The Wrong Agenda
Hi all,
I've been watching 'The Write Agenda All-Star Slo-Mo Car Crash' for a while now. The thing that bugs me most of all (aside from their distasteful nastiness directed at specific individuals), is that they prey on the inexperience and un-worldlywiseness of people like me.
*stands up and takes deep breath*
My name is Grace Philp and I am an unpublished writer.
I also like the word 'fuck'.
I am in a position more fortunate than some as I came across Jane Smith's excellent blog first and from there, I found Absolute Write. I have been hugging the Water Cooler ever since.
I have been known to sit for hours in the evenings reading entire 5 year long threads from start to finish, just to get the whole picture. I'm like that.
It was as a result of reading Jane's blog that I decided to have a look at The Wrong Agenda, (sorry but I can't bring myself to use their proper name lest this post spring up in a Google search thus giving the fucktards, or indeed cockwaffles, more publicity).
Absolute Write Water Cooler promotes discussion and any opinion that adds to the discussion is more than welcome.
The 'Wrong' Agenda promotes opinion as long as that opinion matches theirs. Any disagreement with the official position is greeted with a hate-spewing essay filled with the kind of logic that determins that (to paraphrase one of my favourite movies) if a person weighs the same as duck, they're made of wood and therefore a witch.
So I call upon all writers like me: If you think that the publishing world is a minefield, you aint seen nothing yet. 'Writer's Advice' sites are many. Some are not interested in your development as an artist, they only care that your credit card payment clears and that your cheques don't bounce. And I must add, If one cheque clears, rest assured they will soon ask you for another. Others are, in my opinion, a poor excuse for displaying a manifesto for 'The Nasty Fucking Cockwaffle Party'
Then there are the true gems such as this one. And if you're reading this you've made a good start. Take a look around. You'll see a whole range of diffent opinions. Sometimes the debates get heated. This is a good thing. Frank, open discussion is a good thing because under all the bluster the mantra remains 'respect the writer'.
We have to do our diligence people! Whether it is for an agent, publisher or even a writing community on-line. There is no excuse for lack of research.
A little more and then I'll stop, I promise.
If, like me, you are an unpublished writer, there may be two reasons for that.
1) You have yet to write anything that is good enough to be published. (I, for example am about to start re-writes on my first novel. Right now, It aint good enough to be published. It needs work. I have to do the work to make it publishable. It aint gonna happen any other way.
2) You sent the wrong piece of work to the wrong agent or publisher at the wrong time. The answer to that is to do your diligence. Who is taking what, when and how? You have to find this out.
Agents are not out to get us, nor are publishers. They will all look at work that is worthy of their attention, regardless of whether it has been sent to them by Stephen King or Joe Nobody. But we have to make it worthy first.
I've probably gone off on a tangent with some of this and I apologise in advance. But to conclude, I will say this: Any person or organisation who promotes the burning of books should be barred from having access to the written word. In any form. I think that they should all sit in 'the quiet corner' and look at picture books until such time as they can be re-introduced to written words at a level and pace that they are able to understand.
I usually post as Jupiter but on this occassion, and on this issue in particular I'll sign off using my real, legal name.
Grace Philp.
Thanks for bearing with me. I apologise for the lengthy post.