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| The author/publisher, Dane F. Baylis |
IF YOU DON'T SAY IT YOUR WAY WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO BE?
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Simple enough question, don't you think? But there are so many aspiring writers who don't get it. Hell, I didn't get it at first. When you receive a rejection notice that says something like, "When you develop a voice and style authentically your own please resubmit", it maybe begins to get through to you.
So why are there so many young, and not so young, writers chasing after the next HUNGER GAMES, TWILIGHT, or DAWN OF THE DEAD breakout? I know the basic answer is, those authors made a ton of money from that crap. Well, the reality is, only one of them was making a living at it before the production houses turned them into movies and that was TWILIGHT. Does that make that particular line good writing, or anywhere near authentic? If you think so, stop reading right here, because you haven't got any friggin' idea what I'm talking about.
Look, the teen-age vampire thing was getting hammered by the critics as nothing but angst with fangs for adolescents, and the other two are just more of the post-apocalyptic dreck that appeals to the, "Oh, my god! The world's coming to an end tomorrow", crowd. It's formulaic, it's boring, and it's about as original as Yo-Yo's and Barbie dolls. The reason it gets traction is because it's marketed to people who haven't yet, and probably never will, develop any sophistication. Was that harsh? No, it was real and I don't retract real!
If you're going to insist on chasing after this kind of unadulterated pablum, then somewhere along the line you're going to get called for it. I don't care if you're writing romances, young-adult, fantasy fiction, or whatever genre you chose. Even the hacks in the literary fiction category get tagged when they haven't put in the time to honestly say what they're after in their own words and style. Why do you think there are so many titles online or in your local bricks and mortar bookstore that no one has ever heard of? Because they're not worth hearing about, end of story.
I could probably get a lot more crude about this subject. But what would be the point? Hacks will be hacks and some of them will be picked up by publishers and production houses and forgotten just as quickly as that. The ones who will stand the test of time will be the ones with originality, style, and unmitigated balls. Will they get rich? Probably not, but they'll more than likely make a living. They may even find themselves with a cult following. How do I know this? Because I'm doing it. More people want to read what I'm doing and my recognition is growing. Am I getting rich? No, but I'll bet I'm better received than 90% of what's on store shelves at this moment. Why? Because I write my way, screw all the rest of the workshop bullshit!
Just a helpful hint from your Uncle Dane.
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Meanwhile...live, love, write it your way. I fucking dare you!
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