The Quality of Writing on Triond is Abominable
Seriously? You’ve seen it. "The magnification of Obama in hindsight of a left Congressional season pitch-out Go Home Yankee and is apparently untenable…"
I’ve been writing since I was four. My first toy was an electric typewriter. I had spent my 10,000 hours (anybody read Outliers?) writing and reading by the time I was 10. I spent four years and $100,000 majoring in writing in college. I’ve been the managing editor and then editor in chief of a national magazine, worked as a general assignment reporter at a daily, been arts editor at an alt-weekly.
Currently, I freelance for magazines, newspapers and legitimate online sites. I’m actually on Triond to do a story on these so-called “content mills” and how they take advantage of people who want to write and how people try to take advantage of them. I honestly wouldn’t write anything for less than a per-word premium.Probably not less than 15 cents per word. I don’t understand how people can stand to be abused like this and paid half a cent per unique click. And then I started to read some of the stories. Sure, there are some people on Triond with talent. Good writing is not a contest. I want to read good writing. I hope every one of you write well, or learn to write better at least. Not everybody has what it takes to be a professional writer. Some people obviously were never told this. A 200-word rant about how somebody is mad at their husband for buying a go kart does not make for very valuable content, unless you look at it ironically. Some of you should just quit now. Stop it. You have no rhythym in your sentences. You write run-ons, your grammar is atrocious, your word choice is pitiful. Some of you need to master the language before attempting to profit from it. And the rest of you … why do you do it? You spend maybe 15 minutes on these “articles.” How much money are you really making? Do you really go to your bank and cash a monthly check for 74 cents (I know they pay with Paypal)? It’s sad. If you don’t like to read, and if you haven’t spent a good deal of your life reading, you probably shouldn’t be trying to write professionally. I’m just saying. Maybe somebody can enlighten me. Is there a secret way to get thousands of clicks and profit from this word plantation? I figure it would take about 10,000 clicks in order to pay me what I would normally make for writing this many words. 10,000 clicks? Damn. I’ve gotten 26 so far. On five articles. It’s ridiculous. Please–tell me the secret, those of you who can write and are making money. Somehow, I doubt there are any of you out there.
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September 11th, 2011 at 8:20 am
Good points. If you can’t attract tons of views and clicks, you earn nothing
September 11th, 2011 at 9:44 am
Some of your observations are hard hitting. And true. Even good writers do not put in the required work at Triond. They seem to write in a lazy, dismissive mood, believing this site doesn’t deserve any better. For some reason, I have grown to love it here. Every writer should ideally treat every writing opportunity to learn and to perfect their skills. Every writing showcases the brand YOU. In India, people performing traditional dances always do a small gesture offering initial prayers to god whenever and where-ever they dance. That is something to think about.
September 11th, 2011 at 10:00 am
Uma, how is it that you understand the English idiom and others from India (or wherever) do not? You *know* which words to use. I read your work and am not stuck by strange archaic turns of phrase, what’s called “pragmatic euphony.” I have nothing but respect for somebody who undertakes the task of learning another language, I’d love to speak Tamil, Hindi, Urdu (I love me some saag paneer) but come on!
September 11th, 2011 at 10:34 am
TBH, I thought I was a *dick* but you have downgraded me to just a peen. I love the brutal honesty though. You make some, well a lot of valid points there. I have only been on here and another word plantation for a month and the few friends I have made, which is probably more than you will, and myself are primarily on here to hone our craft and seek constructive criticism to be better writers and move on to bigger things. On the rare occasion that a get a compliment from a good writer, it encourages me and when someone says I can’t write my way out of a paper bag then I just try harder to write my way out of a paper bag (metaphorically speaking). I do hope every one on here reads this article and takes note though. For the people that write on here for therapeutic reasons though, go easy on them, they can be very sensitive. Thanks for sharing your professional opinion.
September 26th, 2011 at 5:19 am
Yeah, a bit ott but being an editor I guess that is your MO. When I first started writing online I didn’t know what the term possessive meant in respect to written English (I’m not kidding, I used to place apostrophes in places that would make your eyes water).
The thing is, many of us have come on leaps and bounds through our efforts here and on other sites, and whilst we may not be perfect we are certainly striving towards it. I personally crave harsh critique, but on the same token it has no value to me if it is not accompanied by a little direction.
I will agree that there are some deplorable articles published on this site; mine notwithstanding.