tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post4100087946176267575..comments2023-09-29T05:32:04.308-07:00Comments on StrangePegs: The Religion of Writing: The Final DogmaAndrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-88722821526592750822013-09-02T17:28:10.739-07:002013-09-02T17:28:10.739-07:00Elizabeth: Hey, at least it's just lobes you&#...Elizabeth: Hey, at least it's just lobes you're getting advice from. There are worse places to have it pouring in from.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-75789340329420866882013-09-02T16:31:54.749-07:002013-09-02T16:31:54.749-07:00So much of figuring out how to write has involved ...So much of figuring out how to write has involved working on the problem of what works for me while simultaneously trying to ignore the multitudes of advice pouring from every lobe of the internet. <br /><br />Because the internet has lobes.Elizabeth Twisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133959633383307056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-26540558124047353272013-08-29T12:30:50.916-07:002013-08-29T12:30:50.916-07:00Briane: You know, that's probably what's w...Briane: You know, that's probably what's wrong with a lot of the indie market: authors want their hobby to suddenly make them rich, so they don't put in the actual work that it takes to make what they're doing move from a hobby to a career. But that's just a guess. I do know that a lot of people (more than 80%, according to surveys) believe that they could just spew out a book and get right. If, you know, they took the time to write that book down on (virtual) paper.<br /><br />As for the minimum wage question: well, I do think it needs to be higher, especially after reading Nickel and Dimed. I'm not sure that you need to set varying minimums; the markets that want to attract higher skilled workers (of whatever type) will offer higher wages to attract those people.<br />Theoretically.<br /><br />I think I have become less dogmatic with age. I mean, I know that back when I was 18 I thought I had a lot more of the answers. I suppose I'm travelling backwards along the spectrum.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-5984426626232747472013-08-29T12:13:58.759-07:002013-08-29T12:13:58.759-07:00I read this last night, but couldn't comment b...I read this last night, but couldn't comment because Mr Bunches had one laptop (watching "Operation: The Movie" while he played "Operation" (the game) and Mr F had the other laptop (watching "Baby Einstein: Baby Noah") and I hate commenting in a lengthy manner on my Kindle.<br /><br />Anyhow: As usual, you've made me think in a bunch of different directions at once.<br /><br />I am one of those people who doesn't care much for writing tips or suggestions or demarcations about whether you are a writer or not or how you should write. I subscribe to Andrew's Gospel Of Editing because I think it's necessary, but as to how/when/why I write or what I write, for that matter, I have little patience for most tips or suggestions, as they make writing more work than I want it to be.<br /><br />Of course, I'm a hobbyist not doing this for a living, so I can and should keep it fun. If I were to decide to make my living writing, I might make it more formal, and less fun, than it is now. As it is, I make my job as fun as it can be, but I am there 40-55 hours per week, on the weekends, too, wearing a tie (almost) every day and showing up early, staying late, being professional, because that's what you do when you want to make a living at something.<br /><br />So if I decided to make writing a career, I'd probably get an office and have regular hours that I tried to write and have set goals of so many pages per day, and would try to make my writing more commercial, etc. I'd make it a job, in other words. That's no different than anyone else. If you look at people who make it really big, they tend to treat their art as a career. Take football players: they practice all the time, study film in their off hours, lift weights, work on skills in the offseason, etc. They're playing a game, for a living. You don't need to do that if you just want to play football with your friends, for fun. You can, but you don't need to do it.<br /><br />So if you write for fun, write for fun. If you want to make a living, be serious about it and treat it like any other job. Serious people do not, I think, tend to write only for 1 hour per night while watching "Gilligan's Island" reruns. For every story about James Joyce writing in a tablet on his bed, people need to remember that writing, and publishing, is a business. Yes, there are filmmakeres, rock stars, actors, writers, who make it big through unorthodox methods, but there are hundreds more who make it big through steady, hard working professionalism. I'd take the surer route if I wanted to make a career at writing.<br /><br />(Which I do but it's too risky for me to undertake now, which is why it's just a hobby for me.)<br /><br />As for thinking I've got the world figured out, I think I'm more open-minded and less dogmatic than most. I have a habit that I try to follow: everytime I hear a new idea, or a proposal, I try INSTANTLY to think what a great idea that is. That is intended to keep me from rejecting ideas out-of-hand, and if you can do that, you'll find you're less rigid in your beliefs. <br /><br />As an example: my partner came in one day and said "I suppose you'll defend to me this idea that the minimum wage should be increased to $15 per hour." <br /><br />I would, probably, tend to say that, but instead, I thought: "What if it's a great idea not to do that," and then gave him a nuanced, reasoned answer that noted that not all minimum-wage workers are the same, and that not all industries are the same, and that perhaps instead of a uniform minimum wage law, we could set wages by age, industry, and location, or allow greater experimentation among the states to see what works best.<br /><br />I think I surprised him. I know I surprised me, because until he asked me that, I'd have probably agreed with his claim that I would think simply raising the minimum wage is a good idea.<br /><br />But it's taken me 44 years, and a lot of hard lessons, to absorb all of the foregoing.Brianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616494058636881575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-56835981975513734052013-08-29T10:49:52.778-07:002013-08-29T10:49:52.778-07:00Pk: Yeah, if there was, we wouldn't have both ...Pk: Yeah, if there was, we wouldn't have both King and Rowling.<br /><br />ABftS: But, wait! If I make rules that say only I am a real writer, does that mean everyone else has to quit selling their books? That could work!<br /><br />MP: Well, I've heard whispered stories of it.<br /><br />Rusty: Yeah, it's always good to be able to blame biology, then we don't have a choice in the matter which makes us free of responsibility.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-48875038734575718402013-08-29T10:35:47.337-07:002013-08-29T10:35:47.337-07:00My gut agrees with you. I think the argument that ...My gut agrees with you. I think the argument that the neuroscientist was making is that it's biological. Which I suppose explains why it is interesting. But if what he said is true in the general sense, I'd wager that there are numerous examples that contradict his conclusions. Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-21722844124659850282013-08-29T09:59:37.638-07:002013-08-29T09:59:37.638-07:00Are you telling me that there are writers out ther...Are you telling me that there are writers out there who don't drink coffee!Missed Periodshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10343265071637032284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-1816569706563348452013-08-28T19:55:31.415-07:002013-08-28T19:55:31.415-07:00According to that quiz I'm "a passionate ...According to that quiz I'm "a passionate lover that requires a lot of attention in the bedroom."<br /><br />...I think I may have taken the wrong quiz.<br /><br />Really, though, if you need a quiz to tell you you're a writer, then you're not a writer. And the thought that certain 'rules' make you more of a writer than someone else is just ridiculous.<br /><br />Excellent post, and very well said.A Beer for the Showerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17029139745335325356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-72982123498147132632013-08-28T19:26:14.273-07:002013-08-28T19:26:14.273-07:00Yep this applies to most things in life. It's ...Yep this applies to most things in life. It's up to us as individually minded people to research for ourselves and educate ourselves, then apply what we've learned to form our own processes. There's no tried and true way to be successful at writing, that's for dang sure!!PK HREZOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650153097981426833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-1149906709161664212013-08-28T14:42:03.308-07:002013-08-28T14:42:03.308-07:00TAS: You know, I think part of the issue is that, ...TAS: You know, I think part of the issue is that, culturally, we kind of do think we know everything. Or are so close to it that the gap doesn't matter. People, in general, don't seem to realize that every piece of information that science gathers opens up whole new worlds of questions.<br /><br />L.G.: Well, yeah, being able to shrug things off is important. The problem is that (and Scalzi actually says this, too, somewhere in his post), very often, new writers don't know enough, yet, to know what to shrug off, so they come in and see a "pro" saying "this is HOW to do it" and think that's the truth.<br /><br />Maurice: Oh, we're supposed to enjoy that? Kidding! Kidding!<br />And things are much less enjoyable when we're trying to follow someone else's prescribed method for something which happens to be wrong for us.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-83246750906315782652013-08-28T14:26:42.441-07:002013-08-28T14:26:42.441-07:00Great points Andrew. What's the point of writi...Great points Andrew. What's the point of writing if you can't enjoy living?Maurice Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15338165486757095191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-21509381142078198472013-08-28T13:49:02.354-07:002013-08-28T13:49:02.354-07:00I always have a bad reaction to people who preach ...I always have a bad reaction to people who preach the "you must outline" or the "write a fast first draft" dogma. I can do neither well. And yet I've still managed to finish multiple novels. <br /><br />But, you know, people who find a path to success sometimes think they are being helpful by telling others that they can do it that way too, since it worked for them. It's probably best to learn to shrug things off that don't apply. :)Luanne G. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15762881276976395955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-40503845655416031982013-08-28T11:52:04.028-07:002013-08-28T11:52:04.028-07:00One of my great life epiphanies came from living a...One of my great life epiphanies came from living abroad: there's only so much I'll ever be able to understand about the world around me and that's a good thing. Knowing you don't and can't know everything is extremely liberating.<br /><br />As a teacher, I have the tremendous privilege of working around creative people every day. Teaching is a very different art form from writing but I think it's fair to say that there is no perfect way to teach. If you're comfortable in your own skin and you follow principles that resonate with yourself, your colleagues and your students, great things happen. What works for me, does not work for my teaching partner, does not work for my buddy down the hall. The students benefit from the differences.<br /><br />We, as consumers of art, benefit from the different approaches successful creators employ.The Armchair Squidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13509001761075530940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-66938119816889028872013-08-28T10:50:55.500-07:002013-08-28T10:50:55.500-07:00Jean: Well, I've never been published in journ...Jean: Well, I've never been published in journals even though I love Moby Dick.<br /><br />Going into school, I had a below average dogma score, which was good. I never took the outgoing test, though. I'm not sure they were still doing it when I graduated. My biggest point of dogma has almost always been not being dogmatic. heh<br /><br />Anne: I didn't know that about Agatha. That's not something I think I'm ever going to want to take up.<br /><br />Misha: Offering ideas is so very different from telling someone how it must be.<br /><br />Rusty: I think, though, it only happens because people, overall, quit "exercising" their brains by taking in new info and asking new questions. I mean, maybe that change happens because we quit asking the questions rather than the other way around.<br /><br />Alex: Right. You can say "here's what I did" but not "here's what you need to do."<br /><br />JKIR,F!: Yeah, I've always found it sad that so many people are just content to be sheep.<br /><br />Tina: I looked at the quiz, yes. It was ridiculous. I scored "better" than Scalzi but not by much.<br /><br />David: Wait, writing can be profitable? Why didn't anyone tell me that before?<br /><br />Lee: Oh, I don't like comfort zones much. Which is not to say that I don't like mine, but I don't like the idea of them. Fortunately, I married a woman that is always challenging my comfort zones. hehAndrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-3928197905712564432013-08-28T07:48:01.198-07:002013-08-28T07:48:01.198-07:00I'll have to check out the quiz. From the que...I'll have to check out the quiz. From the question samples you offer I'll probably come out as a pro writer except for the making money thing, and to to me that's the only criteria that makes a writer a professional.<br /><br />I think you are right in your conclusion. We all need to go through the basic training--the kind you get in K-12 school--then after that we make our own rules. If working by our rules works then those rules are right for us. If they don't work, then we might want to start taking other advice and making up new rules. We need to find our own comfort zones.<br /><br />Lee<br /><a href="http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out</a><br />Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-62770665586608238832013-08-28T05:54:09.852-07:002013-08-28T05:54:09.852-07:00Some people think work can't be fun, can't...Some people think work can't be fun, can't be enjoyed. Which undoubtedly there are some jobs that probably can't be enjoyed - cleaning a sewer for example. But I see no reason why writing can't be both fun and profitable. I think the best writing is a creative process and for me, I can't really be creative when I'm feeling stressed or deprived or feel like I'm having to sacrifice something I really enjoy doing in order to write.David Oliverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04260130060172457192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-89879821016694750882013-08-28T05:29:17.494-07:002013-08-28T05:29:17.494-07:00To thine own self be true. Not that I remember wh...To thine own self be true. Not that I remember who said that, but the idea that there is ONE way to be a successful writer, and that success can be measured in HOW we do it rather than in WHAT we've done is just ridiculous.<br />Did you take the quiz?<br />Tina @ <a href="http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Life is Good</a>Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08925730745204736744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-49145623690195739912013-08-28T05:25:19.622-07:002013-08-28T05:25:19.622-07:00This is great advice for anything in life. You hav...This is great advice for anything in life. You have to find your own unique way of doing things, not imitate someone else. I think people get so stuck sometimes trying to be followers that they never find their own individuality.Just Keepin It Real, Folks!https://www.blogger.com/profile/02691470259291755580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-27198558900629265212013-08-28T04:24:29.995-07:002013-08-28T04:24:29.995-07:00One person's process would totally derail some...One person's process would totally derail someone else. You're right you can judge by process because we all do it differently. We can offer what we did to be successful, but that might not work for others.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-1025981724288847642013-08-28T04:21:53.363-07:002013-08-28T04:21:53.363-07:00The 'I've-got-it-figured-out' thing ha...The 'I've-got-it-figured-out' thing happens as we age. To almost everyone. It was described on a podcast I listened to as a transistion from learning mode to exploitive mode in our brain - an actual change in our brain where it becomes less open to taking in new info and instead takes already accumulated knowledge and uses it to conquer our corner of the world. <br /><br />Of course, it's a spectrum, but for most of us it gets harder to admit we don't know things that matter as we age. <br /><br />Great post. Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-77428529034076487252013-08-28T01:40:03.892-07:002013-08-28T01:40:03.892-07:00So true. I like writing advice based on stuff I...So true. I like writing advice based on stuff I'd learnt while writing, but my intention is always to offer someone a possibility of something that might help. <br /><br />Always thought it was beyond presumptuous to assume that the only right way to write is the way you're using.Misha Gerrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-79948705026085459392013-08-28T01:18:58.492-07:002013-08-28T01:18:58.492-07:00What a silly idea that quiz. Hemingway, Hugo and A...What a silly idea that quiz. Hemingway, Hugo and Agatha Christie wrote in the nude to keep them from getting distracted. And since they are giants in the industry it must therefor follow that if you ain't writing naked, you ain't no writer:)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01681799401614263953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-58553817281856242422013-08-28T00:18:50.263-07:002013-08-28T00:18:50.263-07:00Love this post (and had never heard of John, thank...Love this post (and had never heard of John, thanks).<br /><br />This one struck a better deep nerve with me, because when I was in college -- I felt like an English fraud. I hated Melville. I hadn't read all the classic books everyone had, I hadn't been published in journals... I felt like a joke in the English department.<br /><br />But, then I felt. And I took the nights I spent out with friends or times travelling or my tendency to people watch and started writing about it--and meeting bloggers like you who do similar things. I feel less like a fraud. And I constantly remind myself that there isn't just ONE way to write -- those snooty kids were jerks. They can read Moby Dick while I try and get my stuff published and meet fellow writers who support each other, and not tear each other down. <br /><br />Andrew, this was a great lesson. I'm sure the author who created the quiz meant no harm (hopefully), but was very shortsighted.<br /><br />How do you think you did on that dogma quiz? :)N/Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820833129046528089noreply@blogger.com