What does it take to get cherries?

Sometimes it just depends on the piece or which editor reads it. Some of my favorite pieces didn't get cherries, some I'm shocked did, not so much now.

'Can't get much better in my opinion.' I suspect that therein lies your problem.

You can always improve. I look back over my work and am SHOCKED by how bad I was when I first joined this site. I can't believe people were able to read through my crap. Just keep at it. It took me forever t get my first cherry piece too.

In my first 30 Stories posted on this site, only one was cherried. Simple reason, my writing wasn't very good. The cherries I did get was for a piece of poetry that i personally didn't think was very good. But obviously one of the Ed's thought so and picked it. But, I kept on with it and my writing got better, mainly through reading lot's of different types and styles posted on the site. Still my writing has a long way to go, but it is definately better than it was. There are some extremely talented writers on here, some of whom WILL become published authors in the future, even they don't get cherried for everything they write. So just keep writing, reading and posting, the cherries will come.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: I believe cherries should not be our purpose of writing. If you sit down to write everything thinking 'I hope this one gets a cherry', it's probably never going to happen. Another bit of food for thought...cherries are a matter of opinion. As both jolono and mikepyro very rightly implied, one piece you might think amazing could be considered trash by the editor who reads it, and vice versa. Cherries aren't the judge of the best future writers! And I also agree with sid. You can always get better. Even the top writers in the world have something to improve on. It's just that we all have different amounts of improvements to make. I, as a young writer, have a LONG way to go, while perhaps someone like you or jolono may have less to do to get right up there. Hope this helped your perspective. Natalia

Bryan, may I suggest some reading to you, up to you whether you have a look, I'm not saying you should, just that I think it might be helpful. These are just my personal favourites at the moment, everybody will have different ideas and will think, but she missed so and so. I'm concentrating on Prose writers because those are the stories of yours that I've read. Celenagaia... Bus Boy, this style of writing won't appeal to everybody because it's heavy on description and slow on action, but I picked this because I notice you also write heavy on description. I think the writing in Bus Boy is sublime Hudson Moon's Craven Danger mysteries. These are short, snappy and heavy on characterisation and humour. Insertponseyfrenchname Diaries. If you find her Marnie stories, you're in for a treat. Insert has long been my all time favourite writer on ABC, she's just heavy on everything and her diaries are monumentally stunning. rjnewlyn Any of his flash fiction. Short 200 word pieces, detailed and concise. Jolono Jake's dilemma. Strong men's men stories full of action and consequence Bexleys Haunted House, full of mystery and intrigue and heavy on description. My wildcard is Walrus The Mahogany Hippopotumus for sheer, zany imagination, and a canny insight into human behavior And my last suggestion Bryan Skylar The first thing he ever wrote. *** You say you can't get any better than you already are. I'd be very surprised if you went back to your first piece and didn't see vast improvement. Imagine then, how much you'll improve over the next twelve months or ten years. I've read two pieces of yours. Please take it as a compliment that, although I can't remember the titles, I can remember both stories, that in itself says that they are good. I preferred the first over the second but, and this is only my honest opinion, there is plenty of room for improvement. People here are good both as people and as writers, you and I got off to a shaky start and I apologies for that, I hope you continue to post, bed down here and I'm looking forward to seeing you improve (if my theory is correct, we all do, continually.) I'd like to highlight a piece of yours (and I think progress is marked by time, not necessarily by cherries) to you in the future and say,'Now go back and look at such and such and tell me that this isn't better.' I only say this because I look at stuff that I wrote only last year and see huge improvement, going back ten years, I can't believe I was ever that bad and I can't wait to see what next year brings, when I expect to look back on this year's stuff and be surprised at how bad it is. I hope this helps a little bit and doesn't come across as patronising. I liked your work, but it didn't blow me away. And to answer your question above, because twice recently I've gone off topic in the forums and somebody has had to pull me back to the original post .... Keep improving and you will get cherries. Good luck.

What do you mean, 'a cherry?' I want frigging loads! I'm going to post a picture of a huge, purposely carved Olympic cherry bowl several hundred meters across, and I won't settle until it's overflowing with ripe, juicy fruit. Seriously, it's good to get cherries, but they are nowhere near as important as:- 1) Constructive comments and suggestions concerning how the piece can be improved. And if someone really tears your dream to pieces, which happens, take notice and reconsider the piece, because folk are unlikely to criticize out of sheer malice. Listen to comments from different people before you restructure anything, though. There's a line in an old Adam Ant song that says 'Listen close to what men say, take what you want and throw the rest away.' There lies wisdom..... 2) Comments from folk that enjoyed the piece and in some cases liken your style to to some big, famous, superbly talented writer - that really fills you with a sense of achievement, and it's a damned sight more fulfilling than bloody cherries. Sometimes you write something that you know is pretty good (though it's not in your best interests to blow your own trumpet) and the piece may or may not receive cherries, then you post something else that you think isn't nearly as good and it gets cherries and lots of attention. You have to remember that everyone has a finite amount of time that they can devote to reading and commenting on other folks' work, and if you spent all of your time doing that you wouldn't get much done yourself..... You just have to be patient - if a piece is reasonably good it will receive comments and maybe cherries, but cherries aren't the be all and end all of posting your work on this site.

Bryan, I think you're playing with us, I think you like being provocative.

Bryan. Another suggestion I would make is being a good site member. Donating something, whenever you can manage, to ABCtales and reading and commenting as much as possible. It won't guarantee you cherries but it will guarantee that more people, including Cherrypickers read your work which will increase your chances of being cherrypicked.

If I was in it for the cherries, I'd have left the site a long time ago. I went through a stretch of 31 stories without one. And I'm sure I'll go through it again. Write because you like it and read because you're interested in what someone else is doing. That's what a writing community is all about. If it is all about ego, then you'd best be served with your own blog or Facebook page. But I suggest you reach your hand out to people and shake hands. Not reach your hand out and wonder why their not handing you a bowl of cherries. Best of luck with your writing endeavors, Bryan. But I still think you should stick around. You'd be surprised at what others have to offer you in the way of advice and encouragement. Rich

Bryan. After checking out your profile, I realize that you've only written 12 stories and have only been an ABCtaler since the 3rd of August 2012. I think you're being a bit impatient. You need to keep trying and developing your skills as a writer. You will get cherries eventually.

archie I think your description of Brian's work deserves a cherry

Agreed insert! I almost spat coffee all over my laptop :-P

Hmmm. If I didn't know better, and I don't, I'd say someone is being quite deliberately provocative. I'm not a good writer, but I do enjoy it and when I get a positive comment from a writer I respect (such as Stan, Sooz, Scratch etc) it means more to me than the 3 cherries I have. I also know that I can improve, and that to me is what this site is about. Can you honestly not see how arrogant "Can't get much better in my opinion" sounds?

I think he meant it as he doesn't think he can improve much more. It all depends on style. Some people are just furiously good writers, others, like me, are good but rely on amazing dialogue or imaginative pieces (EGO ATTACK), others are poets and delve into imagery, just stick with your style and hone it.

Hello Bryan, I'm sorry that you feel the way you do. I have read some of your magnificent stories and feel honoured that you decided to grace us with your precence. Thank you. The Books you mention are very good, I know because my other name is James N. Frey. I appreciate you buying my book. Glad you liked it.

Archie, no more, please. Have mercy. I've wet my skidders three times, the stitches from my recent hiatus hernia op have all popped and I have my entire digestive system in a large carrier bag on the floor. Is there a doctor in the house?

This is getting so childish. Bryan, it sounds like you obviously love writing and if that is the case, then you should be happy to share your writing on this site or any other with or without a cherry hanging by its side. The comments are just as meanginful and alot more helpful in the long run!

I feel I should tell Bryan that we're not trying to say the word noob...

In 2009 I did an advent calendar of stories. That might work.

Ok, now my forum posts are usually quite mild, but I really can't hold back here. Bryan, almost every single sentence you wrote on this forum made you look like an utter big head. I'm sorry, I had to say that. I thought you were an exceptional writer until you said you thought you couldn't get any better. Personally, I would read complete crap if it was by a writer who had some sense of humility. Most of my writing now is stuff that's not so great to read, but people still read it, and I'm grateful for that. So just be humble. Those cherries will come after you start being humble. Oh, and by the way, can you please not say noob? You guys sound like thirteen year olds. Sorry about the grumble. Natalia And keep writing. You're really good, trust me.

It's nob. Not noob natalia, it's a slang term popular especially in the UK, where this site is based. And as much as I hate to say this, bryan, you have much to improve upon both in style and humility. Your writing reminds me of when I started at 13, writing bad gangster and sci-fi yarns, but you're far pig headed than I ever was. Honestly, your work just isn't good enough to get cherry picked in my mind. And it never will be if you rebuff all your critique like I've seen you do.

Mikepyro I think everyone by now knows you're not a fan of bryan's writing and seem to have an obsession with the word nob ( each to their own). I agree with natalia, you both sound like little girls. grow up and end the forum respecting each others differences! i don't usually get invloved in these sort of threads, as this stuff is pathetic.

Rock on, Natalia! You've shown only humility and kindness to Bryan but he needs to understand that this isn't an ego-trip site and you said it perfectly. And Beeme's right too. As much as my pathetically immature side finds this thread tempting to indulge the twat in me(not least to stunt the shit in my own mind, even only momentarily, as all shit is the same), there are a great many writers, some who have contacted me saying how they're tempted to stop going on to Abc any more because of the forum topics, which they used to love. So to all those who indulge in messing with people's melons, please stop using forum topics as a mental form of masturbation. There are plenty of adolescent sites where you slag each other off and get away with it. Use them please.

All of a sudden the vampires suddenly attacked. You can't get more gooder than that. Or more suddener.

Not on this thread but on another of Bryan's posts, I had a point to make and made it in a rude and aggressive manner. So I'm probably going to be seen as a hypocrite for posting this but... If there's a damaged shark, the school will turn on it and attack it. Since when is has it become acceptable to pack and turn on one member, resulting in name calling and quoting defective sentences, not for the purpose of constructive crit, but to humiliate? I know backs have been got up, mine included, but isn't this site all about tolerance and acceptance as well as writing? Does anybody else read this thread and have the word bullying come to them? I have and it's not pretty. Can we just stop, please.

...and I'm also going to be a hypocrite by saying this: what comes back to me when I read this thread, and all the other threads this person has started, is someone who is being deliberately provocative to get a response. I would also like it to stop but for me it's because ignoring is the only thing that will make people like that go away.

Im sorry if my commenting on a someone's incorrect use of a word is considered obsessive Beeme. But I've also read and commented on several of bryan's works without insult, but he doesn't appreciate criticism. Perhaps I was harsh, but honesty is the best reproach in my opinion. That's what happened when I first joined this site, my writing was bad and was reviewed as such with many tips on how I could improve. Great writers gave me helpful criticism and I used it. I didn't get upset and leave for another site. Again, I appologize if I've come off rude, I didn't feel I did, and I'm not certain why you would consider a little sarcasm from posters to be men acting like children.