Laika of Space
@laikaofspace.bsky.social
Author: Poet, fiction, feature films, and TV. 2d and 3d artist. Co-founder of an indie game studio working on social, political, and emotional themes.
IRL I've had people in workshops aim for me out of jealousy, racism, or petty dislike. And these scholars used everything they learned at top universities to argue and prove my weaknesses. I only cared if they tried that with poorly constructed criticism. This is my millenial toxic trait.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
IRL I've had people in workshops aim for me out of jealousy, racism, or petty dislike. And these scholars used everything they learned at top universities to argue and prove my weaknesses. I only cared if they tried that with poorly constructed criticism. This is my millenial toxic trait.
But part of workshop is learning from other people getting their work or ideas roasted in front of you. I mostly just provided theory until I was confronted.
But if you reject valuable feedback because you don't like the delivery, it's your right, but why suffer the insult and not take the benefit?
But if you reject valuable feedback because you don't like the delivery, it's your right, but why suffer the insult and not take the benefit?
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
But part of workshop is learning from other people getting their work or ideas roasted in front of you. I mostly just provided theory until I was confronted.
But if you reject valuable feedback because you don't like the delivery, it's your right, but why suffer the insult and not take the benefit?
But if you reject valuable feedback because you don't like the delivery, it's your right, but why suffer the insult and not take the benefit?
This is kind of why the last post wasn't written for the author's benefit. The original post was already an ego-preserving rejection of criticism of their inability to write. I wrote the breakdown using them as an example knowing full well that the interaction would end in being blocked.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
This is kind of why the last post wasn't written for the author's benefit. The original post was already an ego-preserving rejection of criticism of their inability to write. I wrote the breakdown using them as an example knowing full well that the interaction would end in being blocked.
What are you going to do 3.5 years into a 4 year degree? Quit? With $80k of debt and no degree? Okay. Have fun.
But self-taught writers don't have to endure any criticism, just block anyone you don't want in your community. Just say "you don't know me" and fuck off.
But self-taught writers don't have to endure any criticism, just block anyone you don't want in your community. Just say "you don't know me" and fuck off.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
What are you going to do 3.5 years into a 4 year degree? Quit? With $80k of debt and no degree? Okay. Have fun.
But self-taught writers don't have to endure any criticism, just block anyone you don't want in your community. Just say "you don't know me" and fuck off.
But self-taught writers don't have to endure any criticism, just block anyone you don't want in your community. Just say "you don't know me" and fuck off.
The only reason she got any success or any of the life she wanted from writing is because she was in an environment where she couldn't run away from the truth about her work.
The academic path isn't for everyone wanting to tell stories, but something about not being able to run can be important.
The academic path isn't for everyone wanting to tell stories, but something about not being able to run can be important.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The only reason she got any success or any of the life she wanted from writing is because she was in an environment where she couldn't run away from the truth about her work.
The academic path isn't for everyone wanting to tell stories, but something about not being able to run can be important.
The academic path isn't for everyone wanting to tell stories, but something about not being able to run can be important.
But she was so resistant doing something else that it was an uncomfortable breakdown in class every week, but she got good, got to grad school, got a well-received book. And now she's backslid right back to where she was. And now she's stagnant.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
But she was so resistant doing something else that it was an uncomfortable breakdown in class every week, but she got good, got to grad school, got a well-received book. And now she's backslid right back to where she was. And now she's stagnant.
Someone in our workshop did something that got her praise and she spammed that. Didn't try anything new. Resented people for trying to show her new things.
In our advanced workshop our professor hunted her down and showed her she wasn't doing her comfort zone correctly. Then she got better.
In our advanced workshop our professor hunted her down and showed her she wasn't doing her comfort zone correctly. Then she got better.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Someone in our workshop did something that got her praise and she spammed that. Didn't try anything new. Resented people for trying to show her new things.
In our advanced workshop our professor hunted her down and showed her she wasn't doing her comfort zone correctly. Then she got better.
In our advanced workshop our professor hunted her down and showed her she wasn't doing her comfort zone correctly. Then she got better.
You think you're good. You do a bad workshop. You expand your knowledge set. You realize you suck. You adapt, study, and build. You think you're good. You experiment with something new.
Start over.
What's worse is not trying something new and having critique come and find you.
Start over.
What's worse is not trying something new and having critique come and find you.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
You think you're good. You do a bad workshop. You expand your knowledge set. You realize you suck. You adapt, study, and build. You think you're good. You experiment with something new.
Start over.
What's worse is not trying something new and having critique come and find you.
Start over.
What's worse is not trying something new and having critique come and find you.
Because school is so impossible, writers aren't going through programs where the get torn to pieces. In a lot of ways that's good for mental health and debt reasons, but the thing is learning to write is like Dunning-Kruger Maxxing. Like every year in school was like the whole curve twice.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Because school is so impossible, writers aren't going through programs where the get torn to pieces. In a lot of ways that's good for mental health and debt reasons, but the thing is learning to write is like Dunning-Kruger Maxxing. Like every year in school was like the whole curve twice.
But if your goal is to get attention become an actor, stream, get podcast. Unless you want to be the maker of a specific type of product and that product is a book. Because the issue is you're going to do things wrong, make mistakes, have to develop.
We're in the start of the Dunning-Kruger Lit Era
We're in the start of the Dunning-Kruger Lit Era
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
But if your goal is to get attention become an actor, stream, get podcast. Unless you want to be the maker of a specific type of product and that product is a book. Because the issue is you're going to do things wrong, make mistakes, have to develop.
We're in the start of the Dunning-Kruger Lit Era
We're in the start of the Dunning-Kruger Lit Era
...is that winners and losers are chosen by bias. This also crashed the value of writers who do want to address social issues.
Art at the time was hitting abstraction as the CIA poured money into inoffensive art, and so the artists chased what money seemed to reward.
Art at the time was hitting abstraction as the CIA poured money into inoffensive art, and so the artists chased what money seemed to reward.
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
...is that winners and losers are chosen by bias. This also crashed the value of writers who do want to address social issues.
Art at the time was hitting abstraction as the CIA poured money into inoffensive art, and so the artists chased what money seemed to reward.
Art at the time was hitting abstraction as the CIA poured money into inoffensive art, and so the artists chased what money seemed to reward.
...integration of diverse perspectives into literature. Rather than compete with people from different cultures or unique perspectives on the world, a lot of white guys in the West decided to go somewhere that ideas are nebulous and quality is, like, an opinion, man (nongendered).
The value then...
The value then...
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
...integration of diverse perspectives into literature. Rather than compete with people from different cultures or unique perspectives on the world, a lot of white guys in the West decided to go somewhere that ideas are nebulous and quality is, like, an opinion, man (nongendered).
The value then...
The value then...
I had this issue with a DM while playing DnD where I'd have a character do reasonable reactions for the character and the DM was like "No, this is the optimal move, so I'm going to veto your choice."
And I stopped playing.
And I stopped playing.
November 23, 2025 at 6:11 AM
I had this issue with a DM while playing DnD where I'd have a character do reasonable reactions for the character and the DM was like "No, this is the optimal move, so I'm going to veto your choice."
And I stopped playing.
And I stopped playing.
In the vein of "You don't know who you're talking to" I am a script doctor and professional writer. There's a good chance your favorite literary author asks me for story help.
I didn't write these notes FOR you, I wrote them for my audience, giving you the chance to see and learn from it.
I didn't write these notes FOR you, I wrote them for my audience, giving you the chance to see and learn from it.
November 23, 2025 at 5:58 AM
In the vein of "You don't know who you're talking to" I am a script doctor and professional writer. There's a good chance your favorite literary author asks me for story help.
I didn't write these notes FOR you, I wrote them for my audience, giving you the chance to see and learn from it.
I didn't write these notes FOR you, I wrote them for my audience, giving you the chance to see and learn from it.
I am familiar with your reputation for writing bad dialogue and not earning your dramatic action. I heard it from a credible source.
So maybe calm your arrogance/narcissism and maybe take a read of my notes.
So maybe calm your arrogance/narcissism and maybe take a read of my notes.
November 23, 2025 at 5:54 AM
I am familiar with your reputation for writing bad dialogue and not earning your dramatic action. I heard it from a credible source.
So maybe calm your arrogance/narcissism and maybe take a read of my notes.
So maybe calm your arrogance/narcissism and maybe take a read of my notes.
Maybe don't post your L's and complaints usually said by students in week 3 of Intro to Creative Writing.
Your first post and your response show you're not capable of taking criticism. So whomever you are, you're not at my level.
So much so you don't know how much you telegraph about yourself.
Your first post and your response show you're not capable of taking criticism. So whomever you are, you're not at my level.
So much so you don't know how much you telegraph about yourself.
November 23, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Maybe don't post your L's and complaints usually said by students in week 3 of Intro to Creative Writing.
Your first post and your response show you're not capable of taking criticism. So whomever you are, you're not at my level.
So much so you don't know how much you telegraph about yourself.
Your first post and your response show you're not capable of taking criticism. So whomever you are, you're not at my level.
So much so you don't know how much you telegraph about yourself.
But the reality is that they say the space monster is fine because they're willing to believe unbelievable things as a matter of the pretense of the work, but people will not suspend their disbelief because the craft is bad.
Put Nick Cage in Godzilla, & have Nick Cage will be what breaks the spell.
Put Nick Cage in Godzilla, & have Nick Cage will be what breaks the spell.
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 AM
But the reality is that they say the space monster is fine because they're willing to believe unbelievable things as a matter of the pretense of the work, but people will not suspend their disbelief because the craft is bad.
Put Nick Cage in Godzilla, & have Nick Cage will be what breaks the spell.
Put Nick Cage in Godzilla, & have Nick Cage will be what breaks the spell.
One thing I value about creative writing classes is that you get to do this before you're branding yourself as a writer and mass messaging the idea of "My dialogue doesn't need to be realistic because it's space."
You tell your writing teacher who tells you you're going to get dragged for it.
You tell your writing teacher who tells you you're going to get dragged for it.
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 AM
One thing I value about creative writing classes is that you get to do this before you're branding yourself as a writer and mass messaging the idea of "My dialogue doesn't need to be realistic because it's space."
You tell your writing teacher who tells you you're going to get dragged for it.
You tell your writing teacher who tells you you're going to get dragged for it.
Remember the original Star Wars was good because Mark Hamill told Lucas "No actor can say this out loud." Harrison Ford said what he wanted. And Carrie Fisher said, "What the fuck is this?" and took a red pen to the screenplay's dialogue.
Lucas going "The but actually in space..." got the prequels.
Lucas going "The but actually in space..." got the prequels.
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Remember the original Star Wars was good because Mark Hamill told Lucas "No actor can say this out loud." Harrison Ford said what he wanted. And Carrie Fisher said, "What the fuck is this?" and took a red pen to the screenplay's dialogue.
Lucas going "The but actually in space..." got the prequels.
Lucas going "The but actually in space..." got the prequels.
7. A conversation in a story is a structured scene as each line of dialogue should be a line of dramatic action. If there is no dramatic action, then the line is dead space.
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 AM
7. A conversation in a story is a structured scene as each line of dialogue should be a line of dramatic action. If there is no dramatic action, then the line is dead space.
3a. Understand conversation as turn based combat because a scene is jockeying for a status change.
4. Understand phatic speech and remove it.
5. Understand dramatic action as in action in relation to story structure
6. Know story structure. You cannot structure a conversation if you cannot structure
4. Understand phatic speech and remove it.
5. Understand dramatic action as in action in relation to story structure
6. Know story structure. You cannot structure a conversation if you cannot structure
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 AM
3a. Understand conversation as turn based combat because a scene is jockeying for a status change.
4. Understand phatic speech and remove it.
5. Understand dramatic action as in action in relation to story structure
6. Know story structure. You cannot structure a conversation if you cannot structure
4. Understand phatic speech and remove it.
5. Understand dramatic action as in action in relation to story structure
6. Know story structure. You cannot structure a conversation if you cannot structure
Also after doing TV writing, I've started doing all my dialogue as if it's to be read by actors aloud.
1. Tips for dialogue: Read it out loud.
2. When it's wordy break it up. Summarize. Look for repeating phrases and work around it. All else fails, iambic meter.
3. Make a conversation an argument.
1. Tips for dialogue: Read it out loud.
2. When it's wordy break it up. Summarize. Look for repeating phrases and work around it. All else fails, iambic meter.
3. Make a conversation an argument.
November 23, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Also after doing TV writing, I've started doing all my dialogue as if it's to be read by actors aloud.
1. Tips for dialogue: Read it out loud.
2. When it's wordy break it up. Summarize. Look for repeating phrases and work around it. All else fails, iambic meter.
3. Make a conversation an argument.
1. Tips for dialogue: Read it out loud.
2. When it's wordy break it up. Summarize. Look for repeating phrases and work around it. All else fails, iambic meter.
3. Make a conversation an argument.