writing is hard

[Rotsab M. Hyolf]

I_Write_Ivre

Rotsab M. Hyolf

I_Write_Ivre

Rotsab M. Hyolf

I'm glad to hear they're an ex-friend. That sounds like a nightmare. Did you call the cops on them?

Couldn't.

Ouch, why not?

It technically wouldn't have qualified as a crime, just trolling.

I'm almost positive it's against the law to release personal information about another person without their express consent.

[I_Write_Ivre]

Rotsab M. Hyolf

I_Write_Ivre

Rotsab M. Hyolf

I_Write_Ivre

Rotsab M. Hyolf

I'm glad to hear they're an ex-friend. That sounds like a nightmare. Did you call the cops on them?

Couldn't.

Ouch, why not?

It technically wouldn't have qualified as a crime, just trolling.

I'm almost positive it's against the law to release personal information about another person without their express consent.

It depends on the personal information and how it's given out (hard to prove she e-mailed an address, especially with google these days).

[Cogent Dream]

Rotsab M. Hyolf

Pfft, writing isn't hard. Professional, full-armoured modern day jousting is hard. Going to war is hard. Working in a factory is hard.

I don't know why people get caught up in the concept of writing being hard. Maybe because you're more vulnerable? -Shrug- Seems silly to give all this weight to an activity that can't physically do anything to you. If you write a bad poem/story/article/whatever, you learn from it and move on. If you make a bad call rock climbing, you fall to your death.

As far as pseudonyms and pretending to be someone else goes; that seems a little silly. It's very presumptuous to assume everyone you know is not only going to ready our work, but also associate it immediately with you. It takes a fair deal to do something so outrageously unique that no one can help but associate the work with you.

That said, I use a pseudonym. Not because I'm afraid of people I know reading my stuff (I wish they would, frankly) but because my given name is ridiculously common and thus very forgettable.

Same reason why I use a pen name lol. Seems more credible than my real name.

I agree though, the only reason I can think of that explains why people get caught up with writing being hard is that they have never tried hard enough, in which case they either don't enjoy it or life is going to slap them in the face really hard when it's time to become independent.

[Rotsab M. Hyolf]

I_Write_Ivre

It depends on the personal information and how it's given out (hard to prove she e-mailed an address, especially with google these days).

Damn, I'm really sorry to hear that. That was really low of her.

Cogent Dream

Same reason why I use a pen name lol. Seems more credible than my real name.

I agree though, the only reason I can think of that explains why people get caught up with writing being hard is that they have never tried hard enough, in which case they either don't enjoy it or life is going to slap them in the face really hard when it's time to become independent.

Haha, you know Stephen King used a penname when he thought he was being rejected on the basis of a 'weird' name? He didn't get much success under the penname, either. xD

Yeah, pretty much. I can understand writing being hard if you're making it amazing, but the process of writing in and of itself -- of pressing a series of keys on your keyboard -- is not hard. It goes back to the whole 'writer's block' and 'manning up,' so on and so forth.

[Cogent Dream]

Rotsab M. Hyolf

I_Write_Ivre

It depends on the personal information and how it's given out (hard to prove she e-mailed an address, especially with google these days).

Damn, I'm really sorry to hear that. That was really low of her.

Cogent Dream

Same reason why I use a pen name lol. Seems more credible than my real name.

I agree though, the only reason I can think of that explains why people get caught up with writing being hard is that they have never tried hard enough, in which case they either don't enjoy it or life is going to slap them in the face really hard when it's time to become independent.

Haha, you know Stephen King used a penname when he thought he was being rejected on the basis of a 'weird' name? He didn't get much success under the penname, either. xD

Yeah, pretty much. I can understand writing being hard if you're making it amazing, but the process of writing in and of itself -- of pressing a series of keys on your keyboard -- is not hard. It goes back to the whole 'writer's block' and 'manning up,' so on and so forth.

Wow I wonder how much of a part your name plays. I never really gave it much thought before.

[Rotsab M. Hyolf]

Cogent Dream

Wow I wonder how much of a part your name plays. I never really gave it much thought before.

To be honest, I doubt it plays a huge part. I'm not sure editors look too hard at someone's name before looking at the query (and piece). I know that in the case of at least one magazine they remove the query and forward it to themselves on their own account, so they have absolutely no bias whatsoever.

That said, if you want people to read your stuff and then look you up, a credible name or, alternatively, a less common one are both very good ideas. The people who wrote the Warriors series used the penname Erin Hunt so they could be beside Brian Jacques in bookstores and libraries, which is an incredible amount of forethought, as well.

[Cogent Dream]

Rotsab M. Hyolf

Cogent Dream

Wow I wonder how much of a part your name plays. I never really gave it much thought before.

To be honest, I doubt it plays a huge part. I'm not sure editors look too hard at someone's name before looking at the query (and piece). I know that in the case of at least one magazine they remove the query and forward it to themselves on their own account, so they have absolutely no bias whatsoever.

That said, if you want people to read your stuff and then look you up, a credible name or, alternatively, a less common one are both very good ideas. The people who wrote the Warriors series used the penname Erin Hunt so they could be beside Brian Jacques in bookstores and libraries, which is an incredible amount of forethought, as well.

Whoa choosing a name so you can be beside another book! THAT'S CRAZY FORETHOUGHT.

But yeah, I'm just surprised Stephen King felt as if his name was hurting his chances so I wondered if there was a bit of bias after all. What if you had an Asian last name or something? I think that might hit your credibility a little. If you think about it, most writers in a genre tend to have names that fall into a specific ethnicity.

[Kita-Ysabell]

Cogent Dream

Whoa choosing a name so you can be beside another book! THAT'S CRAZY FORETHOUGHT.

But yeah, I'm just surprised Stephen King felt as if his name was hurting his chances so I wondered if there was a bit of bias after all. What if you had an Asian last name or something? I think that might hit your credibility a little. If you think about it, most writers in a genre tend to have names that fall into a specific ethnicity.

I think that publishers and agents usually decide whether an author should publish under an alteration of their name or a different name altogether. I have an online alias, but a pen name? That's not a decision I'm even going to try to make.

Choosing a name to sit next to someone else on the library shelf? Foresight, yeah, but it's also a kind of surrender: by making that choice, you're admitting that you're trying to crib off their success, and that you think you'll never be good enough to stand on your own.

REACH FOR THE STARS, PEOPLE, NOT THE CEILING LAMP.

And as for ethnicity/race, I was seriously surprised to find that a guy with an unpronounceable name like "China Miéville" (is it, like, China the country, or, like, Chee-na?) was some white dude born in Norwich, England. Who names their kid China? Can't say it influenced my opinion of his work or my decision to read it, though.

[Moral Gutpunch]

Kita-Ysabell

And as for ethnicity/race, I was seriously surprised to find that a guy with an unpronounceable name like "China Miéville" (is it, like, China the country, or, like, Chee-na?) was some white dude born in Norwich, England. Who names their kid China? Can't say it influenced my opinion of his work or my decision to read it, though.

It took me years to remember the names of my favorite authors. Names are only important if you want to change yours if you feel too threatened about people knowing your real name.

[Fireweed_honey]

Kita-Ysabell

REACH FOR THE STARS, PEOPLE, NOT THE CEILING LAMP.
.

I'm putting that up in my writing den.

[Cogent Dream]

Kita-Ysabell

Cogent Dream

Whoa choosing a name so you can be beside another book! THAT'S CRAZY FORETHOUGHT.

But yeah, I'm just surprised Stephen King felt as if his name was hurting his chances so I wondered if there was a bit of bias after all. What if you had an Asian last name or something? I think that might hit your credibility a little. If you think about it, most writers in a genre tend to have names that fall into a specific ethnicity.

I think that publishers and agents usually decide whether an author should publish under an alteration of their name or a different name altogether. I have an online alias, but a pen name? That's not a decision I'm even going to try to make.

Choosing a name to sit next to someone else on the library shelf? Foresight, yeah, but it's also a kind of surrender: by making that choice, you're admitting that you're trying to crib off their success, and that you think you'll never be good enough to stand on your own.

REACH FOR THE STARS, PEOPLE, NOT THE CEILING LAMP.

And as for ethnicity/race, I was seriously surprised to find that a guy with an unpronounceable name like "China Miéville" (is it, like, China the country, or, like, Chee-na?) was some white dude born in Norwich, England. Who names their kid China? Can't say it influenced my opinion of his work or my decision to read it, though.

That's interesting too, I hadn't considered that the publisher might have some say in what name you'd be published under. Personally, I think it'd be cool to have my book next to one of my favourite authors, not to mooch off their success but almost like a bit of homage for all the inspiration and enjoyment they've given me over my life.

That's an interesting name you found there though. It would be interesting if you could remember whether it influenced your opinion of the book in any way (even just a first impression). I haven't seen a weird name before so I've never really had a strange first impression based on the author's name.

[Firlodge_3]

Yeah, writing a book, barring disabilities, is not that hard. No, it really isn't. Writer's block? You can ramble on for ages about the exact shade of everyone's eyes, hair, skin and so on. Can't imagine what a character looks like? Well, we do have four other senses.

Can't decide on a plot? Random generators are out there, for lots of things.

Random.org's list generator can help you decide on modes of inheritance.

So, yeah, it isn't at all hard to write a book. Writing a good or even decent book though... yeah, that's a different kettle of fish, entirely.



As for the author discussion, I wouldn't know. | ignore the author's name until I've read the book. I then take note of it and it will fall into one of two categories, either 'Euch, stay away from them' or else, 'Awesome, must find more books by this person'.