Comments on: Write What You Like http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/ A mutual support group for SF/F Novelists Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:39:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Writing What You Like « The Adams Zone http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7816 Writing What You Like « The Adams Zone Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:29:43 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7816 [...] Butler talks about writing what you like on his blog: People get caught up in what’s selling, in what’s hot.  They try to write for the [...] [...] Butler talks about writing what you like on his blog: People get caught up in what’s selling, in what’s hot.  They try to write for the [...]

]]> By: Elias McClellan http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7740 Elias McClellan Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:34:10 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7740 Martin, I don't want to sound (read?) like a smuck (I've sold NOTHING yet) but I think your story will tell you which direction to go. I want to write SF and I have a couple of ideas but the stories I've written/completed are the ones that have grabbed me and won't let go. Right now, I'm about 50 pages from completing my 2nd, a crime novel. But my next story has already grabbed me and demands to be told. It's not SF but fantasy, so there you go. You have your plans but the muse/book/idea has it's own; the muse/book/idea usually wins. I hope my poor suggestions help in some way. Martin, I don’t want to sound (read?) like a smuck (I’ve sold NOTHING yet) but I think your story will tell you which direction to go. I want to write SF and I have a couple of ideas but the stories I’ve written/completed are the ones that have grabbed me and won’t let go. Right now, I’m about 50 pages from completing my 2nd, a crime novel.

But my next story has already grabbed me and demands to be told. It’s not SF but fantasy, so there you go. You have your plans but the muse/book/idea has it’s own; the muse/book/idea usually wins.

I hope my poor suggestions help in some way.

]]> By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7733 S.C. Butler Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:49:58 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7733 Ju - Alma's right. Sounds like you need a new agent. Remember, the agent works for you, not the other way around. Steve - Nice expansion of what I'm saying here on your blog. Follow your bliss! Elias - Walter Moseley is dead on. It is supposed to be fun. Martin - I actually like SF more than I like fantasy. But I find fantasy much easier to write. I don't think I have an answer to your question, though, because my current WIP is SF. Either way, I'm still writing what I like. Ju – Alma’s right. Sounds like you need a new agent. Remember, the agent works for you, not the other way around.

Steve – Nice expansion of what I’m saying here on your blog. Follow your bliss!

Elias – Walter Moseley is dead on. It is supposed to be fun.

Martin – I actually like SF more than I like fantasy. But I find fantasy much easier to write. I don’t think I have an answer to your question, though, because my current WIP is SF. Either way, I’m still writing what I like.

]]> By: Martin http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7731 Martin Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:15:08 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7731 Can you give me advice? I write and draw comics. The type of scripts I find easy and fun to write are stories involving absurd humor. But while I like reading that kind of stories, it's not what I love the most. That would be a kind of realistic slice-of-life stories -- a genre that I find really hard to write. So should I write stories I find easy and fun to write, or stories I love to read? Can you give me advice? I write and draw comics. The type of scripts I find easy and fun to write are stories involving absurd humor. But while I like reading that kind of stories, it’s not what I love the most. That would be a kind of realistic slice-of-life stories — a genre that I find really hard to write.

So should I write stories I find easy and fun to write, or stories I love to read?

]]> By: Elias McClellan http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7730 Elias McClellan Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:10:42 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7730 If I haven't already burdened you (I'm old and forgetful) allow me to intimate my epiphany. Since I was 15, I've talked and talked about writing. Oh I didn't actually write any thing. I was waiting until I had learned more (wasn't smart enough for that astro-science degree), read more, (really, I always intended to read the entire fantasy canon) etc, etc. I even began a couple of spy, thriller, and/ or detective amalgams because, 'hey that's easy stuff.' It was all tripe. Then I went to a reading/signing with Mr. Walter Mosley and he looked me right in the eye and said, "It's supposed to be fun." I completed my 1st novel, crime BTW, 6 months later. Now I'm finishing my second, the one I'll start collecting rejections on. It's not so dear to me as the 1st and I'm not so defensive of this work. From this site I've learned a lot about the brutal, SF/F genre. Some information confirmed suspicions about how hard it is to publish; I have a respectable stack of letters from SF/F magazine and others. Some was truly informative, such as the lack of promotion for SF/F. Most importantly though, the majority of writers here have demonstrated that a commitment to thoughtful, quality work is as important as that MIT degree in physics or a life-time spent reading other people's works. Thanks for the reminder Mr. Butler. If I haven’t already burdened you (I’m old and forgetful) allow me to intimate my epiphany. Since I was 15, I’ve talked and talked about writing. Oh I didn’t actually write any thing. I was waiting until I had learned more (wasn’t smart enough for that astro-science degree), read more, (really, I always intended to read the entire fantasy canon) etc, etc. I even began a couple of spy, thriller, and/ or detective amalgams because, ‘hey that’s easy stuff.’ It was all tripe.

Then I went to a reading/signing with Mr. Walter Mosley and he looked me right in the eye and said, “It’s supposed to be fun.”

I completed my 1st novel, crime BTW, 6 months later. Now I’m finishing my second, the one I’ll start collecting rejections on. It’s not so dear to me as the 1st and I’m not so defensive of this work.

From this site I’ve learned a lot about the brutal, SF/F genre. Some information confirmed suspicions about how hard it is to publish; I have a respectable stack of letters from SF/F magazine and others. Some was truly informative, such as the lack of promotion for SF/F. Most importantly though, the majority of writers here have demonstrated that a commitment to thoughtful, quality work is as important as that MIT degree in physics or a life-time spent reading other people’s works. Thanks for the reminder Mr. Butler.

]]> By: Alma Alexander http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7729 Alma Alexander Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:36:34 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7729 Ju: it sounds to me like you and your agent are not a great fit. If you want to write fantasy and she can only sell thrillers that's a kind of a major gap right there, and it might be time to seek a more fantasy-friendly agent for your work. Having an agent who is not interested in and committed to the stories that you want to tell is probably worse than having no agent at all. As for Sam's point - and Steve's concurring post - I can only say, AMEN. Ju: it sounds to me like you and your agent are not a great fit. If you want to write fantasy and she can only sell thrillers that’s a kind of a major gap right there, and it might be time to seek a more fantasy-friendly agent for your work. Having an agent who is not interested in and committed to the stories that you want to tell is probably worse than having no agent at all.

As for Sam’s point – and Steve’s concurring post – I can only say, AMEN.

]]> By: Steve Buchheit http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7728 Steve Buchheit Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:04:00 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7728 Follow your bliss, as J. Campbell used to say. Doing what you enjoy is also a way of instilling Quality (as defined by Persig) into your work. And if it never goes anywhere big, at least you enjoyed it while you were working on it. Follow your bliss, as J. Campbell used to say. Doing what you enjoy is also a way of instilling Quality (as defined by Persig) into your work.

And if it never goes anywhere big, at least you enjoyed it while you were working on it.

]]> By: Linkee-poo Follow Its Bliss « Genre Bender http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7727 Linkee-poo Follow Its Bliss « Genre Bender Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:56:27 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7727 [...] Butler holds forth on writing what you like. While the often given axiom is “write what you know” (which, just like the sound of one [...] [...] Butler holds forth on writing what you like. While the often given axiom is “write what you know” (which, just like the sound of one [...]

]]> By: Ju Honisch http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7726 Ju Honisch Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:21:46 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/12/15/write-what-you-like/#comment-7726 I agree with you. My agent always wants me to write thrillers or detective stories because she can sell those whereas she somehow seems to have a problem with selling fantasy. But I just can't get myself to do it. I think you have to love what you do to do it the best way possible. I agree with you. My agent always wants me to write thrillers or detective stories because she can sell those whereas she somehow seems to have a problem with selling fantasy.
But I just can’t get myself to do it. I think you have to love what you do to do it the best way possible.

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