Saying Someone is "Good"
I used to be a playwright, but due to difficulties and angst, I left the profession. I remember a playwright turned novelist saying something to the effect of, "I enjoy playwriting because of the people. And I enjoy novel writing because I don't have to deal with the people." I got tired of the people, so novel writing simply suits me better. I enjoy solitude and being alone.
When my plays were accepted into a few different conferences around the country, oftentimes I would approach a playwright whose work I enjoyed and say, "Your play was really good." This was usually met with a simple stare or even a shocked expression. I get it. If I say, "Your play is good," I'm assuming that I'm a good judge of plays, that I somehow know a good play from a bad one. I only meant it as a compliment, but playwrights are prickly with their words. Perhaps a better compliment would have been, "I enjoyed your work." But I also think, especially in today's world, we're all a bit too precious and careful with words. If the underlying meaning is, "I liked it," what's the difference? Of course we need to be careful with our choice of words. Words in ancient times could even be considered spells and used as magic. Perhaps they are today as well. But I also think playwrights, and writers in general, are simply too picky. If someone says something you created is good, a simple, "thank you," will suffice. "Good" is an interesting word with a lot of meanings. I wonder if I said, "The play looked good," if that would have gotten a different response.