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[nicked_metal]

I stopped reading Neil Gaiman's blog because he keeps posting really wide pictures, and I found it annoying. But to every fan who feels betrayed by the writer(s) of whatever it is they're a fan of, they should read this postIn other news, I'm turning back into someone I like. Life continues to be more and more confusing, but I find that I am more

Comments

[smeddley]

I think that's an interesting article, and... I don't know, I have mixed feelings. Because, yes, artists have a right to have a life, we all do. At the same time, the rest of us have to get our work done regardless of how much we'd rather be doing something else. Urgh...

I've tried to write this out a few times, and I can't get my thoughts out. I think what it boils down to is that I, the client, if not the boss, of the author, have every single right to be upset at an author blowing off a book, while acknowledging I have no right to expect anything from the author or any real power (other than withholding money) to force them to work.

But authors also have to make sure they realize that readers, while not their bosses, are their clients, and in business, it's generally not good to piss of the people who ultimately pay you. Now, I'm not saying take this to an extreme, as in bowing to the guy who wrote an 80,000-word essay about everything he disliked in the HP books and wants JKR to rewrite HP in accordance with his wishes, but

[truevision]

I guess there are a few things about GRRM that bother me

1. Early on in writing his series he was known to make snide jokes about Robert Jordan at book signings

2. He gets real pissed when people express their frustration on his blog like they should be just patting him on the back for watching the Giants or hating on the new Star Trek movie or whatever. If you put something like that up publicly don't expect your fans to fellate you.

3. I wish he would just be 100% totally honest. Just say he doesn't know when it's going to come out, if it's ever going to come out. That he's totally blocked on the story and he can't seem to get it done and he's sorry but that's it. Because at this point that's clearly the case.

[smeddley]

I've never read any GRRM (partly because I was warned it was the series that never ends and partly because I suppose his books never grabbed me), but I have heard from other people that he comes off as a rather arrogant male reproductive organ. And this, to me, is just the flip side of an entitled fan.

Note, however, what you said does not make you a fan like that, and you're one of those middle-of-the-road people. All you want is the truth, even if it's not what you really want to hear. Why is it so hard for him to just come out and say 'look, I'm really sorry, I know a lot of fans are waiting, but I'm having a really tough time and I think you deserve something better than a rushed, crappy, half-assed book'? Oh, right, because it would be admitting he's not perfect, I suppose.

I once had to wait 7 years - SEVEN YEARS! - to find out what happened to Gleep, the dragon in Aspirin's Myth series. He left him just having been shot (with an arrow, but still) and didn't write the next book for seven years. He was, evidently, going

[truevision]

That's pretty much it. I get it, the author doesn't owe me anything. But I'm part of why he's making that money. I'd like a little respect, just the way he wants it.

[travisjhall]

It would be nice to get the next A Song of Ice and Fire book, but I'm a patient man. As long as he finishes the series before he dies, I'm happy.

[vampyrecat]

I have images turned off. If I want to see them I click on the comments or make a comment and I can see the image, but I don't have to deal with big images.

[brightlotusmoon]

Same here. I won't see images unless I actually go into the post. You do this in Viewing Options under Journal. Go to Image Placeholders. I have it set to replace inline images on my friends page with a placeholder for All Images. This came in useful when some trolls decided to hack into some communities with very disgusting pictures, and I couldn't see them on my friends pages; only in the posts.

[running_snail]

these last two months have been a bit stressful for many people my friend. you are joined by many others.

it is a time of letting go the last bits of non needed/useful/current places/people/things. continue to trust in yourself and the world and all will work itself out by summer solstice.