tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10091286.post114685476259411016..comments2023-07-03T00:46:29.189-07:00Comments on Pen On Fire / Writers on Writing: Publishing woes (whoa!)Barbara DeMarco-Barretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11407113008901754361noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10091286.post-1148474490479904262006-05-24T05:41:00.000-07:002006-05-24T05:41:00.000-07:00I agree that we often take the pesimistic view of ...I agree that we often take the pesimistic view of the world. There are people engaged in good reading and discussion then passing on those books they found to be gems; and equally wondering why what they just read ever made it to print. The only thing to do is keep writing, keep trying and not focus solely on publication as the reward.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10091286.post-1147820436967478752006-05-16T16:00:00.000-07:002006-05-16T16:00:00.000-07:00I just discovered Pen on Fire (I followed you back...I just discovered Pen on Fire (I followed you back from Paperback Writer's blog). I like it.<BR/><BR/>I wonder if the world is as dark as we all sometimes make it sound. Millions of people still buy and read books,and tell their friends about the good ones. True, most tastes run toward pedestrian, mass-market fare, but hasn't that always been the case?<BR/><BR/>My worry is not that we've lost demand - but that we've diluted supply. There a lot more people today writing books than there were just a few years ago, and not all of those people should be writers.Mark Pettushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14650234232914657192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10091286.post-1147566029103612272006-05-13T17:20:00.000-07:002006-05-13T17:20:00.000-07:00When I think about the issue of whether writing is...When I think about the issue of whether writing is ultimately fruitless, something I do often, I come back to the same question each time: what is the alternative? To quit? That's the only certain road to non-publication.<BR/><BR/>But I do continue to wonder about the state of fiction in other countries. Is literary fiction in crisis in the US because of our inability to focus on something for longer than the 30 minute TV show? Has our focus on celebrity eating habits, American Idol, and other such superficial fluff (of which I'm guilty of shamelessly indulging in myself) lead us to begin to abandon the arts? Or is this a world-wide epidemic? It does seem that other nations have longer attention spans for intellectually stimulating subjects. And I'm curious if this translates to fiction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10091286.post-1147499992503712062006-05-12T22:59:00.000-07:002006-05-12T22:59:00.000-07:00I'm inclined to think positive, so you'll see me w...I'm inclined to think positive, so you'll see me waving banners about writing even after the publishers have turned away every book not written by Tom Clancy.<BR/><BR/>Never, ever give up. The best part of success is believing in yourself.Timmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03450741795057575739noreply@blogger.com