pmmg
Myth Weaver
So... a friend, relative, fan, stranger, asks you, 'so is your writing any good?' What do you say?
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What do you say?
- Thread starter pmmg
- Start date
FifthView
Vala
No.
Orc Knight
Auror
Middling at best.
Both pages are phenomenal. 
Malik
Auror
I've had this question. My answer is always "Yes."
And if they press, I tell them I was eligible for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction and Fantasy, I'm agented out of New York, and a couple of years ago, a fan asked me to sign her boobs. That usually gets them to buy a book.
And if they press, I tell them I was eligible for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction and Fantasy, I'm agented out of New York, and a couple of years ago, a fan asked me to sign her boobs. That usually gets them to buy a book.
I say, "Well, we have three books in print that were a hell of a lot of fun to write. If Urban Fantasy is your thing, why not give them a try?"
Better than middling.
- Thread starter
- #9
pmmg
Myth Weaver
I think some of you are being flippant, I would be shocked to discover that Fifth is not a very good writer. Same for Devor and Orc.
With all the effort you put into learning this craft, don't you think you write better than most? And if I was to approach you and say do you write well, and you say 'no', do you think that will help sell your book?
For myself, I know I write well, and will say so if asked. That is not the same as, 'I think my book would be a good fit for you,' but shouldn't have a little deserved pride at what we are good at?
I think if I was asked this question, I would answer, I think I am a pretty good writer. I see a lot of writing, and I find my style and voice is much different from most I encounter, I work very hard at it, and would like it to be appreciated. I hope the work I put in is meaningful and exciting the reader.
I've not signed any boobs, but if anyone wants their boobs signed....
With all the effort you put into learning this craft, don't you think you write better than most? And if I was to approach you and say do you write well, and you say 'no', do you think that will help sell your book?
For myself, I know I write well, and will say so if asked. That is not the same as, 'I think my book would be a good fit for you,' but shouldn't have a little deserved pride at what we are good at?
I think if I was asked this question, I would answer, I think I am a pretty good writer. I see a lot of writing, and I find my style and voice is much different from most I encounter, I work very hard at it, and would like it to be appreciated. I hope the work I put in is meaningful and exciting the reader.
I've not signed any boobs, but if anyone wants their boobs signed....
We're flippant because a lot of us are American, and to be otherwise would be bragging. Of course I think I'm good. My team is one of the best out there. But I can't say that. It had to be couched in modesty.
Finchbearer
Istar
I feel like it’s subjective - I recently read Virginia Woolf’s A Room of one’s Own - it’s an extended essay on women writers of fiction, and a well known piece of classic literature, but I found it such a drag to get through, and it’s not that long.
In other words, even if you’re a successful published author, it’s probably still a hard question to answer because everyone has different tastes, so is your writing any good if the grammar is all correct and everything is in its right place if the reader doesn’t enjoy the style or the plot? If a tree falls in a wood…
In other words, even if you’re a successful published author, it’s probably still a hard question to answer because everyone has different tastes, so is your writing any good if the grammar is all correct and everything is in its right place if the reader doesn’t enjoy the style or the plot? If a tree falls in a wood…
Mad Swede
Auror
Answering a question like that is terribly un-Swedish, it's seen almost as arrogant, so if you must answer then you should say no.
However, I'm old enough to not worry too much about what others say or think, so my answer is yes. After all, I am traditionally published and I have three novels and a collection of short stories in print, all of which have earnt out their advance (yes, even the latest book has now earnt out). So I must be a reasonably good writer - within my genre. No, I'll never win a major literary prize, but then that isn't why I write.
I don't quite know how I'd react if someone asked me to sign her boobs.
However, I'm old enough to not worry too much about what others say or think, so my answer is yes. After all, I am traditionally published and I have three novels and a collection of short stories in print, all of which have earnt out their advance (yes, even the latest book has now earnt out). So I must be a reasonably good writer - within my genre. No, I'll never win a major literary prize, but then that isn't why I write.
I don't quite know how I'd react if someone asked me to sign her boobs.
FifthView
Vala
Should I instead say, "Somewhere between Jim Theis and Samuel Delany"?
Ah, there is that. I'm a bad self-promoter. But I'm not sure the one-to-one, in-person ad campaign is best, and I tend to avoid crowds anyway.
I was being a little flippant, and actually I'd probably shrug my shoulders and say something like, "Eh...I think I'm okay."
Sometimes though I really do feel "No" to be accurate, and if I'm in a mood...
CreatureHollow
Dreamer
Well I certainly enjoyed something about it, granted how long it loomed over me would've made me insane otherwise.
Does it function as a story? Yes. It does what it's supposed to do as part of the medium.
Is it good? You tell me, I don't know your tastes. Something being good and something being enjoyable are not the same thing. Me telling you how much I enjoyed working on it has no weight to it's quality really, that's something you'll have to get back to me on.
Does it function as a story? Yes. It does what it's supposed to do as part of the medium.
Is it good? You tell me, I don't know your tastes. Something being good and something being enjoyable are not the same thing. Me telling you how much I enjoyed working on it has no weight to it's quality really, that's something you'll have to get back to me on.
Okay, serious answer...... is my writing good?
Yeah, it is. On every page I write I'm trying to make people go "Wow!" and pretty often I succeed. My writing is good because I'm always pushing those limits, and because I'm aware of my audience even as I write. When I was younger I used to play D&D in chatrooms on the web, and we'd do it like we were writing a novel together. So I learned to write while having that audience of four or so players reading my words live, knowing that if I was boring they could always leave or stop coming back. And you could sense their energy, or lack of it, coming off the game in real time. It's write to impress. That's what I learned to do. And I keep that with me even now.
Yeah, it is. On every page I write I'm trying to make people go "Wow!" and pretty often I succeed. My writing is good because I'm always pushing those limits, and because I'm aware of my audience even as I write. When I was younger I used to play D&D in chatrooms on the web, and we'd do it like we were writing a novel together. So I learned to write while having that audience of four or so players reading my words live, knowing that if I was boring they could always leave or stop coming back. And you could sense their energy, or lack of it, coming off the game in real time. It's write to impress. That's what I learned to do. And I keep that with me even now.
If I'm putting it out in the world I stand by the quality of the work. That being said, I don't hype my writing in real life. If someone picks up my work I want them to be pleasantly surprised without preconceptions. As for being a good or bad self-promoter, I'm firmly nestled in the latter camp.
FifthView
Vala
Then there's the vast difference between what I am writing and how it'll look after X edits, rewrites, blood, sweat and tears.
"Is your writing any good?
"No, but my editing is god tier."
"Is your writing any good?
"No, but my editing is god tier."
It's important to be positive e here but also to understand the question.
They may be asking, should I bother? Yes of course. Otherwise I'm saying my work isn't worth their time. If I really think that, I'm not a writer.
But they're likely also asking if they would enjoy it. That's a brief conversation, unless I already know their tastes. The what's it about question is a close kin.
If you have honors, mention them, even if it's just to say the book has a 4.2 rating.
And if you aren't yet published say so. You're working on your first novel. Working on your story craft.
In general, don't be flip. It's false modesty combined with insecurity. That doesn't win readers.
If the inquirer were, say, a young kid, they'd deserve a proper answer, right? So do the grown-ups.
They may be asking, should I bother? Yes of course. Otherwise I'm saying my work isn't worth their time. If I really think that, I'm not a writer.
But they're likely also asking if they would enjoy it. That's a brief conversation, unless I already know their tastes. The what's it about question is a close kin.
If you have honors, mention them, even if it's just to say the book has a 4.2 rating.
And if you aren't yet published say so. You're working on your first novel. Working on your story craft.
In general, don't be flip. It's false modesty combined with insecurity. That doesn't win readers.
If the inquirer were, say, a young kid, they'd deserve a proper answer, right? So do the grown-ups.
BearBear
Archmage
I like it