Exceptional A satirical observation in the land of make-believe... Truth With Some Fiction by LisaMay

Once upon a time there was an Internet writing site called Write-Off. It became very popular internationally (although some members forgot there were member writers from countries other than their own). People enjoyed writing and reading stories while developing their skills. Other people were competent already and enjoyed encouraging less skilled writers. Some liked the friendship aspect (some even fell in love with each other), while others seemed to enjoy being mean and critical, sometimes flourishing their IQs to belittle others. Several writers were more preoccupied with ascending the ratings, unleashing their competitive streaks or egos (or perhaps inferiority complexes), soliciting reviews with more and more monetary reward as incentive. Due to this system, sometimes mediocre writing could achieve an ‘All-time Impressed’ rating, proving that vanity is a powerful motivator, and money talks. Write-Off was a mirror of real life, where contributors could share their different lifestyles. Personalities were revealed as well, and opinions were formed through the topics that were written about — wide-ranging topics, encouraging inclusivity. The site became a place for cathartic revelation and therapy, or comedy, celebration and sadness, pious reflection, nature worship, patriotic zeal, current event commentaries and outrage — all aspects of real life. Other writers enjoyed flights of fancy in imaginative escapism, or horror and supernatural tales. Some enjoyed writing murderous, blood-spattered stories that shocked readers who hadn't been warned of the content. Some writers wore their hearts on their sleeves, while others gave nothing away about themselves. The site certainly provided a rich observation ground for amateur psychologists! There were many contest topics offered to trigger imagination and share similar experiences, often with a level playing field where anyone could enter and contribute their personal story. It was interesting to see the varied life experiences and compare the many writers' skills while responding to a topic. A recent development saw a change in the previous ethos of inclusivity. In that land of Write-Off make-believe, fact and fiction became blurred and some contests became so laden with specific rules of exclusion that few writers could enter them. The contest rules usually stated that only a limited number of entries was necessary for voting to commence, and the rules became higher and tighter to suit particular stories. What a clever idea in an attempt to win contests! And it only cost a few bucks to set up a contest. Soon the contest prompts were dominated by similar topics, with minor variations to exclude even more potential stories. How entrepreneurial! Why did Write-Off ever go that way? It would seem natural to think quality of writing and creativity should be emphasised on a writing site, rather than encouraging people to write nonsense. Such contests, which seemed to lower the standard normally expected, began to be used as vehicles for mockery. Simplistically, it could be said: "If you don’t like the rules, don’t enter", that if one was unhappy with those restrictions one needn't enter — but it was such a shame that people's experiences were ruled out rather than in. Many thought it would be more appropriate that contests on a writing site should encourage people to enter, reflecting the community's diversity. But perhaps the restrictions did reflect the spirit of the community — competitive, imposing inexplicable rules, and openly marginalised. Success by any means seemed to be the new paradigm. I hope Write-Off can find its way back. More people could then join in a variety of interesting contests again, and improve their writing skills with the help of useful critiques. I am somewhat disillusioned with Write-Off and am pleased I joined FabStory, where no such ridiculous behaviour is demonstrated.   ******* Definition: Ethos — the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its attitudes and aspirations. Recognized

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