The book no one I know will ever read.

icerose said:

I just finished a very dark crime thriller. My Bloody Diary. The character came to me with her twisted little story and sarcastic mannerism. She's witty, funny, and deeply disturbed. Very much a psychopath. And yet she's my protagonist.

You can see a glimpse of her voice in my sigline.

I set in knowing no one I personally know would ever read it. I have family who think I need to write about skipping prancing ponies. You would think that my soul sucking house that ate my MC's family members novel at the age of twelve would make them realize I'm not a light and happy writer, but they are persistant.

I received many countless lectures over this one. They're going to have heartattacks when I write the sequel but it got me thinking. How important is it to other writers that people they know read and appreciate what they write?

Apparently it's not high on my list because I've never written anything I've really loved that even remotely appealed to any of them.

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skipping prancing ponies? Nothing wrong with that, as long as they think of nothing but murder all day.

sounds pretty good to me

Not important at all that people I know will read what I write. In fact, I prefer that they don't.

Well, if we didn't have different tastes there wouldn't be menus, right? So what if those near and dear wouldn't care for it? The market clearly supports that sort of fiction, and so do I. It literally sounds like a line from something I'd buy, or already on my shelves.

I hear you about the prancing ponies writing. One woman in my critique group used to joke, "[realname], don't you ever write about anything that ends well, or has anybody happy in it?" Uh, no. What fun would that be?

Maryn, who writes sex and murder, often together

If you don't write to please yourself, then your writing will come out soulless.

That said, there is a difference between pleasing yourself and being self-indulgent. Just because you want give us five pages of description doesn't mean readers will want to read it (ahem, Scott Lynch, AHEM.)

I kinda know that feeling, no one around me has time or the care to read what I write... it would be the same if I burned it. But the important thing is that you wrote it, it's a part of your essence and not prancing ponies...

No way I want people who think they know me reading my stuff...until after it's published--let 'em pay. TG my mother is dead.

icerose - I have to tell you, for the first time ever I was faced with the people who were most important to me not liking something I'd written and it hurt like heck. My parents have always championed me, have always adored my writing while being honest in their feedback at the same time. They accepted dark themes, weird sense of humour, really anything, they usually loved it.

Then, the summer before last, I sent them the first 20 000 words of my latest MS and they didn't like it. It hurt so much. I became obsessed with talking with them about it, and needing to prove to them that it was good. I didn't quit writing it. I just kept going, but it was so hard knowing my biggest fans, and biggest help (they are my alpha beta readers) didn't love it. When I gave them the final copy, they helped me edit it like usual, and a wonderful thing happened. I managed to make my dad like it by the end. Not love it, I doubt he ever will, but actually kind of like it and it was a huge coup for me.

Had he not, though, I still would have submitted it to my agent and everything. I wasn't about to not write this story, nor not seek its publication. But it was really a huge test for me, and I'm glad I finished despite their opinion.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes the people we respect and care about aren't going to love our work, and you have to decide that it's still worth having created it. Others will like what you've written, and maybe they will come around to at least respecting it. But we have to be true to ourselves. It's the only way.

icerose said:

How important is it to other writers that people they know read and appreciate what they write?

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If it mattered a whole heck of a lot, I wouldn't be published today. I'd have never written the book in my sig line, because it contains elements that some people I know (mostly family members) wouldn't like and would question me about including. But I also have very conservative family members who are very open about not supporting what I write. Oh well.

I write first for myself, and then think about the broader audience appeal. I don't write about prancing rainbow ponies, I write about darkness, violence, and survival. I also write about hope, love, and forgiveness. You can't have hope without darkness, and you can't have love without hate.

There are people, friends, in my life who've read my book and loved it, and I'm so grateful for that. After all, not every stranger who reads it is going to love it, so I can't possibly expect every person I know who reads it to love it. If they do, that's just icing.

Funny, I was just thinking about that today. I have a big family, and when Demon Heart is released, I will send out a massive e-mail and I'm pretty sure that most of them will buy DH. Will they actually read it? I dunno. It's kinda weird to think of my 60 yr old uncle, sitting around reading my paranormal/time-travel romance. Especially the spicy love scenes.

My family thinks vampires are evil. I have a multi-part series.

I write dark tales (horror, but not gore fests) and a family member said, "You're too pretty to have such dark things in your head". Another relative told me she would never, ever read anything I write. I have a few other relatives I can't imagine ever reading my stuff and I'm okay with that. I didn't choose to write about dark things; they are just what comes out of the word machine in my head.

Family always want the book for free, so F 'em.

What Wayne said.

Plus, I can't stand what remains of my family anyway. I know for a fact my aunt-by-marriage would read my books because she likes the genre, so great. She'd approve, but tell me if there were parts she didn't like.

As for my (step)dad, I can't ever stop him buying a copy but if he does, I never, ever want him to tell.

But really it doesn't mean a thing whether they like my books or not. I'm not writing for them. I'm writing for me, and people who like my books. Of course I want to improve with each one but familial approval doesn't mean Jack shit because I've never had it.

icerose said:

How important is it to other writers that people they know read and appreciate what they write?

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I want my wife to love my work. Nobody else matters.

Cyia said:

My family thinks vampires are evil. I have a multi-part series.

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My parents can't understand why I'd have demons in a story I describe as science fantasy. Then again, they can't understand why I'd write science fantasy in the first place, as opposed to writing down their stories or researching their family history.

1. Their stories mean nothing to me, because they're not my stories.
2. I don't give a single little fucking shit about their family's history.
3. They're not really demons; my characters just don't know what else to call 'em.

I let my dad read my first two books but I wouldn't allow him to read The Toast Bitches. I told him not to buy it. In my mind, it's too erotic (although the first two had sex scenes) and it crossed the line of what I want my dad to see. He's an avid reader and I'm sure he's seen it all, but from his daughter? He'll probably buy it and read it, but leave his comments to himself. I hope he respects my wishes, though...

Many of my office colleagues have bought my first two books, but I was hesitant to promote the third to them, since many scenes were 'borrowed' from real life and some characters were inspired by friends, with their permission.

However, since the setting is a similar industry to the one I work in, co-workers might get the wrong idea and think some of those wild erotic scenes actually happened. They might think the hot editor with a penchant for BDSM might really exist.

One colleague borrowed my girlfriend's copy and sat down beside me with a wicked grin on her face. She said, "I was reading your book and when I got to the part with ___'s legs in the air in the limo, I thought, 'Hey, that's me!'"

Fortunately, it seems she won't sue me. When I sell a copy to a co-worker, I tell them first, "Listen, I have to give you my standard disclaimer: THIS IS FICTION!"

I'm definitely sending Dad a copy of my latest WIP. It's much tamer.

Chumplet said:

I let my dad read my first two books but I wouldn't allow him to read The Toast Bitches. I told him not to buy it. In my mind, it's too erotic (although the first two had sex scenes) and it crossed the line of what I want my dad to see. He's an avid reader and I'm sure he's seen it all, but from his daughter? He'll probably buy it and read it, but leave his comments to himself. I hope he respects my wishes, though...

Many of my office colleagues have bought my first two books, but I was hesitant to promote the third to them, since many scenes were 'borrowed' from real life and some characters were inspired by friends, with their permission.

However, since the setting is a similar industry to the one I work in, co-workers might get the wrong idea and think some of those wild erotic scenes actually happened. They might think the hot editor with a penchant for BDSM might really exist.

One colleague borrowed my girlfriend's copy and sat down beside me with a wicked grin on her face. She said, "I was reading your book and when I got to the part with ___'s legs in the air in the limo, I thought, 'Hey, that's me!'"

Fortunately, it seems she won't sue me. When I sell a copy to a co-worker, I tell them first, "Listen, I have to give you my standard disclaimer: THIS IS FICTION!"

I'm definitely sending Dad a copy of my latest WIP. It's much tamer.

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Are they hiring?

When I used to write, I needed people's approval. But after I got into a huge fight with my best friend/sole reader, I wrote on my own for a while, and I realized I liked what I wrote by myself. I find I love giving it to people who will have discussions with me about the plots or characters, but I usually don't let them read it till its polished.

I like having it all to myself in those beginning stages. That way it's my baby and I can mould it into what I want it to be.

After that, anybody can read it. And if they don't like it, not my problem.

I know there are friends, family and acquaintances who won't care for my work. They aren't my target audience, so I don't feel too bad about that.

One person told me today, "You know, it's not the sort of thing I usually read, but I'll probably buy it anyway and put it on my shelf just to support you." I can deal with that.

Mr. Anonymous said:

Just because you want give us five pages of description doesn't mean readers will want to read it (ahem, Scott Lynch, AHEM.)

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I never heard of anybody named Scott Lynch, but I assume you mention him because his novel(s) is(are), ahem, published, AHEM. And maybe even, ahem, popular, AHEM.

Which means, ahem, that SOMEBODY seems to want to read them.

AHEM.

caw