So I feel terrible...

[DarthTofu]

Anyone here remember that play I wrote? Kazan? It got to be a staged reading recently at the local theater, along with one other play about a character with a dissability, and another that I have no idea why it even placed, much less took second place over me when it didn't address the topic in any way, shape, or form.

 

At any rate: My play was about Kazan, who is a kid with autism and an abusive father. Gradually he overcomes some of the difficulties of autism, and in the end he and his father manage to reconcile. After the staged reading a number of people came up to me and told me "You hit the nail right on the head with respect to autism. I know someone/have a child/have a sibling with autism, and you really drove home its effects." So why do I feel horrible? My "research" on autism consisted of the article on autism in Wikipedia, the article on autistic savants on Wikipedia, an article on kids growing up with autism in Time magazine, and studying the original Kazan (character) in the move The Cube. And all of these people thought that I'd researched it, and were ultimately touched by a distinct lack of effort. I feel horrible for it...

 

Not that any of you can do anything about it, nor have any reason to care- I just felt like venting about it... I'll post the staged reading on Youtube or google video some time. I have it on video...

[Krytos]

Well, first off - congrats on getting to that reading. That's an effort in itself. Unfortunately I don't remember the story itself - but I remember you talking about it, and how your sister (I think) got an autograph from one of the actors from The Cube.

Second, I know sort of how you feel - I've had similar (albeit under different circumstances) experiences. Most of my experiences don't revolve around something as sensitive as autism, however do keep true to the limited research. Actually, by my standard that's quiet a bit of research Well, at least for the experiences I'm thinking of.

For me, I get to pass it off as .. wow, I rock - here comes an ego trip!

 

For you, well - don't see it as "I've taken the low road and gotten far" so much as "I looked into it, understood the content and was, most importantly, capable of portraying the correct content to my audience. Next time, I can and will do more."

Because lets face it, that's what you've done. You've obtained your research through primarily second hand resources that, I guess could be considered third hand even. For those who don't know, first hand research is when you go out and do it yourself. Second hand is when you read someone else's research as a basis for your own or as a basis of a report. This is what pretty much everyone does, you will read facts that someone else has obtained. Third hand, I cannot be sure if that's a legit term but we've used it in uni a bit during business studies, is effectively going to the next step - where you research is based around someone else's research where that research is second hand to start with ... did I confuse you? Cool.

So, Wikipedia articles and The Times articles would be second hand, they're not going to be doing research first hand - and seeing as you used them as research that makes them third hand.

Now ... wait ... what the hell was I on about?

 

... oh yes. You did do research and you obviously was able to see deep enough into it to create a convincing portrayal. There's nothing too bad about that. Sure, in retrospect it would be nicer if you'd had first hand experience with the subject - but that isn't exactly possible for a high school student.

While these less than compassionate words won't bring comfort. In the coming days, weeks maybe, you'll see that you didn't do anything wrong and what you're really longing for is self perfection and the want to do better. That it felt easy, too easy. And from experience, if this is what you feel - don't give in and take the easy path then, push yourself. Even if you'd get an A for doing mediocre work in your books, do more. There's nothing worse than looking back and realising that you've lost your peak, that you became lazy in academic life. (experience talking).

I guess an analogy of your experience is - you wanted to be handed lemons to make lemonade (works better) but you were given the ingredients instead. With either you can go wrong, but you still managed to make some fine tasting lemonade that everyone liked. Now, I'd like a glass - $0.50 enough?

[Eagle]

You feel terrible? I say, congratulations that you´ve made it that far! That´s far more any other wannabe-storywriter even makes it. Just think of George Lucas. Star Wars is a kind of patchwork of different ideas he took of other stories like the Lord of the Rings, Dune, Western- and Knight-Movies and the old Manga Star Blazers (which name is in the japanese original indeed Star Wars!). So you aren´t alone what belongs of stealing ideas. You are very young and you will improve your writings and you´ve just did a very big step forward. So throw away all these thoughts.

 

And again, congratulations!

[Darth_Rob]

Yeah man, at least you made it that far. It's a victory in itself.

 

Don't feel like you didn't work hard. Even if you feel that you didn't take much time or effort in researching the information, it takes a good deal of skill to take that information and turn it into a fictionalized story that is believable. So I think that some big kudos are in order. Congrats!

[Mad78]

Well done for the stage reading Tofu.

 

You have no reason to feel bad.