose focus on the other important aspects of literature. Satire's my thing anyways, though, so no serious author can truly appease my needs.

Oh no! Hat wants to kill me in pretty much the most horrific way possible.  (Yes, I'm going to see New Moon (because of the same friend), but mainly for the lulz. I'm gonna be counting how many time boys go shirtless for funsies. I just wish I could make it into a drinking game. I bet the movie is EPIC after like 10 shots.)

WALL O' TEXT, GUISE! But it's an interesting conversation!

[Mad Hatteress]

Oh, no! I'd never want to kill you, Pample! I wuv you!

It's the people who are head-over-heels nuts-o about it that I have a problem with, not someone who's reading it because of a friend.

I think I have the same obsession problem when it comes to Tintin but I'm only a loser about it on the internet and in private; that's why I think it's OK. Also, the fans are older and not moronic teens so that makes me feel better.

[Pamplemousse]

I agree, if I had to teach a class to young adults about how not to have a functional relationship, I'd probably just throw Twilight at them and leave early.
But I suppose after experiencing a few of the weird complications of relationships in general, I can see why some people might think a dude thinking you are the most speshul thing in the world omg is pretty  novel (though even that is not great in real life, let me tell you what).

[Pamplemousse]

Awesome! I just saw that I'm now a Civil Servant! Maybe this'll help the job-hunt! XD

[ElricJC]

I never said every novel had to be art (I mean hell my own novel certainly does NOT qualify as fine literature, and I should now. I just passed my defense for my Master's degree in Literature ). But you can still tell in even the funniest, light-hearted of popular works, or the better thrillers or fantasy novels when a writer has genuine skill and has applied great care to the craft of their work. When you mention pacing issues (and I mentioned bad dialogue, holy Jesus on a pogo stick) in the Twilight books, it goes to show that what's-her-face (I can't be arsed to remember) really does not possess much in the way of talent for storycraft (and let's not get into vampires that sparkle in the sunlight...). She basically took a stock teen romance story and added some half-assed vampire and werewolf crap to it.

I try to be tolerant of other people's odd hobbies (a few of my friends are furries, and we're all role-players - so don't feel bad Pample, I've been D&Ding now for 16 years ), but Twilight just gets to that part of me that wants to scream and hit things out of sheer rage.

Mostly I'm just annoyed when hacks like this bit manage to pull success from their asses and I can't get publishers to even take a serious look at my own work. I'm butt-hurt, so sue me :p.

[Mad Hatteress]

I never said every novel had to be art (I mean hell my own novel certainly does NOT qualify as fine literature, and I should now.

Sorry, sometimes what I say shouldn't be taken quite so literally. I basically meant well-written, researched, original, not just appealing to young teens' hormones, ect.

[Pamplemousse]

I never said every novel had to be art (I mean hell my own novel certainly does NOT qualify as fine literature, and I should know. I just passed my defense for my Master's degree in Literature ). But you can still tell in even the funniest, light-hearted of popular works, or the better thrillers or fantasy novels when a writer has genuine skill and has applied great care to the craft of their work.

I'm glad you think so; I agree! Her fame irks me to no end too. She doesn't have much talent in storycrafting, but apparently she may be on to something in psychology.
Also, sorry if I sound too uppity about being a mainly plebeian reader   
Don't worry, I'm not defending That Woman, mainly I was just teasing her.
I didn't know (at least I don't think I knew?) you were pitching a book! What kind?! That's so exciting!

Ahem... so Elric and Maddy, Ohayocon's gonna be pretty cool. Just sayin'
-whistles innocently and runs away-

...Oh, and what kind of character do you play, Elric? 

[Lord Il]

In this day in age it seems like people would rather read pop-culturish trash rather than a novel that is a true work of art.

Quoted for truth! It certainly seems that way at times.
Twilight works wayyy too hard to be a serious drama. That's what makes it a joke in my eyes... The plot holes.. ughh!


I feel the same way towards the music industry these days too... so I'll do a mini rant on it.
So many of these...... "artists" using AutoTune-- You know that overly used thing that makes their voices sound robotic? It's designed so anyone can literally go off key at any time and still sound... er.. "good". How in the flippin' hell is this a measure of one's creative talent?? O_o If these people are really tone deaf singers, at least go the extra mile and hire a decent voice coach and sing without being fake. Otherwise they should please not sing when it's obvious they can't when they have to hide behind AutoTune. >_< GRRR...

Not that this is something terribly new - Britney's had electronic help for years. I just think it's gotten completely out of hand lately.

[ElricJC]

I never said every novel had to be art (I mean hell my own novel certainly does NOT qualify as fine literature, and I should know. I just passed my defense for my Master's degree in Literature ). But you can still tell in even the funniest, light-hearted of popular works, or the better thrillers or fantasy novels when a writer has genuine skill and has applied great care to the craft of their work.

I'm glad you think so; I agree! Her fame irks me to no end too. She doesn't have much talent in storycrafting, but apparently she may be on to something in psychology.
Also, sorry if I sound too uppity about being a mainly plebeian reader    
Don't worry, I'm not defending That Woman, mainly I was just teasing her.
I didn't know (at least I don't think I knew?) you were pitching a book! What kind?! That's so exciting!

Ahem... so Elric and Maddy, Ohayocon's gonna be pretty cool. Just sayin'
-whistles innocently and runs away-

...Oh, and what kind of character do you play, Elric?  

I don't have a character type preference, I play fighter types as often as I play mages and rogues, but I always aim for something unique. I'm in a few different RPGs right now (A Final Fantasy game with a system originally based on D&D 3.5 but so heavily modified all that's left really is the level progression to 20, feats, and the basic combat/saves system. I'm playing a Moogle Summoner . In a normal D&D 3.5 game I am playing a Dwarven Ranger/Fighter/Dwarven Defender, and in the Star Wars game we have I am playing a Wookie Jedi/Soldier that uses a giant modified mining hammer instead of his lightsaber most of the time.

And I wish I could make Ohayocon, but with no money, job, or vehicle right now it doesn't look like a road trip from Iowa to Ohio is in my immediate future. But take lots of good pics, and represent!

As for my book, I wrote a humorous fantasy novel, mostly with lots of fantasy fan and fantasy-gamer centric humor, which can be found for free viewing here: http://www.worthyofpublishing.com/book.asp?book_ID=723

After pitching it for a while and trying to line up an agent I pretty much just left it to rest there. Also note the chapters were basically forced by the templating they use, the original novel did not have any chapters, just ******* for break sections. If you want to see my silly little book, thar she blows.

[Foggle]

The farce I'm writing for my playwriting class has about 50 times the literary merit of anything Stephanie Meyer has ever done. \:

[Pamplemousse]

Guys, I am not defending Twilight, guys. XD
At all.
Nor am I a fan.
Besides like a lolfan.
Got it?
Brilliant!

Before SM (oh my goodness, it is true, her book are like S&M!), I thought Danielle Steel was the worse romance author. OH HOW I WAS WRONG.
Danielle Steel may have ripped off Romeo and Juliet, but none of her characters sparkled.

[Foggle]

"No!" Edward Cullen screamed, "You must stay away from me! I am a monster!" It was at this moment that the sunlight shone upon his beautiful face, causing his entire body to sparkle.
"Jesus, you're a fag," Bella commented. And then the forest was bombed with napalm and they both died.

If only this were an actual quote.

[Pamplemousse]

Oh, Foggle, you made me giggle.

For that, you get the creepiest real Midnight Sun (Or Twilight2:Edward Boogaloo, if you prefer) quote I found online:
"Bella was sleeping peacefully when I climbed up to her bedroom window early Monday morning. I'd remembered oil this time, and the window now moved silently out of my way."
 He brought oil. Because he wanted to watch a girl sleep and her window was too nosiy. Oil. Unconscious girl. Maybe my mind is perverted but geez.

[MincyMatsu]

Man Foggle, you made me laugh

Oil...