Respecting The Fellow Author

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brainstorm77

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Well I look like a dog's bum with a hat on it, so I'm hoping my genius riting style will overcum the publik's desire for beautifulnessosity. :D

Hardly from your avatar :)
 

Ken

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...just between us, "some" of the published and highly-successful author bashing probably stems from jealousy ;-)
 

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I assume we're talking about the King/Meyer thread? If it came down to talking about the way either of them looks, then, yeah, that seems out-of-bounds.

I'm sick to the teeth of my singers having to all be hotties, but if that wave swallows the writers too, I fear for who'll be left standing -- and what we'll have left to read.

Nicole Ritchie - Aaaaaaaggggggghhhhhh!
 
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Yes you are, but I love the way you think. I can't wait to read something you've written.

thethinker42 reads my stuff all the time. Do you want to turn out like her? I think not.

Oh, honey! You should hear me in meatspace. I've got this string of invective that's been known to make burly male truckers swoon.

We must meet up sometime and go all Tourette's on each other.

Not talking about the writing being judged people... Talking about the author themselves!

I can't remember that ever happening in all seriousness on AW.

However, judging someone on their looks is what we do all the time in real life. We might think quietly, "She's nice looking," or, "Why doesn't he have a bath and a shave?" or "That shirt doesn't suit him," or "What does she look like with all that makeup on?"

Momentary flashes, maybe, but opinions they still are. Why should authors be any different?

I look at Stephenie Meyer for instance and think she's beautiful. (Could stand to lose a few, but her author photos are generally neck up). Really. I think she's an extremely good looking woman.

Still can't write for shit though.

Now. If I said, "Stephenie Meyer is ugly, therefore she's a bad writer," well that would make no sense at all.

However, if I alternatively said, "Stephenie Meyer is beautiful; that must mean she's a good writer," that would make no sense either.

One's writing talent (or lack thereof) does not depend on physical appearance.

However - we all judge books by their covers. When it comes to people I mean. Like it or not, deny it all you want, but we do. Someone's appearance is the first thing we see. Not their personality.

Who bashes authors' looks? If looks counted, Stephen King wouldn't be a millionaire. But Adrienne Kress would. And SP too, of course.

I would be a bajillionaire! :D

ignoring the rest of the thread and dancing the Meposian dance of joy!!

Just for that...I stay.
 
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...just between us, "some" of the published and highly-successful author bashing probably stems from jealousy ;-)

Just between us...that's a popular - and wrong - idea.

I don't begrudge anyone their success if they deserve it.

If it was down to jealousy, ALL published authors would be dissed on this site.

They're not. So your argument doesn't hold water.
 

firedrake

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Scarlett is right, we all make snap judgements on how people look, it's human nature.

As for author-bashing, you put a book "out there" it's fair game for praise or criticism. I have a list of authors as long as yer arm that I loathe and, for the life of me, I can't understand how their words ever managed to appear in print but that could be the little green-eyed monster in me coming out. It does my nut when I see books written in a way that assume that readers have no imagination and, therefore have to be spoonfed EVERYTHING, so I will rip the author because they've done everything I've been taught not to do.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense, not at full function...too early in morning.
 

Ken

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Just between us...that's a popular - and wrong - idea.

I don't begrudge anyone their success if they deserve it.

If it was down to jealousy, ALL published authors would be dissed on this site.

They're not. So your argument doesn't hold water.

...clearly not in your own case, but in some others' I believe it does. Jealousy is, after all, a pretty common foible.
 

Ken

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...well if I have disrespected you, Scarlett, let's just attribute it to jealousy ;-)
You're a smart cookie, though can be trying at times, especially when you're making a well argued and valid point that clashes with mine ;-)
 

StevenJ

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I just can't get jealous of successful authors - I seem to lack the competitive edge of real writers, so I'm probably doomed to failure. :D

A friend of mine from a writer's forum recently got a 3-book deal from an offshoot of Harper Collins. She was interviewed by Midlands tv the other day, and watching the clip, I was so happy for her success that I felt like crying. :D :D

But then, I always was a twit - feel free to put the boot into my soppiness, lack of ambition, and general idiocy, folks. :D :D
 

donroc

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At least buy my books, and then I will not mind what I am called unless name is misspelled.

I always liked Lion Feuchtwangers critique of Hitler's book. "There are 365,000 words in Mein Kampf, and 365,000 offenses against German style and grammar."
 
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I just can't get jealous of successful authors - I seem to lack the competitive edge of real writers, so I'm probably doomed to failure. :D

A friend of mine from a writer's forum recently got a 3-book deal from an offshoot of Harper Collins. She was interviewed by Midlands tv the other day, and watching the clip, I was so happy for her success that I felt like crying. :D:D

But then, I always was a twit - feel free to put the boot into my soppiness, lack of ambition, and general idiocy, folks. :D:D

Nah. You're Welsh. It'd be like kicking a puppy.

I like more of a challenge.
 

brainstorm77

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I just can't get jealous of successful authors - I seem to lack the competitive edge of real writers, so I'm probably doomed to failure. :D

A friend of mine from a writer's forum recently got a 3-book deal from an offshoot of Harper Collins. She was interviewed by Midlands tv the other day, and watching the clip, I was so happy for her success that I felt like crying. :D :D

But then, I always was a twit - feel free to put the boot into my soppiness, lack of ambition, and general idiocy, folks. :D :D

I would be thrilled if a writer friend of mind found that success too! :)
 

NeuroFizz

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Just like in science, peer review is an important and necessary part of the writing business. But that review should be on the work, not on the person. A particularly pointed negative review of an author's writing is NOT necessarily an attack on the writer as a person, but rather on that writer's written work. There is a huge difference, and it's a line that is usually pretty easy to spot.

This is not a touchy-feely business, and it shouldn't be because we are asking the public to spend their hard-earned money on what we produce. We should all be pushed or pulled toward excellence, even if we are kicking and screaming the whole time. We should also realize that excellence can be subjective in such a creative activity, so differences of opinion on an individual writer's accomplishments will be part of the game.
 
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Whoops.

I'm carrying on a conversation begun on MSN.

Steve and I have an understanding. I mock his Welshness, he continues to believe I'm fabulous.

(For the record, I have nothing against the Welsh. In fact, I have a crush on Michael Sheen, so that proves it:D).
 

cray

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Just like in science, peer review is an important and necessary part of the writing business. But that review should be on the work, not on the person. A particularly pointed negative review of an author's writing is NOT necessarily an attack on the writer as a person, but rather on that writer's written work. There is a huge difference, and it's a line that is usually pretty easy to spot.

This is not a touchy-feely business, and it shouldn't be because we are asking the public to spend their hard-earned money on what we produce. We should all be pushed or pulled toward excellence, even if we are kicking and screaming the whole time. We should also realize that excellence can be subjective in such a creative activity, so differences of opinion on an individual writer's accomplishments will be part of the game.


...and in some cases, an afro is the icing on the cake of an already good post.
 

rhymegirl

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Well I look like a dog's bum with a hat on it, so I'm hoping my genius riting style will overcum the publik's desire for beautifulnessosity. :D

A dog's bum with a hat on it. That made me laugh out loud. I already like your writing style.
 

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Whoops.

I'm carrying on a conversation begun on MSN.

Steve and I have an understanding. I mock his Welshness, he continues to believe I'm fabulous.

(For the record, I have nothing against the Welsh. In fact, I have a crush on Michael Sheen, so that proves it:D).
Crap. I wanted a new dog to kick. I guess it won't be a Corgi. ;)
 

NeuroFizz

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There is more soul
in a fro
than in the deepest
reflections of an
irradiant eye
(lined or not)
 
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