We had a guy come to writer's group awhile back, who after he left, Linda said: "He won't be back."
"Why do you say that?"
"He's interested in "literature."
"Oh."
See, I don't think that way. Books are books. Writing is writing. It so happens that I Want and Like writing genre fiction. Frankly, the best practitioners of genre fiction are every bit as good as the so called "literary" writers. Most of those "literary" writers pretty much bore me.
Now if you switch the conversation to "commercial" versus writing for "art," I can see how that might be something to talk about.
I can't write a "licensed" product -- which would include almost all DC and Marvel comics, for instance. I just couldn't motivate myself to write someone else's idea --whether it be Star Trek or Star Wars or Magic or The Shadow or Halo or Warcraft or ...whatever.
It has to be MY idea. MY book.
I don't look down on anyone who can write for hire. In fact, I'm in awe of it.
I just can't see putting myself through that.
Writing is hard enough.
"Why do you say that?"
"He's interested in "literature."
"Oh."
See, I don't think that way. Books are books. Writing is writing. It so happens that I Want and Like writing genre fiction. Frankly, the best practitioners of genre fiction are every bit as good as the so called "literary" writers. Most of those "literary" writers pretty much bore me.
Now if you switch the conversation to "commercial" versus writing for "art," I can see how that might be something to talk about.
I can't write a "licensed" product -- which would include almost all DC and Marvel comics, for instance. I just couldn't motivate myself to write someone else's idea --whether it be Star Trek or Star Wars or Magic or The Shadow or Halo or Warcraft or ...whatever.
It has to be MY idea. MY book.
I don't look down on anyone who can write for hire. In fact, I'm in awe of it.
I just can't see putting myself through that.
Writing is hard enough.