I'm thoughtful today
Oct. 14th, 2004 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swatkatI wanted to write that post about archetypes in characterisation that has been eating my brain since, like, forever, but I ended up doing this instead.
I wanted to post this on the FFMB, but I'm not sure if I will – I don't know the OP and I wouldn't want to get into an argument with her (as well as another poster who agrees with her) and scare her off the board. The difference between an 'author' and a 'writer', well - when I was a kid (think really young, about 7 or 8 years old), I used to think 'author' was just a very nice way of saying 'writer', because the word sounds so much more impressive than a mere 'writer'; I always wrote 'author' in my answers and thought I was so smart because all my friends wrote 'writer'. And call me naive, but that's the impression I still have, that 'writer' and 'author' are two ways of saying the same thing. You know, pot-a-to, pot-a-to.
There is that age-old debate: does a person become an author only when he/she is published, and all amateur/non-published folks are actually just mere writers? Is writing fanfiction somehow less than original fiction? And is fanfiction just a stepping stone for published glory, and anyone else who doesn't *have* that intention in mind while writing their fics somehow lesser than those who do hope to be published authors one day? I've seen this debated to no end everywhere – fun debates, some flamewars, even (and people picking up their toys and leaving in a huff) – but none of it really holds any meaning for me, because to me, these questions themselves are quite pointless.
First, I don't think there's any differnece *at all* between a writer and an author, no matter what one says, so the idea that someone becomes an L337 Author (tm) only when they are published is, well, bullshit. Getting published is a great thing; I congratulate anyone who does get published, and my best wishes for anyone who hopes to become published one day. That said, just being published doesn't mean a thing – it took James Joyce *nine* years to find a publisher for Dubliners; Anne Rice gets published without an editor. As far as I'm concerned, even the teenie Mary Sue authors over at ff.net are Authors, even if they write very bad stories.
I don't understand why writing fanfiction should be something lower than writing origfic. So we're playing with someone else's chatacters – so what? Does this mean that fanfic authors can somehow get away by being less creative? What about the folks who spend days 'fixing' a plothole because TPTB couldn't be bothered doing it? And those who create elaborate alternate universes that are actually better than TPTB's half-baked plotlines? *None* of Shakespeare's plots *or* characters were his own – and he's still the greatest Author ever (note: not comparing. Just making a point).
And finally, the thing about fanfiction being the stepping stone to published glory: I'm sure there are people who do their fic writing with this in mind, but I think it is quite unfair to generalise anyone who *doesn't* have the intention to become a published author as someone who's not serious about their writing. There *are* people who don't want to get published: writing may just be a hobby – but someone writing as a hobby may not necessarily be any less serious than someone who wants to become a pro. An uncle of mine is an amateur wildlife photographer: I can't begin to tell you the amount of pains he undergoes to hone his skills and become a better photographer. And people do acknowledge this. Why should writing, writing *anything* at all, be different? A professor of mine writes mind-blowing essays. You know, the kind of essays that could easily find their place in a critical collection alongside all the Bradleys and Knights (dear God, when I grow up, can I write just like her?); and yet, when you ask her if she ever wishes to publish them, she will just shrug and say,"What for? I wrote it for you guys – I'm happy if you can put it to good use". And it's not like she doesn't work hard for them, it's not that she doesn't want praise – everyone wants praise, whether they admit it or not – just because getting published does not fall in her priority list doesn't make her, or anyone else like her, a lesser author. Not according to my standards, anyway.
Wow. That was long. And rant-like. *sheepish grin*
On a lighter note, I'm not one to make fun of people's appearances – but could Anne Rice look any more like Umbridge?
ETA:Keep the snark down, please. This isn't locked. *g*
I wanted to post this on the FFMB, but I'm not sure if I will – I don't know the OP and I wouldn't want to get into an argument with her (as well as another poster who agrees with her) and scare her off the board. The difference between an 'author' and a 'writer', well - when I was a kid (think really young, about 7 or 8 years old), I used to think 'author' was just a very nice way of saying 'writer', because the word sounds so much more impressive than a mere 'writer'; I always wrote 'author' in my answers and thought I was so smart because all my friends wrote 'writer'. And call me naive, but that's the impression I still have, that 'writer' and 'author' are two ways of saying the same thing. You know, pot-a-to, pot-a-to.
There is that age-old debate: does a person become an author only when he/she is published, and all amateur/non-published folks are actually just mere writers? Is writing fanfiction somehow less than original fiction? And is fanfiction just a stepping stone for published glory, and anyone else who doesn't *have* that intention in mind while writing their fics somehow lesser than those who do hope to be published authors one day? I've seen this debated to no end everywhere – fun debates, some flamewars, even (and people picking up their toys and leaving in a huff) – but none of it really holds any meaning for me, because to me, these questions themselves are quite pointless.
First, I don't think there's any differnece *at all* between a writer and an author, no matter what one says, so the idea that someone becomes an L337 Author (tm) only when they are published is, well, bullshit. Getting published is a great thing; I congratulate anyone who does get published, and my best wishes for anyone who hopes to become published one day. That said, just being published doesn't mean a thing – it took James Joyce *nine* years to find a publisher for Dubliners; Anne Rice gets published without an editor. As far as I'm concerned, even the teenie Mary Sue authors over at ff.net are Authors, even if they write very bad stories.
I don't understand why writing fanfiction should be something lower than writing origfic. So we're playing with someone else's chatacters – so what? Does this mean that fanfic authors can somehow get away by being less creative? What about the folks who spend days 'fixing' a plothole because TPTB couldn't be bothered doing it? And those who create elaborate alternate universes that are actually better than TPTB's half-baked plotlines? *None* of Shakespeare's plots *or* characters were his own – and he's still the greatest Author ever (note: not comparing. Just making a point).
And finally, the thing about fanfiction being the stepping stone to published glory: I'm sure there are people who do their fic writing with this in mind, but I think it is quite unfair to generalise anyone who *doesn't* have the intention to become a published author as someone who's not serious about their writing. There *are* people who don't want to get published: writing may just be a hobby – but someone writing as a hobby may not necessarily be any less serious than someone who wants to become a pro. An uncle of mine is an amateur wildlife photographer: I can't begin to tell you the amount of pains he undergoes to hone his skills and become a better photographer. And people do acknowledge this. Why should writing, writing *anything* at all, be different? A professor of mine writes mind-blowing essays. You know, the kind of essays that could easily find their place in a critical collection alongside all the Bradleys and Knights (dear God, when I grow up, can I write just like her?); and yet, when you ask her if she ever wishes to publish them, she will just shrug and say,"What for? I wrote it for you guys – I'm happy if you can put it to good use". And it's not like she doesn't work hard for them, it's not that she doesn't want praise – everyone wants praise, whether they admit it or not – just because getting published does not fall in her priority list doesn't make her, or anyone else like her, a lesser author. Not according to my standards, anyway.
Wow. That was long. And rant-like. *sheepish grin*
On a lighter note, I'm not one to make fun of people's appearances – but could Anne Rice look any more like Umbridge?
ETA:Keep the snark down, please. This isn't locked. *g*
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no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 01:51 pm (UTC)