Writers and Writing rather than Reading

[puppetmaker]

Between Josh Olson and John Scalzi, one might think that writers hate everyone who has ever asked them for a favor. I can tell you that this is not true. But they have valid points.

If you don’t know what I am talking about here are the two articles that were recently published and made the rounds of the Internet.

Mr. Olsen’s contribution is I will not read your “bad word” script

Mr. Scalzi’s contribution is On the Asking of Favors from Established Writers

Peter is asked a lot for a small favor. If he agreed to them all, he would have no time to write. If he doesn’t write, then he doesn’t get paid. So harsh as it may sound, he doesn’t do many cover blurbs or reviews for other people’s work.

Personally I owe two people critiques (that being my sister Sheila and my friend Susan) and have for about a year now. I will have some time to sit down and work on those soon.

So honestly it is not personal when an author passes on reading your manuscript. They have to manage their time as we all do. They have deadlines that they have to meet and things that they already owe their editors or agents or publisher.

There is also the concern about being sued. And I know a lot of people say, “Oh that is a myth.” But it isn’t because I have had to sign for papers from a server about a project I worked on. I had to give a deposition on the matter. It got tossed out because the publisher was able to prove that there was no way that they ripped off the person that accused them of doing so. But it happens all the time. I have lots of friends who have found themselves on the receiving end of lawsuit for something that they didn’t do.

I have also had friends who have had to defend their intellectual property at much personal cost. Then people accuse them of being big meanies for not letting someone else to profit from their creation. I hear grumblings in fandom all the time about this or that writer who took back their toys and kicked the fans out of the sandbox that the writer created.

All a writer has is what they have written. That is what they do. That is their job and I think it gets lost in the signal to noise ratio. So when a writer agrees to talk to you about your project or give you some advise about the profession, I ask that you realize what a gift that is. They are taking the time with you to pass on what they have learned.

I am grateful to all the writers and editors who have given of their time to me.

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

:nodding:

My feeling is that if the about-to-be-published-writer is a close friend, then yeah, I can completely understand established writer doing a blurb or whatnot. But it's a wholly other thing when everyone begins crawling out of the woodwork.

[amergina.livejournal.com]

Yep yep.

And the thing is that there are plenty of other ways to get your manuscript critiqued, even by professional writers.

There are conferences. Critiques by writers and editors show up on benefit auctions. There are workshops like Odyssey and Clarion. There are MFA programs like the one I'm in. If you're a young writer, there are programs like Alpha SF/F/H program for young adults (which makes me wish *I* was a teen!).

If you don't want to spend money for a workshop of a con (or an MFA), there are plenty of on-line critique groups out there, for any number of genres. There may even be a writer's meet-up nearby.

It's not like help isn't out there!

[ladytalker13.livejournal.com]

My thought is that if you are a serious writer and really want feedback, look for local writers' groups. Just in our small city we have at least 2 that I know of. There are also plenty of online groups - granted, you may have to spend some time seeing which ones are serious and then find one that "fits" but it will be worth it. Many popular authors (Diana Gabaldon comes to mind) have talked about the writers' groups they belong to. There's no need to interrupt someone else's work and cause an uncomfortable situation.

[wookiemonster.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I agree with Scalzi and Olsen. I know how busy I am with a full-time job, dance, trying to get my own writing career started, and handling my biblioholism. Plus life. There are very few people for whom I will read their stuff, and all too often, I'm skimming through. My closest friends are the ones for whom I will actually sit down and critique stuff. As for getting people to read my stuff, I have plenty of hapless friends who will read, though, I have to encourage them to be critical. It's all good.

Potato Moon afforded a wonderful opportunity to have someone who has been one of my favorite authors for over half my life now to read some little bit of silliness I wrote. I know opportunities like that are rare, and I am very appreciative of the feedback you and he gave me.

I'm also glad that there are people like Peter who stand up for copyright. Someday, I will be selling stories that are supposed to supplant a meager retirement pension, and thanks to efforts of people like Peter, I may actually accomplish that.

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

Let me reiterate how grateful I am that you were willing to look over my draft for me. (I wonder if these two rants making the rounds on the Internet are also jostling the consciences of various writers who have Stuff They Promised To Look Over living in their inboxes. Another one of the people I sent it to recently reassured me that "I *will* read your ----ing novel.")

It's funny--some people to asked me if I was going to get Peter to read it and I kind of blanched and said "Um, no, wasn't planning on it." The main reason is, honestly, I don't think it's anything Peter would really be into in the first place. Plus, my connection to you is of the sort that this kind of favor is more within reason than it is with him, if that makes any sense. I like Peter just fine, but I've known you for much, much longer.

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

You are awesome.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

Have you seen/heard Harlan's reading of a Suessified version of Josh's piece? http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/09/harlan_ellisons.php

Definitely NSFW, and audio.