41. So what if you think it sucks?

Tuesday, May 17, 2005


Mood: shocked and annoyed
Music: Wild Night - John Mellancamp


It seems there is no lack of controversial topics to discuss this week. I've found three things that have made wonder and ponder in my blog hopping this week. Right now, I'm going to focus on one of them because after what I just read over on Shannon Stacey's blog, which led me over to Jaci Burton's, I think I am quite appalled by the entry that I found them discussing by Diana Laurence over at Novelspot.net. I'd dropped by the site in the past, and looked at a few of her blog entries. I really wasn't grabbed by her content, so I didn't continue to read on.

This entry bashes an entire genre. A genre that I am aspiring to publish in myself, and according to this author the entire genre sucks. Yes, within any genre, you do have some bad examples of writing, but that small sampling of books or stories doesn't make an entire genre bad or make it suck. I am the type of person that believes their is a book for everyone. What one person doesn't like another person will. What might be sucky to one, to put it lightly, might not be considered sucky to another person.

As writers, we all have genres we like to write in. Within those genres, we each go our own way with our writing. We follow the examples of those writers we enjoy to read. All writers are also readers. They read almost as much as they write. They read books, not only for enjoyment, but to see what works. One author looking at the genre as a whole and then deeming that it sucks is basically the author shooting themselves in the foot. The reads will see the author's words, and they will remember them.

As a writer, we may all find books or authors we don't particularly enjoy reading. Everyone has their own tastes. Their is a difference though between not liking an author and bashing an entire genre of authors. This might also fall under the "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all" category. You may dislike some authors and books, fine. That is your preogative. If you're going to discuss that dislike, especially publicly, perhaps some tact is needed. Their are ways to express an opinion which might not offend everyone that reads it. Saying it sucks is not it.

A quick edit: Seems while I was writing this the author of the blog in question did post an apology, which is all well and good, but I know I for one was offended, and others were as well.

3 comments:

Crystal* said...

Oh my. *blinking*

It wasn't the opinion that was obnoxious, it was the writer. She's a little high-handed, isn't she? Tad bit full of herself?
There's nothing like building a pedestal, hopping up there, and pissing on everybody else. Nice.
We'll see how this plays out. I think she's tied her own ass in a knot.
Grins*

Christ on a crutch, talk about judgemental.

Yes, there's lots of sucky erotica out there, but that can be said of any genre. You don't go tossing the baby out with the bathwater.

You're not the only one who's annoyed. :-\

Regina Avalos said...

Her posted angered a lot of people. Welcome to blogger. I saw your post last night just before I went to bed!

 
 
 
 
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