Five Things Writers Hate Hearing

[author_by_night]

More behind the cut.

1. "Where do you get your ideas?"

The toilet. While the cop was writing my speeding ticket. Picking my nose.

I mean - um - I'd just witnessed an aurora borealis...






2. "You can write anytime!"

No, actually, we can't, really. There's work involved. It may look like we're just staring at our computers (and okay, often we do end up doing that too), but just like any task, sometimes when it's time to do it, you have to do it before it's too late. When we do set time aside, it needs to be uninterrupted time.


3. "Yeah, but don't you want a job that actually pays?"

Nope, I'm going to live the life of a starving artist straight out of a 90's Broadway Musical.



Seriously though, most writers know we actually have to have other aspirations. Calling our dreams impractical is very irritating, and it's also discouraging. Maybe we will be the next Stephen King. Maybe we'll publish one novel that no one picks up on now, but gains popularity 50 years down the road. Maybe we'll only ever write fanfiction. We don't know - but neither do you.

Speaking of fanfiction...

4. "You write fanfic? I don't. I like to write my own stuff."

There's definitely a difference between writing fanfiction and writing original works. But that doesn't make fanfiction bad, as long as people know where the line is drawn. (E.L. James does not. And yet for all her ripping off of Twilight, she's done quite well, so there you go. No, wait, come back - don't go that direction.) The truth of the matter is, you've probably written fanfic at some point. Ever had teachers in school tell you to write chapter three from another character's perspective? Fanfiction. Come up with a sequel to a movie? Headcanon. It can't be helped.

Writing fanfiction is also good batting practice. It helps you get a sense of what you enjoy writing, and what you don't. Of course, it may turn out that your fic writing and original writing are vastly different - that's okay, too. It's also fine if you only write fanfic.

5. "Write what you know!"

On one hand, you do have to do your homework, and many writers don't, which becomes evident. You read about a book that takes place in your corner of civilization, and it becomes quite clear that the writer spent five minutes worth of "research" on it and relied on Hollywood for the rest. There's also something to be said for writing from a point of familiarity, even vaguely.

Sadly, people seem to think "write what you know" means that if you're a grocery store cashier, you should stick to writing about other grocery store cashiers. Golfers should stick to writing about golf. The problem is that as much as a writer expands a reader's world, a lot of the time they end up expanding their own, too. And how can you expand your world if you're not allowed to leave it?

That's not to ignore the fact that many books are at least loosely based on personal situations. There's nothing wrong with that either. But it's an option, not a must.

Speaking of writing what you know, don't give writers advice when you know nothing about writing.

Comments

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Yup, this is so relevant.

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

So true, so true. Although I haven't heard the "fanfic" one that often. With me, it's usually, "Oh, you write about vampires? Like that Stephenie Meyer lady?" *seeeethes* Not that begrudge her her success or anything (really, I don't), but GAH! NOT ALL VAMPIRES ARE SPARKLEPIRES, OKAY?

The "write what you know" thing is one of the most egregiously misunderstood pieces of advice ever, which is frustrating because it's good advice when you know it's actually about. It means, "Research your topic so you don't make a fool of yourself." It does NOT mean, "Only write about things you have personally experienced in the real world." If that were the case, we'd only have memoirs. It's rubbish.

[cloudsinvenice]

The problem is that as much as a writer expands a reader's world, a lot of the time they end up expanding their own, too. And how can you expand your world if you're not allowed to leave it?

This is such a perfect response to the "write what you know" dictum!

The third one also chimes with me after a friend linked to a particularly smug and arsey blog post about "why under-35s are so unhappy" - basically it's our fault for not being able to align our expectations with reality, not grasping that you can't just "do what you love", etc. etc. In my experience our generation isn't overburdened with expectations of a perfect life and the ability to do some hip creative job and survive on magic beans - we know that writing generally needs to be supported by a day job, and the issue isn't that we expect to become the next Rowling or King, but that getting paid at all has become increasingly difficult in a world where "content is free on the internet!" The stereotype of the spoilt wannabe artiste with unrealistic expectations seems incredibly detached from observed reality...

Wow, I needed that rant!

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

basically it's our fault for not being able to align our expectations with reality, not grasping that you can't just "do what you love",

*Sigh* You know, I DO know people like that, but they aren't just artists, or our age, for that matter. There's people who totally expect that they'll wake up in the morning and the world will be handed to them on a silver platter, but that might include 55 year old CEOs who don't understand why everyone's making such a big deal out of their embezzlement. D'oh.

What the same smug commentators also don't seem to get is the difficulty we have getting our feet in the door. We know we're not going to become vice presidents our first day on the job. The problem is actually the opposite; companies are hiring people for top-tier positions that require 10 years or more of experience, not positions where you can work your way up. People with entitlement issues nonwithstanding.

(Although I have had incredibly entitled coworkers, and I've had parents apply for their children, who are presumably in our age group. Le sigh. Stop proving people's points.)

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

They're people the same people who think Twilight and Buffy are the same thing. They're not. Without getting into my personal feelings on the quality of Twilight, I will say they are two completely different types of stories - the same way Buffy and Dracula are very different. (If you prefer Dracula, a vampire running around with a soul and falling in love with a slayer may not be for you. So there you go.) Or Lord of the Rings versus Harry Potter - they are inherently different from each other. People don't seem to understand that.

It means, "Research your topic so you don't make a fool of yourself." It does NOT mean, "Only write about things you have personally experienced in the real world." If that were the case, we'd only have memoirs. It's rubbish.

Exactly. And I can tell you from personal experience that even creative nonfiction involves research. I took a class where we wrote essays, and I remembered New England being so small you could basically get through several states in a given amount of time (I forget what the time I wrote was). Someone who'd lived there was like, "um... WTF? No." (Aa much nicer version, she was actually really sweet, but that was the gist!) My memory was way off, probably because (a) it was a long time ago, and (b) I was fourteen and not really paying close attention.