Thanks for sharing that. It's very interesting as I've read a number of her books and she has always been very engaged with her readers, seemed to be doing everything they advise authors to do to succeed, and has been a role model for other authors. So for her to pull out of writing because of the blowback and negativity is quite telling in terms of where things are at on social media. But social media didn't exist in the past, so maybe getting off social media and carrying on is the way to go. The only thing you used to need to worry about was negative reviews from reviewers, but good word of mouth could override that. Imho a shame for her to give up her writing and let destructive and irresponsible people ruin her career.
Hi Paul: Took my wife Robin to see this tonight ... Monday is our 24th anniversary ... she wanted to see it ... she dug it ... and if she's happy, I'm a happy man. Bill Patalon III
Scalzi has clearly spent a lot of time thinking through these questions and his post is clear-headed and smart. It also makes it seem like it's genuinely challenging navigating the relationships between author and readers.
...the everyone having a microphone thing is so real...the amount of content that are just nesting dolls...content inside of content inside of content...we are losing our art and empathy on the battle to be noticed...
Interesting. Social media is certainly a double-edged sword. It has probably contributed greatly to the success of her books but has also sapped the joy out of writing. Sad and ironic.
I think she pretty much speaks for most of us whose writing is personal. I've had two things in the past year stop me from writing more books - fewer sales, and fewer truly-interested, intelligent, comments.
I made the mistake on medium of joining one of those share-each-other's-posts groups, and suddenly, the comments I used to get - in-depth, thoughtful, kind - disappeared like magic, and were replaced with either one-word entries in the comment section (I won't give them the dignity of calling them comments) and maybe one clap, if any, as opposed to 50 for each post. And the quality of readers declined drastically. I've had to block and delete more people than I ever thought I'd have to.
Ever since the internet came to be, I have said I think it is the last stage before real telepathy - remove the machine, and we have the same dynamic - ppl communicating over distances without necessarily being with or seeing each other.
So to prepare for the possibility of us being telepathic, we have to remember that not everyone will have nice thoughts, and we will be inundated with both nice and nasty ones. Whether they come from online comments or in-our-head voices, what's the diff?
So we need to develop thicker skins and not be so offended by people's comments, and we need to learn how to discern what thoughts we want to allow into our minds, and which ones we block out. To stop writing because of backlash would be a shame.
Your last paragraph says it all Angela - "So we need to develop thicker skins and not be so offended by people's comments, and we need to learn how to discern what thoughts we want to allow into our minds, and which ones we block out. To stop writing because of backlash would be a shame".
We should all learn from this. We decide how to feel, and what to get upset about. The fact that others are intentionally cruel is on them. Great comment!
Thanks!The key phrase, of course, being "I decide." If WE don't decide how we think, feel, and act, someone else will do it for us - and we won't like it!
Thanks for sharing that. It's very interesting as I've read a number of her books and she has always been very engaged with her readers, seemed to be doing everything they advise authors to do to succeed, and has been a role model for other authors. So for her to pull out of writing because of the blowback and negativity is quite telling in terms of where things are at on social media. But social media didn't exist in the past, so maybe getting off social media and carrying on is the way to go. The only thing you used to need to worry about was negative reviews from reviewers, but good word of mouth could override that. Imho a shame for her to give up her writing and let destructive and irresponsible people ruin her career.
Great comment Ellen. Thank you.
Hi Paul: Took my wife Robin to see this tonight ... Monday is our 24th anniversary ... she wanted to see it ... she dug it ... and if she's happy, I'm a happy man. Bill Patalon III
Happy wife…
Happy Life ..
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you, Paul!
If writing were as easy as a decision to quit, most of us would have stopped years ago. Even as a billionaire, I wouldn't be able to stop writing!
It is a passion. Thanks for commenting, Kathy!
It's interesting to read this after having just read (successful SF author) John Scalzi's post about why fans shouldn't idolize writers: https://whatever.scalzi.com/2024/08/15/please-dont-idolize-me-or-anyone-really/
Scalzi has clearly spent a lot of time thinking through these questions and his post is clear-headed and smart. It also makes it seem like it's genuinely challenging navigating the relationships between author and readers.
Thanks for the link Nick - will check it out!
...the everyone having a microphone thing is so real...the amount of content that are just nesting dolls...content inside of content inside of content...we are losing our art and empathy on the battle to be noticed...
...sure. So how can we rise above and away from the masses? Make incredible content?
...always brother...
Interesting. Social media is certainly a double-edged sword. It has probably contributed greatly to the success of her books but has also sapped the joy out of writing. Sad and ironic.
Well said, Jim!
I think she pretty much speaks for most of us whose writing is personal. I've had two things in the past year stop me from writing more books - fewer sales, and fewer truly-interested, intelligent, comments.
I made the mistake on medium of joining one of those share-each-other's-posts groups, and suddenly, the comments I used to get - in-depth, thoughtful, kind - disappeared like magic, and were replaced with either one-word entries in the comment section (I won't give them the dignity of calling them comments) and maybe one clap, if any, as opposed to 50 for each post. And the quality of readers declined drastically. I've had to block and delete more people than I ever thought I'd have to.
Ever since the internet came to be, I have said I think it is the last stage before real telepathy - remove the machine, and we have the same dynamic - ppl communicating over distances without necessarily being with or seeing each other.
So to prepare for the possibility of us being telepathic, we have to remember that not everyone will have nice thoughts, and we will be inundated with both nice and nasty ones. Whether they come from online comments or in-our-head voices, what's the diff?
So we need to develop thicker skins and not be so offended by people's comments, and we need to learn how to discern what thoughts we want to allow into our minds, and which ones we block out. To stop writing because of backlash would be a shame.
Your last paragraph says it all Angela - "So we need to develop thicker skins and not be so offended by people's comments, and we need to learn how to discern what thoughts we want to allow into our minds, and which ones we block out. To stop writing because of backlash would be a shame".
We should all learn from this. We decide how to feel, and what to get upset about. The fact that others are intentionally cruel is on them. Great comment!
Thanks!The key phrase, of course, being "I decide." If WE don't decide how we think, feel, and act, someone else will do it for us - and we won't like it!
Everything important is ALL inside us, all the time. Aloha!