Succos Calligraphy - amazing!

downsyndrome

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 4:12 pm

The story about the special needs guy who wanted to get married was my favorite, had menin tears.

The first part of the story was plagiarized from the true-to-life Sheva Brochos of my son, a mere four weeks ago.

amother

Coral

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 4:18 pm

downsyndrome wrote:

iyar

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 4:43 pm

downsyndrome wrote:

That was my favorite too, and had me in tears as well. As the story progressed (to the part after the father passed away) it started to sound a little contrived but it totally pulled me in at the beginning- I felt as if I was reading about real people. Now I find out I really was?!
Amother downsyndrome- you're saying that was your own family? Mazel Tov on the simcha! Wishing you tons of Nachas and lots more simchas!

PinkFridge

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 4:45 pm

downsyndrome wrote:

Whoa. That must have been jarring for you.
I would think that Calligraphy isn't assembled that last minute. Then again, you know too much to call it coincidence.

downsyndrome

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 4:53 pm

My second son got married five weeks ago. During his Sheva Brochos, the 30th birthday of my oldest son, who was born with Down syndrome, was celebrated. We threw a big bash, with Moishey being temporarily crowned with the chussen's shtreimel. It was surreal to read about it...

amother

Hotpink

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 4:59 pm

downsyndrome wrote:

Couldn't it be coincidence that it happened by you? It's not such an unheard story to read about celebrating a birthday by a Sheva brachos. In fact my cousin who has DS also celebrated his birthday a few years ago by his sister's Sheva brachos

downsyndrome

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 5:12 pm

amother [ Hotpink ] wrote:

Yes, very possible.

Cookiegirl

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 5:24 pm

From what I understand, I believe the submittal deadline for the Yom Tov Calligraphy is a few months out...(I know one of the writers).

In any event- Mazel Tov downsyndrome! May your family always be zocheh to share simchos with each other- and perhaps vicariously with Klal Yisroel through your writing and publishing DSAU. Kol Hakavod!

Mama Bear

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 10:27 pm

gold21 wrote:

I wasn't a big fan of the stories in Calligraphy

I much preferred the Ami one I read before Rosh Hashana

Mama Bear, is that guy on page 295 your husband?

no! That's the owner of teh store. I wrote the article. Smile

Mama Bear

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 10:29 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

Mama Bear, I read the article. It was really charming. I have such warm feelings for Williamsburg from different points in my life.

aw! thanks.

amother

Goldenrod

Fri, Oct 18 2019, 1:56 am

downsyndrome wrote:

Calligraphy closed in July, submission started in April and finished in early summer-four weeks ago the stories were already completely laid out, edited three times and proofread for weeks already. What a terrible accusation. You should apologize to the writer.

groisamomma

Fri, Oct 18 2019, 2:34 am

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

Nah, when you write for a public paper you have to be prepared for criticism. Readers don't owe anyone an apology for critiquing or accusing writers. If you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen.

downsyndrome, regardless of Yom Tov deadlines I know there are times that magazines have made last-minute changes.

amother

Goldenrod

Fri, Oct 18 2019, 3:05 am

groisamomma wrote:

open to criticism and critique and absolute hatred of your work? Of course writers need to be open to all of that and more. But open to accusations of outright plagiarism when the timeline is absolutely impossible? NO.
Every single frum fiction story 'could be' someone's story. We're a small community and limited in what writers can write about and themes get recycled all the time. To offhandedly call plagiarism when someone's own story sounds similar to a fiction one is just ridiculous.

amother

Goldenrod

Fri, Oct 18 2019, 3:32 am

groisamomma wrote:

^^^ and we wonder why frum fiction is so awful Rolling Eyes

. With this sort of attitude in addition to the fact that frum female fiction writers get paid .10 cents (!!!!!!!) a word, no wonder all the good writers run for the hills.

amother

Maroon

Fri, Oct 18 2019, 8:28 am

That's the nature of the job. For any kind of writer, frum or secular. A lot of very famous best selling authors have said they will never check online reader reviews of their books like on Amazon or wherever because the criticism can be brutal.
And let's face it...while some of the frum writing is excellent...some just isn't. My 2 cents is that the writers should stick to what they know. For example, that's why Dov Haller's writing comes across as realistic and authentic. He's writing about a specific world and characters he knows like the back of his hand. But so many times, fictional stories about teenager boys (written by frum female authors who just don't have ear for boy dialogue that happens in a yeshiva dorm) or shidduch stories about older singles (written by women who barely dated and were married in their early 20s) etc, etc, just fall flat. And are awkward to read.
All that said...there is no excuse for a gender disparity in pay.

amother

Goldenrod

Fri, Oct 18 2019, 8:49 am

stick to what you know is excellent advice, however- I've noticed that top writer's seek out greener pasture's as the pay per word for frum magazines is abominable. And again- criticism and critique are part of the package- but the fact that these women work for nearly nothing and then get called out for plagiarism (when in fact plagiarizing in this case would be impossible) just irks me. I don't know the author and didn't read the story but it annoys me that once someone's written for calligraphy or any of these mags its open season- any and every accusation is fair play. I think its become a sport of sorts, lets rip apart every story and every feature etc- and its not like any of these authors are becoming rich off their work. Why is it even worth it for them?