This is how I deal with a Troll

In the last week, I have attracted a Internet Troll.  My first inclination was to respond to each of his post, tit for tat.  However, as I stood at work looking at what he wrote and how he wrote it, I began to wonder if that was the best way to deal with the situation. First off,  I must say that I do not in fact know who this person is,  but I suspect that the person is the boyfriend of a member of the online critique website that I joined in November.  The fact that a writer needs to resort to such behavior is beyond me,  worse is the fact that the writer seems unable or unwilling to confront me.  However I will put this aside and deal directly with the commentator.

In his first comment on this Blog, he wrote "Ms. Fix Utterly sucks. Stick with the day job".  I must say that I did respond to this comment.  The main reason was that,  if you are going to say I suck.  Please at least give me one reason that you have come to that conclusion. So in my normal self deprecating manner, I responded "Hi Robert, Sorry, you think I suck so hard. But at least I put it all out there and all on the line which is more than I can say for you, who does even have a profile. So have nice day or at least offer something useful to the world."   

Let us delve into this a little deeper. In retrospect it was a rude come back, but hey he said I sucked. And it goes against my nature to back down from a challenge.  Also it might not have been the wisest thing to antagonize someone that felt it necessary  to track me down on Tablo, Google, and Amazon and follow me on all of these sites.  Personally I find this creepy, but also quite illogical.  If I utterly suck.  Why take the time and energy needed to track me down.  It is not like I am famous, notorious,  or even popular.  Though I do not hide, on the Web there are a large number of Sam Fix's out there,  considering that this is not even my full name. I wondered if you even had the correct person.  This doubt was put to rest, in your response to my comment.

Now let me pull this comment apart a little. 

Robert BrooksJanuary 3, 2015 at 8:06 PM

 

Yeah, I looked you up, downloaded a sample of your book from Amazon. Seems like mine is a pretty widely-held opinion. Actually, that's not quite accurate. Seems like I may be the only one with an opinion. 

 

Well Creepy dude I guess I should thank you for looking me up.  Well maybe not.  But lets get some facts in here.  The book you looked up has been out for less than a year,  with no promotion whatsoever.  I put it up mostly for a lark,  but what it has done, is sold.  How do I know that well my royalty checks for one.  So comments or not, there is that. 

 

  Let's see, here's what I found:Published in March, 2013# (sic 2014) 816,857 Paid in Kindle Store (Heck, I didn't know they had that many Kindle books on Amazon. For comparison, that timeless classic "The Fart Tootorial," is # #467,913)

 

Now I could say something about the fact you looked up a book about farts.  But I won't and I did not confirm if there is such a book, as it is not worth my time.   Beyond your clear lack in taste, lets look at my ranking trend.  My highest Rank was 4,563 on September 9th.  This rank goes up and down as I sell, or don't sell books. My Current ranking is actually 21,758 not good, not bad.  It could be better.  Now I am not sure where you got the 816,857 rank because even if I look at my rank looking at all genre and all books on amazon,  I am currently ranked 638,196 and that is updated hourly.   In regards to my ranking. At least, I have a ranking. What have you written.  Show me your book and ranking before you start knocking mine.
 

Amazon Reviews: A total of...wait for it...1 review on Amazon. It is a 5 Star review, so congratulations, but it is a little suspicious-from someone who has reviewed a total of...wait for it...1 book. Your BFF, perhaps?

 

Then you go one to discus the review that I have. Well, actually,  She is someone I know.  A lawyer in fact, who is also I writer for Reuters.  The mere fact that she took the time to read, my 288 page novel and write a review astounds me.  And I am grateful for her help.  Please do not besmirch the integrity of people you do not know, and have not asked to be review, or for feedback.  Additionally,  I would warn against attacking a lawyer, it is not wise. 

 

Goodreads Reviews: After almost a year on Goodreads, what do we have?...wait for it...zero reviews. Ouch.

 

In regards to Goodreads, I did not even know my book was on there thanks for that information.  I guess I will have to direct people there now.  Maybe I should go look it up. 

You were the one who asked people for their opinion. I just gave you what you asked for. Look, stop fooling yourself. You are just wasting your time with this writing gig. Not going to happen. I read a sample of your book on Amazon. Seriously? I've read copy on the back of cereal boxes that is more compelling. Face it. You SERIOUSLY need a line editor. Have you ever even read a grammar and punctuation primer? You don't even know the basics. Calling yourself an "amateur" is doing some serious disrespect to people starting out who actually have talent. You might be a good storyteller, but no one will ever know until you learn the basics of grammar, as readers will choke on the errors before they finish the first page. You'd flunk a middle school grammar test - seriously. You probably ought to stick to the lawyering thing.

Finally lets look at this last paragraph.  Well, yes I have asked for feedback.  I have put myself and my writing out there.  I am actually writing,  and getting paid for it.  So wait for it,  that makes me a writer.  Though I consider myself an amateur author,  that technically is not true.  An Amateur is defined as someone that works at an art, sport, or other endeavor  but has not been compensated.  Think sports,  college level athletes are amateurs,  so are Olympians, these are uncompensated individuals. Hence since I have received compensation for my writing that makes me a professional author.  Though one with a lot to learn.  But any artist that says they do not have anything left to learn, has stopped growing as an artist.  Writing is an artistic expression,  which takes, time, energy, and hard work to improve upon. All of which I devote to my craft on a daily basis. Furthermore, what you have provided is not feedback, or a critique; it is an opinion.  In particularly it is your opinion, which might have value to some people. The First Amendment protect your right to have one.  No matter how or why you came to that opinion.

I also find it interesting that you contradict yourself. First by stating that by calling myself an amateur I disrespect anyone  who is just beginning and with actual talent,  then by going on to say that I might be a good storyteller, but no one will ever know because of my grammar. This  is also contradictory to your earlier comment that "I utterly suck".   Lets dig into this a little deeper.  To the heart of  what your problem appears to be; apparently  you think I have bad grammar.  Well sir,  most grammar rules are not stringent rules, they are mostly guildlines and stylistic preferences.  There are many correct ways to write the same sentence.

After this comment I was going to let this whole thing drop. Be the better person and all.  As it was clear you have little or no life. But then you had to go and comment on my next blog entry.  Now! Why did you have to do that?  After reading all of these comments I have also come to wonder, if you think by writing rude, inaccurate and illogical comments on my blog that I will be dissuaded from writing. Maybe you are one to give up so easily. Since you do not appear to have published your own book, or have your own blog, or even your own tablo account. I assume giving up and lack of follow through are just ingrained in your nature.  But lets not forget your latest comment. 

Ms. Fix,
Your focus is all wrong. You are focusing on quantity, not quality. Writing 250 good words in one day trumps writing 1,500 words of tripe any day. How about making you goal: write well, become a better writer. That would be a much better goal that just scrambling to pump out a bunch of words. You could ask 1,000 successful writers if what you are doing is a reasonable path toward becoming a better writer, and they would say "no." It might be right for some people, but not you. Your focus needs to be on learning the art of the craft, not filling pages with words. I'd say, judging from your writing, that your most fundamental problem, and the one that will preclude you from ever being anything more than a hack, is: you don't read enough. No one ever became a good writer without being a voracious reader. I would suggest your goal should be to spend at least two hours a day deep reading good literary fiction (not genre crap), and maybe you could learn a little about the craft. You should also read some of the classic books on writing. If you don't all this other is just wheel spinning.

Robert 

I will forgo the line edit of your post.  Lets just look at what you say. You say my focus is all wrong.  That is interesting.  I for one have always found the only way to improve at anything is to work at the skill.  So if, you want to be a better writer that means,  you have to write.  A lot.  You say writing 250 word day,  is better that 1500.  I am sorry but you are sorely mistake.  Writing a novel, is like running a marathon, or dancing the Nutcracker with the Bolshoi Ballet,  you are unable to accomplish either of these task with out hours, upon hours, of practice.  Where a runner will never be able to finish a marathon if all he has ever ran is around the block.  A writer will never be able to finish a novel if all they are writing is the equivalent to a tweet a day.

Then you go on to say that I do not read enough.  Though, I am not sure where you deduced my reading habits. I will take a minute to inform you that I read, extensively actually.  Then you go on to say that I need to do deep reading good literary fiction ( not genre crap). Again you have no idea what I read, or have read.  But to put your mind at easy lets look at the four books sitting on my night stand, currently.  Lets see there is "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn,  which is a very interesting book, in the murder mystery genre. I would not call this best selling, award winning novel, crap.  Then I have "Red Joan" by Jennie Rooney,  this is a cold war spy novel; interesting but not my normal taste. However I like the way she bounces between past events and being interviewed in present time.  Next I have "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy.  I love the way he does not use dialogue in a traditional since and his imagery of the horrify events that took place the 1850s, brutality of war, and what men will do for money.  Then finally,  I have "Bossypants" by Tina Fey,  after reading "Blood Meridian" for any length it is always nice to have something funny to read.  So next time, before you start talking out of your ass about what someone  does or does not read, maybe you should ask first.  Just my opinion on that one.  But as I said,  the First Amendment protect even my right to an opinion. 

So all in all Robert,  I hope I have shined some light on just who you have decided to Troll.  Maybe
next time you will pick someone that you might actually kowtow to your harassment.  But this time you have bitten off more than you can chew. 

Until next time, read a little, write a lot and get a life.