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when reading someone else's work that has been published and you find yourself thinking, "Now how the hell did THAT get published???"
Writers all deal with rejection, and we have to get used to it. But sometimes I read stories that did get published and wonder what the heck the editors ever saw in the story that made them say, "Yeah, let's pick THAT thing out of the pile and put it in our publication."
I just read a short story in a small literary magazine. Nothing happened in the story. It had no plot, the characters are all exactly the same, and the "secret" that the characters don't discuss but that is supposedly the glue holding them together was just sort of ho-hum. Nothing that evoked any sort of emotion in the reader.
I suspect sometimes that it's sort of an "Emperor's New Clothes" situation--there's nothing to see, so the people making the choices figure it must be THEM who aren't seeing the obvious brilliance that MUST be there.
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 12-31-2011 at 07:43 AM..
I have young children so we read a lot of books for that age group and while most are cute, there is one that is just awful. The story is choppy and just poorly written in my opinion. I was just shaking my head after I read it for the first time and wondered if the person who decided to publish it was fired
I've also read some novels that were horrible. Over the summer a friend loaned me a book that she was was "really good." Yeah, not so much. The author (who is VERY well known and has had at least one novel made into a movie) was so repetative! He'd repeat the same word to describe the same thing sentence after sentence. It was quite boring and a stuggle to get through.
Rather than let it discourage me, I just tell myself that if these authors got their books published, then I certainly can!
I have young children so we read a lot of books for that age group and while most are cute, there is one that is just awful. The story is choppy and just poorly written in my opinion. I was just shaking my head after I read it for the first time and wondered if the person who decided to publish it was fired
I've also read some novels that were horrible. Over the summer a friend loaned me a book that she was was "really good." Yeah, not so much. The author (who is VERY well known and has had at least one novel made into a movie) was so repetative! He'd repeat the same word to describe the same thing sentence after sentence. It was quite boring and a stuggle to get through.
Rather than let it discourage me, I just tell myself that if these authors got their books published, then I certainly can!
That's a good attitude, which I think I will adopt today.
I don't have many plans for this holiday weekend (going out to dinner with my 83-year-old mother tomorrow is the highlight of my New Year), so I planned to do as much writing as I can. I've been working on a novel for a long time, and I do short stories, too, especially when I get "stuck" on the novel.
I'd just read that story that I referred to in my OP and it just sort of sunk my heart for a few minutes.
I wonder sometimes if it's because I'm older. There seems to be a style of writing popular amongst the younger, advanced-college-degree crowd of writers right now. No real story, a lot of word salad, snapshots in time rather than plots and character development. Often the characters are tired repeats of the wealthy, self-centered types common in 1980's pop culture. Maybe these young, overeducated writers are discovering for the first time what many of us have known for decades.
No real story, a lot of word salad, snapshots in time rather than plots and character development. Often the characters are tired repeats of the wealthy, self-centered types common in 1980's pop culture. Maybe these young, overeducated writers are discovering for the first time what many of us have known for decades.
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I agree with sirron. The phrase "word salad" is a great way to describe some of the published content found in the public domain these days.
One tendency I find with the editorial board of some literary journas is to be blinded by their theme for the month. Relying on an author who has been published before as a "go to" for filler pieces just to fill space is another issue. Unfortunately, it appears to be becoming more prevalent where boards are also going to the opposite extreme and just putting in content from a new author just because he/she is "new."
I think I get more discouraged when I read a novel that's really good, because I start thinking, "Wow, I could never even come close to that. Why am I even trying?" When I see something really bad that managed to be published, I actually have hope.
]I think I get more discouraged when I read a novel that's really good, because I start thinking, "Wow, I could never even come close to that. Why am I even trying?"[/b] When I see something really bad that managed to be published, I actually have hope.
Ha, I do think that way, too. I finally pulled Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True off the shelf last week and have been reading it at bedtime. It's one of those discouraging types.
Ha, I do think that way, too. I finally pulled Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True off the shelf last week and have been reading it at bedtime. It's one of those discouraging types.
I've been reading Anna Karenina for...well...what seems like six months, and during my flights over Christmas I read Catcher In The Rye for the first time, so needless to say I've had trouble writing lately.
I've been reading Anna Karenina for...well...what seems like six months, and during my flights over Christmas I read Catcher In The Rye for the first time, so needless to say I've had trouble writing lately.
You know, I hated Catcher in the Rye when I had to read it in high school.
Then my daughter had to read it in high school and she absolutely LOVED the book. My memory of the story is pretty hazy--I just remember hating to have to read it.
Maybe with the perspective of age I would enjoy it now and should give it another shot. I found it horribly depressing, but then I was a depressed teenager and maybe it was just too much.
when reading someone else's work that has been published and you find yourself thinking, "Now how the hell did THAT get published???"
Writers all deal with rejection, and we have to get used to it. But sometimes I read stories that did get published and wonder what the heck the editors ever saw in the story that made them say, "Yeah, let's pick THAT thing out of the pile and put it in our publication."
I just read a short story in a small literary magazine. Nothing happened in the story. It had no plot, the characters are all exactly the same, and the "secret" that the characters don't discuss but that is supposedly the glue holding them together was just sort of ho-hum. Nothing that evoked any sort of emotion in the reader.
I suspect sometimes that it's sort of an "Emperor's New Clothes" situation--there's nothing to see, so the people making the choices figure it must be THEM who aren't seeing the obvious brilliance that MUST be there.
One major observation. In a perfect world, great writing would be instantly recognized while crap would hit the wastebasket.
But the thing one must realize, in any pursuit in life, that only persistence is omnipotent. Plenty of writers received bushels of rejection slips before hitting it big.
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