Few things piss me off more than elitists who pronounce their lofty opinions as if their viewpoints were the only ones that mattered. Unfortunately, this is exactly what I get from each one of Miller's posts on the craft of writing, something that reads like, "Only the innately talented need apply. Plebes, stop wasting your and more importantly my time. Admit that you suck! You are mucking up my perfect writing world with your dreck. Begone!" As Exhibit A, I remind you of Miller's thoughts on self-publishing.
About the only good thing I can say for Miller is that she gets people talking. I wish she would take a different tack or tone in her article, rather than castigating an exercise like Nanowrimo that allows would-be authors to try their hand at writing the novel they might not otherwise write, or helps newbie writers to hone their craft and attempt to meet deadlines, as they would be expected to by editors. More than anything, I wish Laura Miller would actually write a full-length novel again, rather than these scathing sound bites that she likes to deliver, so she can remember the level of perseverance and commitment it takes for a novelist to complete his or her work. It is something I do not believe anyone who has not written a book can understand. Then maybe, I could have a better appreciation of her opinions. For now, her thoughts are the dreck that's mucking up my perfect writing world. Begone, Laura Miller!
6 comments:
I just read the piece and ugh. Best of luck to you on your Nano. I'm in for my second time.
writers need all the encouragement they can get. let's just ignore stuff like this. it's all dribble.
Gee, she sounds like a lovely individual. Wherever she got her magnanimous attitude, she needs to return it. It's laughable. Be gone? Perfect writing world? REALLY? Sounds like the craft means very little to her.
Thanks for the comments, ladies. There have been great reponses from both sides of the divide and a riposte at Jacket Copy http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2010/11/12-reasons-to-ignore-the-naysayers-do-nanowrimo.html, which is worth reading. None of it will change attitudes overnight. Wish people would just let live. Back to Nano.
Way ta go Lisa. What happened to people simply doing what they do and leaving others to do the same without making them feel they don't match up to their standards. If you are a writer, you write, whether its NaNoWriMo or under the direction of a mainstream publisher - it's what we do!
And boy can I tell from this piece that you studied law!
Just took a look at the original article-don't read that - read the comments, those who told her where to get off were great! And she has over two hundred!
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