Livejournal and Writing
Mar. 3rd, 2008 04:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jasonandrewSince I have time between my jobs, I decided I'm going to continue my full court press on making it as a full time writer.
Yes, I've made my living as a technical writer for the last ten years, but I'm talking about fiction. That's a whole separate game, on a different planet, in a galaxy far, far away.
One of the wonderful advantages of livejournal is that you can read the words of respectable agents and editors such as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
arcaedia, nephele, or oldcharliebrown. Of course, the downside is that these people can read your livejournal and if you make an ass out of yourself, you can find that people don't want to work with you.
I imagine that this is a strange time to try to break in as a writer. Several folks have been reminding the rest of us that a poor image on-line can kill a career. Or kill a reader's interest in you. Thinking about it, there are two writers that have killed any interest I have in them due to their livejournals.
The first writer is very famous. I was a long time fan of the first writer because I loved her short fiction and enjoyed her novels. After reading her livejournal, I suddenly found myself completely losing interest in her work due to her constant complaining. Is that fair?
The second writer isn’t famous outside of fandom. He’s known by writers and editors but he hasn’t had his big break. He gets involved in every possible flame war in HWA, SWFA, and every other board I’ve ever been in. I mostly agree with his positions, but not the way he goes about defending them. Normally, as soon as I see his name attached to a thread, I drop the thread. When I see him engage in the latest round of cripple-kicking, I begin to wonder if that hasn’t held him back.
I need to remind myself to avoid complaining and avoid the need to always be right and fluff my ego. That’s always good advice.
Yes, I've made my living as a technical writer for the last ten years, but I'm talking about fiction. That's a whole separate game, on a different planet, in a galaxy far, far away.
One of the wonderful advantages of livejournal is that you can read the words of respectable agents and editors such as
arcaedia, nephele, or oldcharliebrown. Of course, the downside is that these people can read your livejournal and if you make an ass out of yourself, you can find that people don't want to work with you.I imagine that this is a strange time to try to break in as a writer. Several folks have been reminding the rest of us that a poor image on-line can kill a career. Or kill a reader's interest in you. Thinking about it, there are two writers that have killed any interest I have in them due to their livejournals.
The first writer is very famous. I was a long time fan of the first writer because I loved her short fiction and enjoyed her novels. After reading her livejournal, I suddenly found myself completely losing interest in her work due to her constant complaining. Is that fair?
The second writer isn’t famous outside of fandom. He’s known by writers and editors but he hasn’t had his big break. He gets involved in every possible flame war in HWA, SWFA, and every other board I’ve ever been in. I mostly agree with his positions, but not the way he goes about defending them. Normally, as soon as I see his name attached to a thread, I drop the thread. When I see him engage in the latest round of cripple-kicking, I begin to wonder if that hasn’t held him back.
I need to remind myself to avoid complaining and avoid the need to always be right and fluff my ego. That’s always good advice.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-17 02:07 am (UTC)So I suppose it's a win-win for me as far as LJ is concerned. Either they aren't losing much but my respect for them as a human being (and I personally hate many artists whose art I adore) or they gain me as a reader. ANd I have to read
Were those the two you were talking about? Or is that just my own bias?