Thinky-thoughts about writing...
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Not mine; other people's. A bit of explanation, with links
I enjoy writing fanfiction, but my biggest beef is that it "don't get no respect". Fanfiction isn't "real" writing, or it's only preparation for being published, and if you're not aiming toward being published, you're just wasting your time. A couple of months ago, I admitted to an English teacher that I like to write fanfic. The very next words out of her mouth were, "When are you going to publish?" When I said I wasn't interested, she argued with me -- like we can just wave a magic wand and become best-selling authors.
Most of the time, I ignore it... but I always enjoy a post or column that reinforces my feelings. (Don't we all? )
Anyway, a couple of days ago, one of my friends (and I can't remember who; my apologies) pointed to these two columns.
In this one, Holly Lisle explains how the computerized method that chain bookstores use for ordering new books can kill an author's career. I'm soooo going to show it to my mom the next time she tells me to write something original and get it published; that kind of chewed-up and spit-out scenario is only for those who are really dedicated. (And that's not me.)
However, this guy sees a very different scenario with net-sales; in essence, all the "little sales" add up to out-perform the big blockbusters in books or DVDs. I hope his vision of the "long-tail of internet sales" comes true; able to get any book or DVD in any location, because there will no longer be a need to guess how many copies to buy for customers.
Then, from metafandom and all over my flist, comes a link to cupidsbow's discussion of How Fanfiction Makes Us Poor. Yeah, she chose the title to get a reaction. She's recently read How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ, which uses a feminist view to examine how "the establishment" has worked to minimize the writings of women authors throughout history. In turn, cupidsbow uses those ideas to speculate on why fanfic is so marginalized. It's an eye-opening, fascinating read; I want to shove it in my sister's face and make her read it. (This is the one who's decided that fanfic can't possibly be any good because -- it's fanfic. Grrr...) Be sure to read the comments -- three pages so far, with lots of other good discussion points.
Note: I don't know who she is, but apparently she writes profic as well as fanfic. She's seen both sides of the fence, and sounds like a woman who knows whereof she speaks.
And one of her friends has some other points to ponder in Fanfic and Authorship.
I enjoyed that cupidsbow's meta so much that I checked out her LJ. She has a whole page of meta posts listed. There's some interesting-looking titles there; it'll take a lot of reading.
I couldn't resist starting with The Myths of Authorship, which is just what it sounds like (and another one I want to show my sister). In short, it's not necessary to publish to be a "real" author. (Yeah, we know that but, again, it's nice to have the reinforcement of what I feel and believe.)
So, if you have an hour or so to spare and enjoy meta, have at it.
.
Not mine; other people's. A bit of explanation, with links
I enjoy writing fanfiction, but my biggest beef is that it "don't get no respect". Fanfiction isn't "real" writing, or it's only preparation for being published, and if you're not aiming toward being published, you're just wasting your time. A couple of months ago, I admitted to an English teacher that I like to write fanfic. The very next words out of her mouth were, "When are you going to publish?" When I said I wasn't interested, she argued with me -- like we can just wave a magic wand and become best-selling authors.
Most of the time, I ignore it... but I always enjoy a post or column that reinforces my feelings. (Don't we all? )
Anyway, a couple of days ago, one of my friends (and I can't remember who; my apologies) pointed to these two columns.
In this one, Holly Lisle explains how the computerized method that chain bookstores use for ordering new books can kill an author's career. I'm soooo going to show it to my mom the next time she tells me to write something original and get it published; that kind of chewed-up and spit-out scenario is only for those who are really dedicated. (And that's not me.)
However, this guy sees a very different scenario with net-sales; in essence, all the "little sales" add up to out-perform the big blockbusters in books or DVDs. I hope his vision of the "long-tail of internet sales" comes true; able to get any book or DVD in any location, because there will no longer be a need to guess how many copies to buy for customers.
Then, from metafandom and all over my flist, comes a link to cupidsbow's discussion of How Fanfiction Makes Us Poor. Yeah, she chose the title to get a reaction. She's recently read How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ, which uses a feminist view to examine how "the establishment" has worked to minimize the writings of women authors throughout history. In turn, cupidsbow uses those ideas to speculate on why fanfic is so marginalized. It's an eye-opening, fascinating read; I want to shove it in my sister's face and make her read it. (This is the one who's decided that fanfic can't possibly be any good because -- it's fanfic. Grrr...) Be sure to read the comments -- three pages so far, with lots of other good discussion points.
Note: I don't know who she is, but apparently she writes profic as well as fanfic. She's seen both sides of the fence, and sounds like a woman who knows whereof she speaks.
And one of her friends has some other points to ponder in Fanfic and Authorship.
I enjoyed that cupidsbow's meta so much that I checked out her LJ. She has a whole page of meta posts listed. There's some interesting-looking titles there; it'll take a lot of reading.
I couldn't resist starting with The Myths of Authorship, which is just what it sounds like (and another one I want to show my sister). In short, it's not necessary to publish to be a "real" author. (Yeah, we know that but, again, it's nice to have the reinforcement of what I feel and believe.)
So, if you have an hour or so to spare and enjoy meta, have at it.
.