Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
ARCHIVE (General Topics)
>
Writing Questions for Josh
Mod
I'm not a reviewer, but I write reviews because I appreciate friends telling me: ''This is great!'' or: ''Avoid this!'' ..."
I think that's probably still the purpose behind the majority of reviews. Readers talking to each other, warning each other or giving them a heads up on something wonderful.
Mod
..."
It was insane. :-D
Mod
Yes! Friends are who you turn to when you've stumbled over a bad review. You do NOT need bad reviews from friends! Sheesh. :-D
But . . . how does one define "friend"? I mean on the Internet, not in RL.
Mod
I figure if we are interacting behind the scenes we have the basis of online friendship.
I'm sure that's part of the confusion, though.
K.Z. wrote: "But . . . how does one define "friend" (on the 'Net, I mean, not in RL)?"People I interact with on a personal level. If I know about their personal life, we talk about kids, pets, jobs, etc. If we ONLY ever talk books and you are totally anonymous to me (I don't know where you live, etc.) I would not likely consider you a friend. That's the on-line acquaintance category.
K.Z. wrote: "But . . . how does one define "friend" (on the 'Net, I mean, not in RL)?"Friends are the ones who, given opportunity, don't throw you under the bus. A genuine friendship also isn't one-sided.
Mod
People I interact with on a personal level. If I know about their personal life, we talk about kids, pets, jo..."
That's pretty much it. Although I would say it also gets into how much interaction.
The problem is that social networks have hijacked the word "friend", and I think that is what KZ is alluding to. They use it to grant specified people extra access to posts and other data. But for most people it has other connotations, which are not unrealistic given that it does enable the "friend" privileged rights which could be said to equate to the additional closeness of friends in real life. I wonder if there would be the same sense of betrayal if a different word were used to describe those given enhanced access rights?
Mod
Kari wrote: "Secret/closed groups don't bug me. Peop..."They don't bug me, either. I'm a big believer in personal privacy. But I was mostly thinking about Aleks's statement: ". . . the two groups I know who are like that now do it in secret groups after being dismayed about being unfriended and/or banned/blocked by authors on whose arse they went medieval."
That's the kind of secrecy that weirds me out, the kind motivated not so much by common interest as by common animosity: "Well, it's clear we all hate this or that author/reviewer/group, so let's band together behind a virtual closed door and verbally eviscerate him/her/them amongst ourselves while we applaud our own intelligence and discernment."
That's creepy. Such enclaves are hotbeds of hostility, and I've seen their hostility erupt in unsuspecting people's faces.
Oh, I've made "real" friends on the internet. They may start out 100% virtual, but they often become friends you meet in real-life. But just because you've never met someone face-to-face doesn't mean it's not a real friend. I think Facebook and even GR who use the term "friend" when it is really a "contact" for the most part, has distorted that meaning. There are friends and friend-friends.
Hj wrote: "The problem is that social networks have hijacked the word "friend", and I think that is what KZ is alluding to. They use it to grant specified people extra access to posts and other data. But fo..."Correct, Hj. Social networking has muddied the traditional definition of the word, so it confuses me in its online context. I've interacted with countless lovely, decent people online, but I feel presumptuous calling them friends. I guess I'm an old-fashioned broad -- at least in that regard. ;-)
K.Z. wrote: " But I was mostly thinking about Aleks's statement: ". . . the two groups I know who are like that now do it in secret groups after being dismayed about being unfriended and/or banned/blocked by authors on whose arse they went medieval."That's the kind of secrecy that weirds me out, the kind motivated not so much by common interest as by common animosity:"
I truly don't care what they do in their sooper speshul seekrit group. If their weekly circle jerk turns 'em on? Hey, have it. Rock on. Staging the wankfest in my own damn newsfeed was pretty obnoxious, though. Not to mention stupid. You do something like that, don't expect me to play all nicey nice after. That ain't ever going to happen.
Mod
It does. I'll be there in spirit.
Mod
I'm really looking forward to meeting you in person some day, Karen. Meanwhile... in spirit will have to do... ;)
Mod
I've made friends -- genuine friends -- with people I've met on the net. Some I've gone on to meet in real life, some I still only know through the web (but hope to meet in real life), some I know I probably won't meet in real life, but we're still what I consider to be good friends.
Let me put it this way. I first met my SO on the net.
So I believe that it is very possible to form genuine and lasting connections on the net.
That said, most of the connections we form are more on the lines of friendly acquaintances. Even so, it would be shocking to receive a scathing, snarky, mocking review from a friendly someone who you interact with a lot in a group such as this. I don't mean a critical review, I mean a review that seems pointed and hostile and angry. That would feel like an attack out of the blue -- I think that's what Kari and Aleks are getting at.
Mod
Yep. I know quite a few happy couples that have met on the net. That's a very modern love story. ;)
Jordan Castillo Price is at reviewsbyJesseWave. She is discussing the joys of Scrivener.
Reggie wrote: "Jordan Castillo Price is at reviewsbyJesseWave. She is discussing the joys of Scrivener."Sweet! I will check that out when I get home.
Is it cross-posted somewhere else?
Aleksandr wrote: "Is it cross-posted somewhere else?"Not on her blog or website. If you want to PM me an addy, I can post it to you.
I just wish there was more crossposting generally. It's OK.
Mod
It's hard because everyone wants original content.
Yep. Still not visiting that site, so I'll just stay ignorant. (It's also much better for my blood pressure.)
Mod
:-)
Aleksandr wrote: "Yep. Still not visiting that site, so I'll just stay ignorant. (It's also much better for my blood pressure.)"I read some updates as they come through RSS, without actually going on the site. Hypocritical much? ;-)
I actually unsubscribed Jessewave from my RSS because they cheesed me off so many times. Same with Teddypig, DA and SBTB.
Takes way too much time and energy to get as enraged as they used to make me.
Takes way too much time and energy to get as enraged as they used to make me.
Aleksandr wrote: "Yep. Still not visiting that site, so I'll just stay ignorant. (It's also much better for my blood pressure.)"Well the article was fairly short with some screenshots. If you are curious, I can send you some screenshots or email you the scrivener manual to look over. It's a very easy program to use. I am very pleased with it.
Not I need to maybe write some, eh?
Oh and you can download a sample which has full functionality but you can't save anything. Good way to check it out and go through the tutorial.
Cris wrote: "I actually unsubscribed Jessewave from my RSS because they cheesed me off so many times. Same with Teddypig, DA and SBTB.Takes way too much time and energy to get as enraged as they used to make..."
I have never gotten into the review blogs, whether m/m or m/f or any of 'em. I just hang out here on Goodreads and in my Kindle. :)
There have been two interesting discussions going on in our genre's blogosphere lately, one at the Goodreads M/M Romance group about readers' pet peeves (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...) and one I inadvertently kicked off through a blog post (http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...). They sort of dovetail, and I've found every comment fascinating and enlightening.Just wondering what all of you think. Is there a growing disaffection with standard m/m offerings? Are too many publishers and authors letting their readers down? (There are more comments on my actual blog.)
The feedback is refreshingly frank. It certainly provided me with a lot of food for thought.
Mod
OK, I tried to read M/M Rom group discussion, but the first page (or so) is dominated by criticism of one particular book, and then justifying B.O. in adolescent boys as natural and not at all due to hygiene issues. Help! I think I'll just hang out here.
I'm heading over to your blog post to "clear the air." ;-)
I like proofreading on paper... but I did my hard copy edit of 'Forester Two' on my ereader. Though, it's not as good as paper, and making comments is a bit slower, I really liked it as an alternative.
I think I'll use that option more and more (and keep paper nearby if I need to rewrite large pieces)
backups: I use SpiderOak to backup online (reccommended by a friend - and this is my referral link for those interested: https://spideroak.com/download/referr...)
and I use at least one flash-drive and one external hard-disk to backup everything once a week/month
I'm still debating whether printing out final versions of my stories is a yay or nay thing...
Caroline wrote: "My question for those of you who are published authors isa) do you read reviews of your work
and assuming that the answer is yes
b) what strategies do you use for dealing with reviews with equan..."
I do read them... can't seem to stay away.
equanimity...mmm... I read some nice reviews, treat myself to something nice (cup of tea/snack sort of thing). Read something completely unrelated to distract myself. Ignore things that I think/know the reader has misread/misinterpreted (can't to anything about that anyway)
I don't know... though bad reviews suck, I haven't let them get me down... yet...
KZ - interesting discussion on your blog. Can't say anything about the GRMMRom discussion, as I'm not a member, but I think we need to distinguish between silent majority and vocal minority. There are some people talking about how they are tired of the tropes and want original stuff, but when I look at my own catalogue, original does not sell.
Lou wrote: "Good reviews feel nice, obviously, but the best review is that rare one that actually makes you look at your own story from an angle you haven't considered before. All reviewers have tastes and opinions, a few have insights. "Very good point!
Some reviews do make me go 'huh? I never thought about it that way', and I like that. Makes me feel very accomplished :)
Tam wrote: "Oh, I've made "real" friends on the internet. They may start out 100% virtual, but they often become friends you meet in real-life. But just because you've never met someone face-to-face doesn't me..."and online friends, close friends, and best friends...
yeah... all these different sorts of friends are very confusing.
When I'm talking about my online author friends in RL, I often call them colleagues. I feel it's the most accurate description, without falling into 'what is a friend to me' trap...
besides, some of my closest friends are people I met online first and RL second.
Kari wrote: "K.Z. wrote: " But I was mostly thinking about Aleks's statement: ". . . the two groups I know who are like that now do it in secret groups after being dismayed about being unfriended and/or banned/..."I'll still be thinking they need a healthier hobby, but hey... what they do behind closed doors is no concern of mine. Maybe we can lock the door from the outside, so they can never get out again?
Johanna wrote: "Some of us are going to meet in Manchester in July and I feel like I'll be meeting old, dear friends — and not people I haven't ever met before. And that tells something very lovely about internet ..."It really does feel like that sometimes :)
and I like putting faces to names
the only drawback for me is often that I forget things, and I'm always afraid it's seen as me not caring when I don't ask after something that's happened to a person. It's not. I just... I don't always remember. I might if I'm triggered, but even then it's not always fool proof.
Cris wrote: "I actually unsubscribed Jessewave from my RSS because they cheesed me off so many times. Same with Teddypig, DA and SBTB.Takes way too much time and energy to get as enraged as they used to make..."
I don't have anything in my RSS feed... it's not my thing (which is probably why I miss a lot of posts... )
I really need to keep track of stuff like that *sigh*
Aleksandr wrote: "KZ - interesting discussion on your blog. Can't say anything about the GRMMRom discussion, as I'm not a member, but I think we need to distinguish between silent majority and vocal minority. There ..."Good point.
The more I hang around on the net, the more I feel it's the vocal minority we're dealing with.
One thing I find time and time again is that I don't handle generalisations well. The impliation that all m/m is trope heavy, clichéd and full of sex vs all fanfic is original, barely any six, and written with joy? Just makes me want to shout!
Why do I let those get to me so much?
Blaine wrote: "the only drawback for me is often that I forget things, and I'm always afraid it's seen as me not caring when I don't ask after something that's happened to a person. It's not. I just... I don't always remember. I might if I'm triggered, but even then it's not always fool proof...."I'm the same way. I'm terrible at remembering names too. It's not that I'm self-absorbed. It's that my memory is Swiss cheese,the large-hole kind.
Aleksandr wrote: "KZ - interesting discussion on your blog. Can't say anything about the GRMMRom discussion, as I'm not a member, but I think we need to distinguish between silent majority and vocal minority. There are some people talking about how they are tired of the tropes and want original stuff, but when I look at my own catalogue, original does not sell. ..."And that's a damned shame. But a lot of the younger folk seem so bored all of the time that they've raised it to professional levels, and once one person starts confessing boredom, the rest follow suit, like a yawn going around the room.
But then I do not get bored. I always have something to do or read or just think about.
Aleksandr wrote: "...but when I look at my own catalogue, original does not sell."Huh. Meanwhile, for me, the weirder I go, the more it sells. Not weirdness for the sake of weirdness, I should say. Not contrived weirdness, just for novelty's sake. But...yanno. Weirdness. Not of the standard fare. And sometimes, just plain old-fashioned bizarre. My head can be a very strange place and so far, fortunately, that's worked out for me.
Karen wrote: "OK, I tried to read M/M Rom group discussion, but the first page (or so) is dominated by criticism of one particular book, and then justifying B.O. in adolescent boys as natural and not at all due to hygiene issues.":-D Yeah, they did tend to go off on tangents. I skipped over that stuff and looked at the "what I don't like" lists. Holy cow, some people are put off by so many themes and tropes and character types!
Aleksandr wrote: "I think we need to distinguish between silent majority and vocal minority. There are some people talking about how they are tired of the tropes and want original stuff, but when I look at my own catalogue, original does not sell."Now that's interesting, Aleks. So you think the vast majority of readers in the genre are happy with publishers' offerings.
Still, I've seen free self-pubbed works, even those that are only available online, receive considerably more notice and acclaim -- higher feedback numbers and higher average ratings -- than a lot of publisher-produced books.
K.Z. wrote: ":-D Yeah, they did tend to go off on tangents. I skipped over that stuff and looked at the "what I don't like" lists. Holy cow, some people are put off by so many themes and tropes and character types! ..."Some of those dislikes are so specific too. It is bizarre. You wonder if there is anything out there the pleases these people. (I doubt it.) These lists are in many groups, too. The regular m/f groups have them too.
I'm the first to admit that hardcore D/s makes me uncomfortable. Some taboo stuff is untouchable, but the rest I have a pretty open mind about it if the story is well written.
So my dislikes? Bad writing. Full stop.
Blaine wrote: "Why do I let those get to me so much?"Probably because our GR updates are constantly reminding us how many readers are exploring alternatives. That makes the disillusionment hard to ignore.
Heck, lately I've felt like a slouch because I don't write knitting-based stories! ;-)
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
Alphabears: An ABC Book (other topics)Rag and Bone (other topics)
As Meat Loves Salt (other topics)
The Well of Loneliness (other topics)
The Selfish Gene (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Julie Smith (other topics)Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Robin McKinley (other topics)
Tove Jansson (other topics)
Astrid Lindgren (other topics)
More...
So, yeah, I have a case-by-case response to reviews, reviewers and friend requests. Somebody requesting to follow me who hates all my books? Err, NO. Make that Hell The Fuck No Way.