Comments on: Writers and fans

By: Cheryl Rainfield: » another memoir has turned out to be fiction

Cheryl Rainfield: » another memoir has turned out to be fiction — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:57:11 +0000

[...] trying to get published for about ten years. YA author Justine Larbalestier said that it took her close to twenty years to get published (and look at her success, now). It takes a long time, it’s wearing, can eat [...]

By: janet

janet — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:53:42 +0000

…But it surprises me HUGELY that I am making a living as a writer and therefore I have many writer friends. I constantly have to pinch myself. How on Earth did I get here? Please don’t let anyone take it away!

That fear is real: many writers don’t make a living at it for their whole lives. It takes a long time for most of us to get published (took me close to twenty years) and then once you are published there’s no guarantee that your books will keep selling.

This makes it sound a little as though you think that if you quit writing, or quit selling, you couldn’t be friends with writers any more.

And while you say that writers aren’t special people, there’s still, in any literary community, something special about getting to be friends with writers. There are certainly times at sf conventions when the writers are all gathered in a huddle, and only a few very lucky, favored fans get to hang out with them — and then only until it’s time to go to dinner. This may simply be because the writers are going off to talk shop together, but since the fans want to become friends with the writers, and the writers have a lot of people clamoring for their attention, there’s a permanent imbalance. Writers may not be special people, but fans treat them like special people.

I try not to fall into that trap any more — after all, there are many, many talented, interesting people who are not writers and who are easier to approach and talk to. I don’t think it’s good for me to behave as though I’m lesser being. And I doubt that many writers like being surrounded by fawning supplicants.

Do I sound crabby? I’ve had an ear infection that’s just starting to get better after three weeks: of course I’m crabby.

By: Camille

Camille — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:31:46 +0000

OMG Justine and Cherie KNOW EACH OTHER!!!

(I couldn’t resist. )

I discovered “Not Flesh Nor Feathers” and Eden Moore very recently, is why I’m so excited. (Also, I discovered the Jim Butcher oeuvre on the same day. It was a most excellent day.) I am honored to provide the squee.

Hey, I wonder if another reason we don’t think of authors knowing each other is that we “know” them mostly, and most intensely, through the worlds they create, and thus sort of think of them as inhabiting those worlds, so to speak? Maybe subconsciously we’re thinking how cool it is for these alternative universes to be colliding with one another.

By: Elodie

Elodie — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:34:58 +0000

You have a toilet category XDDD
sorry, that was my random realization of the day.
I pretty much agree with everyone else–it’s so cool to not only be published, but also know other awesome published people…we get jealous

I am curious… what is the story of your living in New York and Sidney? Do you spend half a year here and half there, or..what?

By: Justine

Justine — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:08:34 +0000

Cherie: Of course there is squeeage!

By: emily beth

emily beth — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:13:16 +0000

I know exactly what you mean about the whole “books I love were actually written by people!” thing. When i think that books like Looking for Alaska, Suitte Scarlett, and lots of other books i love so much were written by humans, like me, pretty much blows my mind.

By: cherie priest

cherie priest — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:13:53 +0000

Camille: Hello! And color me flattered by your squee The thought that anyone, anywhere, squees over me … well, it makes me want to squee, is what it does.

By: Kelly McCullough

Kelly McCullough — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:44:17 +0000

The phenomena reminds me a bit of an interview with the Traveling Wilbury’s a couple of decades back. At one point someone asked Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan!) a question and his response was something like: “Dude, Roy Orbison (Roy Orbison!) is in my band! How much does that rock?” That’s pretty much how I feel when I check my email and see stuff from Jane Yolen, or Kris Rusch, or Tim Powers. “Dude, I’ve got email from author X! How much does that rock?”

By: Camille

Camille — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:59:53 +0000

(I’d like to take this time to squee like a 14-year-old over the appearance of Cherie Priest.)

SQUEEE!

(Thank you for your patience.)

By: cherie priest

cherie priest — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:35:51 +0000

You can add me to the list of people who sold a first book without knowing anyone in the biz.

[:: chomps a freeze-dried mangosteen ::]
[:: thinks of you ::]