Words of encouragement

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Wayne K

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How's this?

I didn't know first person from third when I joined AW in December. I had an agent tell me this weekend that he loved my writing, loved my character and that he wanted to represent me. His agency has prize winning authors.

I'm a pretty smart cookie, and I've always felt like I could write, but most of the improvement in my writing I learned right here.

I'm also an idiot, but I can see this: If I can do it, so can any of you.

BTW, he thought my book was a novel, so I'm completely blown away by how much he liked the writing.
 

scarletpeaches

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I just want to post in this thread before it gets locked.

It's kind of a tradition here. A Dan Brown thread appears, I post in it, it gets locked.

And so it goes.
 
quickWit

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I had something for this...
Ah! Another bashing thread. Thank goodness! It's been, like 10 minutes or so without one somewhere. I was beginning to worry.
 

scarletpeaches

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Maxinquaye said:
Sorry. Just a bit annoyed.

Yet I have to read this crap.

Lock away.
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No, you don't.

Listen, I've read books I think were rubbish in my time as well. Why? I want to know what sells, and it wouldn't be fair of me to form an opinion on a book without having read it first.

I started The Lost Symbol weeks ago when it first came out, still haven't finished it. Interesting concept (the nature of God = high concept indeed) but it hasn't grabbed me enough to keep turning the pages.

But when it comes to books I think are rubbish? Well I try to learn something from them, even if it's "This is how I don't want to write." While it's true no-one knows whether a book's good or crap until they've read it, you can't say you 'have to' read anything. If you choose to, fair enough. But at the same time you could say "I didn't like Brown's other books, so I won't bother with this one."

(Which is exactly what I said, 'til I found out what it was actually about. He cites authors whose works I've read so the curiosity got to me. Once I opened the book, however, I wasn't gripped).
 
Maxinquaye

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Hmmm. I have a habit of speaking before thinking sometime, so I'm weighing whether I should just stop here while I'm not too far behind, but I wanted to adress this just quickly.

I do have to read it, because I have to review it. So I'll do as you suggest, and read it in that light. I'll go do that before my foot goes further down my throat...
 
Mara

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Wayne K said:
How's this?

I didn't know first person from third when I joined AW in December. I had an agent tell me this weekend that he loved my writing, loved my character and that he wanted to represent me. His agency has prize winning authors.

I'm a pretty smart cookie, and I've always felt like I could write, but most of the improvement in my writing I learned right here.

I'm also an idiot, but I can see this: If I can do it, so can any of you.

BTW, he thought my book was a novel, so I'm completely blown away by how much he liked the writing.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's freakin' awesome! Thanks for the encouragement, Wayne K! :D
 
DeleyanLee

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Maxinquaye said:
A few words of encouragement for you all.

Dan Brown is a published author.

(Throws book across the room!)
Click to expand...

Maxinquaye said:
If he can get published, so can anyone.
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Yep, and that's encouragement to me--if you can tell a damned good story in a comprehensive (if not "beautiful") level of writing, you can get published too. (Which is great, because my prose will always be serviceable/comprehensive, not "beautiful".)

If you can mix known/standard elements in a new and interesting way, you can get published too. Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time books are good inspirations for this also, btw. (Which is great, because I don't have to reinvent my genre.)

I realize that Brown isn't everyone's cuppa. No author is. However when I read one of these mega-hit books, what I'm looking for is what caused it to be so universal and if that's something I can apply in my own writing. Was it the fast-paced, easy-to-read style of words or something controversial or something that tugs on heartstrings? It might not be to my personal taste, but it was to the personal taste of a gazillion people willing to pay money for the book. And usually I can find something that can be applied to my own writing, that I can tweak more in my story or prose, and that give me a great deal of encouragement to press on.

It's all in how you look at it, I guess.
 
Claudia Gray

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quickWit said:
Ah! Another bashing thread. Thank goodness! It's been, like 10 minutes or so without one somewhere. I was beginning to worry.
Click to expand...

I think there has to be a new bashing thread every ten minutes in every forum, not just on the board, in order for us to meet quota.
 
Ken

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... not weighin' in on whether the author in question is worthy of contempt. Couldn't, as I haven't read any of his stuff. Did hear something about the Da Vinci Code, though, which gave me the impression it was blasphemous, involvin' our blessed Savior in some sort of shameful encounter or the like. I ain't religious, myself, but being that I very much respect religions, I'm glad to hear people dislike Brown, I have to say.
 
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Fredster

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You know what? I like Dan Brown books, and I ain't ashamed of it.

If that makes me a lesser class, so be it. :)
 
Amb the Creative

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Ken said:
... not weighin' in on whether the author in question is worthy of contempt. Couldn't, as I haven't read any of his stuff. Did hear something about the Da Vinci Code, though, which gave me the impression it was blasphemous, involvin' our blessed Savior in some sort of shameful encounter or the like. I ain't religious, myself, but being that I very much respect religions, I'm glad to hear people dislike Brown, I have to say.
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It's not blasphemous unless you think Jesus having sex with a woman he loved is blasphemous. I personally don't think it is.

I liked the idea behind The Da Vinci Code. Gave me idea for a book of my own...
 
Lady Ice

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Maxinquaye said:
A few words of encouragement for you all.

Dan Brown is a published author.

(Throws book across the room!)
Click to expand...

So you're saying that any crap can get published, lol?
 

scarletpeaches

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Ken said:
... not weighin' in on whether the author in question is worthy of contempt. Couldn't, as I haven't read any of his stuff. Did hear something about the Da Vinci Code, though, which gave me the impression it was blasphemous, involvin' our blessed Savior in some sort of shameful encounter or the like. I ain't religious, myself, but being that I very much respect religions, I'm glad to hear people dislike Brown, I have to say.
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Well, being a Christian myself - not that I'm going to expound, proselytize or preach here, but just putting it in context - I fully support Brown's right to write whatever the hell (no pun intended) he wishes.

(Or to lift the story straight from The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail and blame the 'research' on his wife).

Let's assume for argument's sake God and Jesus are real. I believe they are, but just sayin'...they're well able to take care of anyone who offends them, themselves.

Do I believe Jesus married and had children? No. If he did, the Bible (being as it is an account of what we need to know, not everything that Jesus did while on Earth) would mention it.

Do I think Dan Brown or anyone else can write whatever they please about Jesus? Yes.

Just as you have the right to call it blasphemous speculation, so to Brown has the right to call it entertainment.

/SP being serious off.

ETA: To be honest I don't feel right calling myself a Christian. I'd rather say 'believer'. Okay. Carry on.
 
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