Please?

DamaNegra · Mar 2, 2006

I didn't know where to put this... but anyway...

I know I should not be doing this but it is a desperate situation. I need a short story, about 20 pages long. I don't care about quality, I just need a short story of about that lenght. Maybe one of you has a short story you're not particularly fond of and you can lend it to me, it's only for school. Please? I swear I won't ask anything again, but this is really important. If you have something you can give me, please PM me.

William Haskins · Mar 2, 2006

please tell me you're not wanting to pass it off as your own work.

mdin · Mar 2, 2006

Uh... are you going to pass it off as your own?

Jcomp · Mar 2, 2006

C'mon. If you don't care about quality, u can bang out 20 pages right quick. Just run with it. Don't solicit a story dude.

Perks · Mar 2, 2006

He's right. (Except Dama's a dudette.) Maybe all you need is a really great writing prompt and a cheering section. What are the guidelines of your assignment?

Don't be sore at us. It's just wasn't likely you'd get a positive response solicting on a writer's site for work to plagiarise.

poetinahat · Mar 2, 2006

Inquiring minds want to know: what's it for? If it's just to read, why not just grab something published?

If it's to put forward as your own, are you kidding?

William Haskins · Mar 2, 2006

i'm actually more offended by the fact that someone who hangs out on a writer's board can't crank out 20 pages—especially when she doesn't "care about quality".

Birol · Mar 2, 2006

Dama, what's the story behind this request? You're an intelligent person. I know that. And a quick study. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but this request does sound like you want to turn in someone else's work as your own, but I know you've been around her long enough that you know such a thing will not fly here. I want to believe that you just typed this post quickly, without thinking how it would come across. Please. Tell me. What's going on?

PM me if you want.

poetinahat · Mar 2, 2006

William Haskins said:
i'm actually more offended by the fact that someone who hangs out on a writer's board can't crank out 20 pages—especially when she doesn't "care about quality".

Might as well add a bit that says "Oh, it's all right, because I'm only asking for help from the bad writers."

Prosthetic Foreheads · Mar 2, 2006

I have a feeling she won't be responding back in this thread.

Carole · Mar 3, 2006

oops! Methinks this was not a well thought out plan...

Carole · Mar 3, 2006

DamaNegra said:
Maybe one of you has a short story you're not particularly fond of and you can lend it to me, it's only for school.

poetinahat · Mar 3, 2006

In the absence of any contrary voice, I'm going on the premise that the purpose of this thread was to find someone else's work to pass off as your own.

Okay, okay, here's the compassion bit:

Whatever it is, Dama, you'll survive it. Talk to the teacher, get an extension if you need to, even if it means a markdown. Offer to submit it in installments. Something -- anything. As long as you're honest about it. You may not even have to say why -- just be honest.

I've done all of the above. It's not much fun, but you survive. And this is not the hardest one you'll ever have, I'm sure -- not by a long shot.

But if you're looking for help to cheat, boy, have you come to the wrong place.

Just ask yourself these questions:

- Do you think plagiarism is a commonly accepted practice among writers?
- Do you think it's okay because it's "only school"? (For God's sake, you're there to learn.)
- Do you think this is the only time you'll ever be up against a deadline and have to dig deep to make it?
- Do you think that if you get away with it just this once, you'll never think of doing it again?

If you answer 'yes' to any of those questions, my friend, you have a lot to learn. Speaking only for myself, there's little I abhor more than cheating.

You may not want to respond in this thread, as Prosthetic_Foreheads predicts. But I think you might want to clear your name. Don't leave everyone remembering you as the plagiarist. You can be better than that.

DamaNegra · Mar 3, 2006

Ok, I'm sorry about this. The story wasn't even for me, but I don't need it anymore. I found one of mine that sort of fit in with what I needed.

Problem was, a very close friend of mine needed a story to elaborate a resume and a powerpoint presentation. It was her partial project (about 15% of her final grade). Problem is, she's about to fail ever single class and thus about to be expelled from school. She's already been expelled from two. I really wanted to help her, and I could have written a 20-page short story for her, but not last night. I've been taking some strong meds for stress that make me sleepy all the time and now I'm taking analgesics so I'm kind of asleep all the time. Last night, I fell asleep while typing out this post and then I fell asleep about 10 mins later and did not wake up until right now.

I know that what I was trying to do was not honest, but I didn't know if the story my friend needed could be any story or a story written by her. The story was going to be forgotten anyway as soon as the grade was given out.

"What's your business doing her homework? If she's going to fail that's her fault, you shouldn't be helping her out, she should be responsible and take care of her own work." Yes, but this is a special case. Yesterday, her computer died. She already had her short story read and all, and her computer died on her, so she lost the short story. It was not her fault, so when she asked me to help her with that, I couldn't refuse.

Please, don't think bad of me. I wasn't thinking straight last night and I was desperate. I've got two exams today and I studied for neither. I have to turn in a homework in less than an hour for a class I'm failing and I haven't been able to do it. Yesterday, I spent the whole day studying for an exam I have on monday because I didn't understand anything, and it's going to be harder than today's two exams. Plus, I've still got partial proyects to complete. I'm sorry.

poetinahat · Mar 3, 2006

I'm sure you've copped plenty about this so far. I hope it all works out for you and your friend. But my two cents' worth (again):

Did your friend talk to the teacher first? If not, I'd wonder why not.

Did you ask her whether the story had to be her own? That would have to be question number 1.

It may not have been her fault the computer died, but it would be her fault if she didn't do the honest thing first.

Please -- go study now, and nail those exams!

DamaNegra · Mar 3, 2006

Responding to your posts:

poetinahat said:
But if you're looking for help to cheat, boy, have you come to the wrong place.

I'm sorry if it looked like I was trying to cheat. For the record, I'd rather fail than cheat. I think that's the worst thing anyone can do.

poetinahat said:
- Do you think plagiarism is a commonly accepted practice among writers?
- Do you think it's okay because it's "only school"? (For God's sake, you're there to learn.)
- Do you think this is the only time you'll ever be up against a deadline and have to dig deep to make it?
- Do you think that if you get away with it just this once, you'll never think of doing it again?

- Of course not.
- I never cheat at school. As I said, I'd rather fail than cheat. And I've failed because of that.
- I had a 20-minute deadline after my friend asked me for help, I usually start my works with enough time to finish them. (unless it's a stupid 1-day deadline for a teacher, in that case I don't sleep until I finish it)
- No, one cheating leads to the other and it becomes a vicious circle.

Carole said:
oops! Methinks this was not a well thought out plan...

It wasn't.

Prosthetic Foreheads said:
I have a feeling she won't be responding back in this thread.

I did as soon as I could.

William Haskins said:
i'm actually more offended by the fact that someone who hangs out on a writer's board can't crank out 20 pages—especially when she doesn't "care about quality".

That offends me. Of course I can crank out 20 pages, but not under the conditions mentioned in the above post.

I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I started this thread. Please forgive me and forget about this.

- Yes, I did come back to answer. I just fell asleep and didn't wake up until right now.
- No, I wasn't thinking straight. Too many meds on my system. The word plagiarize didn't even cross my head.
- If it had been my assignment, I would've written a short story for myself. After all, I am a writer.

DamaNegra · Mar 3, 2006

poetinahat said:
Did your friend talk to the teacher first? If not, I'd wonder why not.

Did you ask her whether the story had to be her own? That would have to be question number 1.

She couldn't complete the project on time and ask for an extension. THEN her computer died.

Heheh I know I should've asked that first, but as I said, I wasn't thinking straight last night (this thread is proof of that)

poetinahat · Mar 3, 2006

DamaNegra said:
That offends me. Of course I can crank out 20 pages, but not under the conditions mentioned in the above post.
...
- If it had been my assignment, I would've written a short story for myself. After all, I am a writer.

Think it might be unfair of you to be offended, given the first post? What would you expect people to think?

Go study, and kick some examination butt.

alleycat · Mar 3, 2006

Okay, she said she was wrong (and she was), she said it was a stupid idea (and it was), she said she was sorry. I think we ought to give her a break now.

And she needs to get off the Internet and go study!

Just my 2-cents worth. . . .

ac

Perks · Mar 3, 2006

Good luck DM, I know it feels like you're floundering, but you'll make it. Hang in there.

dahmnait · Mar 3, 2006

Meds will do strange things to the brain.

Perhaps after you finish kicking some exam butt, you can ask the mod to delete this thread. That way you won't have to worry about your faux pas haunting you.

Good luck.

Aconite · Mar 3, 2006

DamaNegra said:
I know that what I was trying to do was not honest, but I didn't know if the story my friend needed could be any story or a story written by her. The story was going to be forgotten anyway as soon as the grade was given out.

Are there many school assignments that require a 20-page story, for which an extension has already been given, written by someone other than the person who turns it in? Come on, now. You knew your friend was supposed to have written it. Bad enough that you were helping another student to cheat without asking others to join in.

Yes, but this is a special case. Yesterday, her computer died. She already had her short story read and all, and her computer died on her, so she lost the short story. It was not her fault, so when she asked me to help her with that, I couldn't refuse.

If she'd asked you to help her cheat on a test instead of an assignment because of something else that "wasn't her fault," would you have done it?

Please, don't think bad of me. I wasn't thinking straight last night and I was desperate.

I'm disappointed in you for your justifying of your actions. It's one thing to be out of your head and do something stupid. It's another to try to explain why what you did wasn't really all that bad after all. I get the impression you realize it's wrong to have asked the people here for help, but you don't think it was wrong to have helped your friend cheat. I'd like to think you're better than that.

William Haskins · Mar 3, 2006

That offends me. Of course I can crank out 20 pages, but not under the conditions mentioned in the above post.

if that's the worst offense i caused, i'm having a really bad day.

brokenfingers · Mar 3, 2006

Where's the beating a dead horse icon when you need one?

Jcomp · Mar 3, 2006

brokenfingers said:
Where's the beating a dead horse icon when you need one?

word.

And I would also like to apologize, Dama, for calling you a dude. Cheating is one thing, but calling a chick a dude is just inexcusable.

Please?

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