Writers: Ever been targeted by a mean bully who calls themselves a "seasoned writer"?

Well, I'd say they say these things because (1) "too nice, too caring, and too badass" are not fatal flaws. Even I can't think of a way that being too badass can be a flaw, since the term implies that there is no issue with power incontinence, (2) calling someone "the next Stephenie Meyer" is actually a huge insult, and (3) if you're asking people to come up with character names, titles, and an ENTIRE PLOT then clearly you're not acting like a good writer.

Is this a troll? With the amount of answers and the supposed "Stephenie Meyers" compliment I assume it is.

Parents will almost always support your work, no matter how horrible it may be. Of course they're going to tell you it is good, that's what they do. It's their way of encouraging their kids, I deal with it all the time.

When it comes to your so-called bullies, it's more likely they are right. If that many people are saying your story is mediocre, it probably is. And quite frankly, vampires? Zombies? Wizards? A love triangle? All incredibly overused, and when mixed together it's even worse.

This looks like a spoof question - some sort of troll.

But just in case you're serious, I'll give a genuine answer.

Their point, I think, is that your parents' opinions don't count for anything. Most parents praise their children's efforts, no matter how infantile, weak or even bad they are.

Your story sounds very silly - people are getting sick to death of vampires/zombies/werewolves/wizards etc, there are a million such stories out there, all written by kids who think their own writing is amazing, whereas in fact it's almost all poor.

You should try to accept that your own opinion of how good your writing is is totally irrelevant.

And as I said - so are your parents' opinions.

If everyone else says it's bad - badly written, has a weak storyline, mediocre characters - they're probably right.

Don't think of it as being 'targeted' - this is constructive criticism, and a good writer would consider everything people say about their work and decide if they might have a point. They're not bullying you - they're giving you honest feedback.

How much do your parents hate you that they would call you the "Next Stephanie Meyers?" Remember these are the same people who applauded when did poopie in the potty for the first time too . What you said about the story sounds more like you are trying to appeal to trends.These things become trends by accident.

Sorry to have to be the one who tells you this, but if one 'other' writer says it's bad, that's an opinion. Two say it, that's a trend and more than three, you need to either do major cuts and rewrites or scrap it altogether. I wouldn't mind looking at it myself. I'm honest, fair and polite. I can tell you it sucks in ways that sound like its praise what you say, what your parents say means nothing.

*Edited 4/12/15*

I'm not offering an opinion. I will however offer some advice.

The bottom-line here is this: Hey, it's your story. Do what you will with it.

As far as not giving up your day-job, even Orson Scott Card (the author of Enders Game) says DO NOT give up your day-job, and for good reason. Writing seldom even pays the bills, much less makes you well off.

In regard to criticism, make a mental note of this.: Do NOT ask people "what they think of your story". Instead, ask them where the story is confusing, unclear or incomplete. Ask where you're repeating yourself. That the critic ISN'T into these kinds or stories, should NOT affect their criticism. By the way, here's excellent source for plotting your book. Sorry about killing my link, but you can cut and paste it to your browser.

I have not written anything since I was bullied by the mom of a former acquaintance who was supposedly leading a writing group in her home. After reading a short story, she insisted that something I had written about could 'never happen.' I never wrote fiction, or met with the group again. That was about two decades ago. Frankly, one has to grow a thick skin against bullies of all sorts. And keep on writing, no matter what. Good luck.

This sounds like a troll but in case it isn't...

I'm a writer. I wouldn't consider myself 'seasoned' (I'm in the process of publishing my first novel) but ppl giving you feedback aren't there to be bullies, they are there to give constructive feedback to help you improve your writing. When writing, you have to think about the reader, and if a story isn't destined to sell, you write another one. Don't think of the ones you don't publish as failures, think of them as stories that you get to keep all for yourself. I went through the process of writing/editing/revising two other novels before I wrote the one I'm publishing now. And food for thought - if you're asking ppl to make up your plots for you, you are not being a writer; you're basically plagiarizing. Just an idea, but that might be why ppl are quick to criticize...

Not precisely "targeted" - but occasionally "seasoned writers" are arrogant bullies, and dreaded if they turn up at writing groups. The syndrome is usually that their attitude is "do it my way - it's the only right one" if they're commenting on your work, and conversely "I'm a seasoned published writer - there's nothing you can tell me" if you're commenting on theirs. I particularly remember from years back one such idiot who *would not* accept his error in calling the respiratory epidemic after World War 1 "Spanish Fly", and made a lot of personal attacks in defending it.

"everyone" hates it except your parents? Honey, maybe it's awful. Have you submitted it to an agent? If its so fricking good, you should have had it published by now.

Not everyone who tells you the truth is a bully. Take a good look at the criticism and act accordingly. The whole world isn't wrong.

I was bullied so bad, I decided to change my pen name and went to a different writing website. It was never ending. I had been on the site for years and had excellent feedback. I guess this newbie was jealous. I felt targeted every time I posted a new work. I felt I had to leave.