How do you evaluate yourself as a creative writer?

[Lightning Rod]

How do you evaluate yourself as a creative writer?

terrible

pitiful but I try

just a hobby

understandable, I know the parts of speech

inspired, but spotty

better than most, journeyman

august master of words

obscure genius that nobody is smart enough to understand

other

[judih]

other
i don't

[Lightning Rod]

dammit judih, you knocked me off
that was the whole point of this poll,
we can't evaluate ourselves as writers
only our readers can evaluate
did we touch them or let them look at something in a different way?
did our words communicate something that matters to their life?

[stilltrucking]

I was going to choose other to, because nothing else fit, writing is just a compulsion for me like choking my chicken.

But on reflection I decided to go with obscure genuis. Nobody appreciates my writing. I am creating a whole now language with its own grammar, spelling and syntax.

[judih]

okay, so let's take the poll and evaluate someone else.
how would i evaluate, say, stilltrucking.
i think 'obscure genius' sometimes
sometimes 'inspired'
sometimes we can all understand him
and sometimes he fears we understand him too well so he deletes.

uh, hmmm, how does it feel, stilltruckin, to be spoken of as if you are hiding behind the curtain not 'really' listening?

i think Evaluation is a game for a lazy susan. rotate it, pick a name, make a comment and toss it back into the compartment, rotate on... an evaluation this minute might turn into its opposite a minute later.

(as this comment will probably melt away leaving room for another one)

[stilltrucking]

Loose lips think ships
and freudian slips
and love has no shame
Solomon asked for a "hearing heart"
and the only fools rush in
and I prayed for a hearing heart
so many times I got boney knees
when everything else is fat

I know how it feels
to be without a home
a rolling stone
and I am happy you have found one

I have done a lot of drugs
but nothing that my spirit could not kill[sic]


but the acid left me naked to others
been almost thirty years to the last trip
but the onion is still peeling

you all see me better than I see myself no doubt

[Lightning Rod]

could we be getting into a dangerous area here, judih?
are you suggesting that we pick another writer (in our several-site-wide circle) and evaluate their writing. Sounds like an opportunity for hurt feelings to me. Or we could grow, if we are adult enough.

[stilltrucking]

lets evaltuate song writers

from memory
my brother the jitterbug wrote this ditty

Melissa rode with anyman that offered her a ride
they never stoped to wonder at the heart ache in her eyes
they say she drank too much she shot needles in her thighs
but when I saw melissa I saw jesus in disguise

and she said
I cant match your morals
lord knows I tried
as many times i ventured is as many times i cried

so dont look down upon my life dont judge my words a lie

you cant be any better than than the worst you recognize

melissa life is moving never knowing where she is bound
searching in the hearts of others for a love she has never found
if you could love melissa you would be jesus in disguise

[stilltrucking]

Dangerous>
Maybe tthat is why I have the adrenalin shakes now.

[tinkerjack]

Clay wrote

Or we could grow

yes clay

growth

I am all for growth

and life

Personaly I wish stilltrucking would delete more.

Pellerine used to say all she cared about was Palestine. All I seem to care about these days is Palestine and Israel.

[Doreen Peri]

My favorite quote...

"That's not writing, that's typing." - Truman Capote

He said it about Kerouac's "On the Road"

But every time I think of that quote, I think of myself.

That's what I do. I'm a typist.

(Not comparing myself to Kerouac by any means.... just saying, I'm a typist.... )
.
.

[stilltrucking]

I am bat shit crazy j
have thousands of posts here,
I delete a lot of stuff
I just deleted some stuff from my reply to you

I deleted the bit about the holy land,

Did you know Jesus was born in Texas?

No kidding
He was born in east texas, a little place calle Palestine.

Like you say we are all absolutely unique just like every body else. Except some of us have to live in the holy land.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Salam, shalom salute

I am on a quest to find your missing eyebrows.

Kerouac knew the rules
I am clueless
I don't even dream such madness anymore
But I used too, now I know what I am
a compulsive scribbler

what was that word you used on the word of the day thread
graphomania or something.

hypergraphia

an overwhelming urge to write

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Hypergraphia

Like a keyboard version of the Red Shoes.

[hester_prynne]

Hester quickly votes other......
H

[judih]

yeah, danger is fun when you're a kid, but when you've got as your agenda to make it through the day without crying / without totally losing your sense of humour / without slicing through the fragile facade of sanity, well then, danger becomes a risky business.

so, yeah, it's true - i went to sleep to knock back 6 hours of protective under the blanket nap time.

lrod - whatcha gonna do - only a coward like me enters the game and then crashes on the couch. i admit it. lucky for me all that has little to do with being a so-called writer or typist, even, but more to do with hanging out at the studio.
(something which is better than writing, but still helps me write when i'm lucky)

evaluation. in education these days, we prefer 'reflection' - a gentle term for figuring out how it was, which may include deciding if it could use a little tweaking for next time.
reflection - a sweeter term, perhaps.

and something that might be easier to do.
(though i'd probably still pick 'other')

[Doreen Peri]

I was putting myself down again. I admit it. Calling myself a typist.

I really want to be a writer again.

I miss it.

I used to be a writer.