rolanni | Auctorial Warning Labels, and the Rule of the Internet

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Auctorial Warning Labels, and the Rule of the Internet

You may not know this, but authors come with warning labels, just like non-author people. In Real Life, we usually scope out the warning labels attached to our friends and colleagues through a series of interactions. After a while, you know that Jilly's warning is Contents Under Pressure; Gabe's is Runs with Scissors; and Lynn's warning is Sees No Evil.

On the internet, it's a little harder to figure out warning labels; and especially the warning labels for authors, because there's this free-floating cloud of Assumption regarding How Authors Are that kind of fogs up perceptions.

That being the case, I'm going to make it easy for everyone and throw my warning label right out there where everybody can see it.

Ready?

Here it is; Sharon Lee's warning label:

Sharp edges; handle with care

Please commit this to memory; it's not long; it's not hard, and it can quite possibly save a life. Or, at least, hurt feelings.

Among other things, the above means that I don't tend to respond. . .well. . .to people who insist that I must fit into their box, or Do It (whatever It may be) in Some Way That They Personally Prefer, rather than the Way I Personally Prefer. I especially don't respond well to Rule-Giving regarding stuff that I happen to be doing mostly for myself.

Allow me to provide context.

Over the last. . .week? I've been on the receiving end of an email scolding me for wasting time writing blog posts, and hanging on social media, when I ought (Note: Please don't use the word OUGHT to me when critiquing my life. Unless you're my spouse, or a close personal friend who has earned the right, you have no business critiquing my life, and OUGHT is not yours to throw around like confetti. Thank you.) to be writing more Liaden books. The letter-writer then wanted me to answer a question, though they were decent enough to acknowledge the irony of that. And, no, I haven't answered, because there was nothing civil I could think of to say.

Also, recently, I posted a snippet in a blog post. Someone in another part of the internet, having this brought to their attention, gave as the Rule that the snippet was too short, that real snippets followed the form used by Author X.

Now. . .here's the thing. I share what I'm writing with y'all because I want to. In fact, let's back up a couple steps. . .

I write because I want to.

I don't write For You.

No, really, that's the truth. I don't write For You.

I write, first, and foremost, For Me. I write because writing (for the most part) gives me pleasure.

I do realize that we are extremely fortunate to have a publisher who backs our work. And I do realize that there are people Out There who buy our books and read our stories, and we're all thereby embarked on a similar -- but not an identical -- journey. We know the same people, though not in the same way; we've been to the same places, though we noticed different things. We can talk about our shared experiences, and learn from, and entertain, each other. And all of that is Incredibly Cool.

But, the fact remains, that I write For Me. During our years Wandering the Literary Desert, I still wrote stories and novels, though it took me a while to dare again, after being cut loose from our first publisher. I'm guessing, based on my established behavior, that I'm going to continue to write, for me.

You, my fellow travelers, are certainly free to critique the story; to argue the route; and even to get off the train.

But you are not allowed to dictate Rules, and OUGHTs to me on any subject I can bring to mind.

Everybody clear on this?

Thank you.

Now! Fans of Dragon in Exile will be pleased to know that work continues apace. It's all bridge-building and braiding and pointing up characterization, and thus not quantifiable by word counts. We will, therefore, have to go with the Authors' Gut Feeling Index, which is that we're doing some good stuff, here.

I am now going to post what I call "a snippet." It is short. If short offends you, or if snippets in general offend you, please, please, for the love of ghod, I beg of you -- don't read it.

* * *

Progress on Dragon in Exile: GOOD/Author Satisfied

At this hour, the shadows sheltered only one habitant -- another shadow, slightly darker than themselves. It had for some while stood motionless, listening to the sounds of the sleeping nursery. Now, it moved, black against black, resolving briefly into a gray silhouette as he crossed lighted path, melting once more into the darkness beyond.

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I don't write For You. I write, first, and foremost, For Me.

I first realized that it's pretty much true for all artists when I realized that I played music for me, not for an audience, and everyone I was around that made music did so for the same reason. Then I found it true of painters as well, and other creative types. For me, that's where the satisfaction was - in creating something that pleased me. Any pats on the back were just frosting ;)

I'm currently most of the way through Crystal Variations (again), and it made me realize yet again just how good you are as writers. Thank you.

Grumble, gripe, bitch, moan - now I'm forced to order Trade Secret in Kindle so I won't have to wait for my pre-order of the trade paperback (vastly preferred medium) due in November. I blame you, Baen, Global Warming™, and George W. Bush ;p

Alas! :)

I think the September edition of Trade Secret is mass market paperback, not a trade paperback. If a book's first edition is either hardcover or trade paper, then the second edition is mass market size -- the size of book that everybody just calls "paperback".

Yes - the November release, the one pre-ordered, is indeed mass-market not trade. I'm not sure why I wrote trade. I have been known to accidentally buy trade instead of mass market when I wasn't paying attention, and trade doesn't fit my bookcases well, so I end up having to rebuy in mas market when it comes out. Some day I'll learn to pay attention ;)

Oh no! It's longer than the one sentence snippet another author once posted, and yet shorter than multi-paragraph snippets. Woe! My world is turned upside-down!

Also - yay! Intriguing!

I *knew* obscurity had to have value.

So right. From my experience story tellers write stories almost because they can't NOT write them. If they find some like minded readers well that's just splendid.

Snippets are fun but they are like any quotes - as short or long as you feel like.

I enjoy the blogs and from notes and references here I've read several authors I hadn't come across before - and indeed I found YOUR books via another author's blog.

If I were to create a little 2x2 table of "Do I like their books, yes/no" and "Do I like their blog, yes/no" there would be authors in all four quadrants. You fall in the Yes/Yes group, which is actually not all that large; many of the authors whose books I like either don't do blogs or do ones that, for whatever reason, I don't enjoy enough to read regularly.

Just weighing in to say that I like hearing about your writing life and your non-writing life, and I especially like the snippets.

As for telling you what you ought to write, phooey. I can tell you what I would like to read, and hope that if a sufficient number of your readers share my interest, that your muse will stir in that direction. But how could I have known that I wanted the Carousel books until they arrived? Even within the Liaden Universe, some years ago you asked what people were interested in. At the time, I was one of the ones who said that I didn't think I wanted a continuation of Daav and Aelliana's story from Scout's Progress, because of knowing how it would end. And I couldn't have been more wrong, as the Scout's Progress/Mouse and Dragon duology is tied with the Plan B/I Dare pair for my favorite within the universe. So you write what you write, and I'm happy to read it.

One 'ought' that bothers me is that I 'ought' to be doing something professionally, or it doesn't count. I have to remind myself that I am a writer because I write, even though I haven't published anything. I am a musician because I make music for my own pleasure, mostly in private. There are whole 'Where Are They Now' columns about people who made a name for themselves in one field, such as music or acting, and gave it all up because it no longer made them happy.

As much as I crave more works from your pen (anachronistic phrase, that), especially in the Liaden universe, I cringe to think what flavor they might take on if writing were no longer pleasurable for you.

I also hate it when people tell me how I 'ought' to be feeling.

I must go. My cat is telling me that I OUGHT to be petting her. She alone has the right to dictate to me.

Being ornery and not dealing with fools gladly (and I don't think there can be any doubt that your email correspondent was a fool) are, in my book at least, two entirely separate conditions. Of course, one can suffer from both. I know that I certainly do.

receiving end of an email scolding me for wasting time writing blog posts, and hanging on social media, when I ought

this is not one of those parasitic relationships where one organism cannot live without the other, nor is it that by buying one of your books a person automatically has certain possessive rights. Nor do they *know* you (as some recent posts about authors pasts and biases has proved) because they love your books.

I buy your (and Steves's) books, I have met you in person, and you were different (in a good way) than I had imagined you might be, but, I still was looking for that Clutch Turtle ... just in case..

For anyone who has been following your posts (or, I suspect, other social media interactions, but mostly I'm a blog post guy), that warning label should have been clear without additional comment. But since there are always those who couldn't buy a clue if they were plopped down in Macy's Clue Department, with money in hand, it's good that you've provided the necessary for them. :)

Oh, and keep the snippets coming, if you wish. I, for one, love them whether short or long. And I look forward to buying the eARC, the eBook and the Audible versions as soon as they become available.

Ghu must have loved idiots to have made so many of them ...
Keep writing what you wand keep snippeting how you want, and above all Have Fun!

And thank you for all the fruits of your quills.

Reminds me of Neil Gaiman's response to a question on his blog a few years back:
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html

The quote from the post that you've all probably heard is "George R.R. Martin is not your bitch".

Nuff said.

Shbeaty - That's a great blog entry from Neil (I would like to point out that I'm NOT the Gareth who raised the question) - thanks for the reference.

I am a "New York style Bagel"
Crusty on the outside - Chewey/squishy on the inside.

Thank you for everything you write.... Case of insomnia this morning... Started reading I DARE again.

OH! For some obscure reason, this reminded me of the old Frederick E. Perl thing. So I looked it up.

"I do my own thing, and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful." Frederick E. Perl

Kind of old, but still good advice.

And thank you for the snippet, glimmer, or whatever. I enjoyed it. And will speculate about just who might be listening to the sounds of a sleeping nursery, and why...

Oh dear ....*offers soothing tea and chocolate-chip cookies*

And thanks for the snippet!!!

Nowt so queer as folk, as my granny used to say. I sometimes offer "you might like to", to my husband when I think of something *I* think he ought to do, but the response is unvarying, as it should be. "Might I?, he enquires. Then he generally walks off in the other direction. I might almost suspect you & he had shared words about the wisdom of those who presume to tell us what we *ought* to do. Wankers.

someone told fans of GRRM (insisting that he write faster) that 'he's not your bitch." Just saying.

I got no room to talk. Because of full time real job I am a really slow writer.

So I am NEVER going to be someone asking that question.

Hugs to y'all.

I gotta admit my jaw dropped I read that you were "scolded for

Sorry, I hit the wrong button. But I was really startled to see that someone was upset at your blogs when I consider them a welcome blessing, something I look forward to even if I don’t comment. As for the snippets they’re part of the fun and challenge. Who’s voice is it? What scene? Will I find it when I read the book? Will it have the same meaning for me then? I would miss all that fun if you stopped. So, while you are writing for you, you are making me wicked happy too.

I smiled when I read your blog. Nothing puts my hackles up faster than some fool telling me what I OUGHT to be doing. I'm not to pleased when someone in the loop who knows tells me what I ought to be doing but that's because I should have already figured it out. :)
Since I've been pretty pleased with everything you and Steve have written, I guess it is worth the wait to let you finish when you are darn well pleased with the story. I do like the snippets of any length. (Who knew there were "rules" about something you are gifting us??) I have my nose pressed against the glass waiting for the eARC to see how they tie together when it is done.
In the meantime I ought (my own ought) to go dead head the flowers and carefully consider how I weed the rhubarb garden. I discovered yesterday that the weeds are providing cover for the bunny from not one but three hawks in my backyard. I live in the 'burbs! Where did these hawks come from?!?

You are most generous. When my close friends (I am spouseless) use "ought" to me, they tend to get the Look which says "You don't really want me to BITE you, do you?" Strangers? On the internet? KaBlooey!

Mary Anne in Kentucky

::sigh:: Another tantalising glimse of the whole to come. Now I'll be hanging around wandering who that shadow is until the book is published. I knew I try to avoid your snippets for a reason...

That aside, Love your books. ^___^

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Auctorial Warning Labels, and the Rule of the Internet

Sharp edges; handle with care

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Yanno I can almost hear a young Theo saying that...

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AMEN

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"Ought"

Re: "Ought"

Warning Label

Domo arigatou gozaimasu...

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There's

I believe

Please, Don't Stop!

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Pretty pushy

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