tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post5937681270715964274..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: A Midlist Career or Immortality... by Mark ChisnellKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-21959269443769099192013-09-23T23:31:11.137+01:002013-09-23T23:31:11.137+01:00Third line above should read: Some one-book wonder...Third line above should read: Some one-book wonders had less luck: e.g., John K Toole.glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-66698525886460012122013-09-23T23:30:06.684+01:002013-09-23T23:30:06.684+01:00I too think the dichotomy's a false one. Marga...I too think the dichotomy's a false one. Margaret Mitchell wrote one book for a couple of reasons: she did not believe she could surpass GWTW--and she did not enjoy the act of writing in itself. That said, she discovered an equal talent--and greater pleasure--in publicizing her work. Some one-book wonders had less luck K Toole. And some writers, for my money, should have remained one-book wonders: Joseph Hellers. On the other hand, there've been professional/career writers who were also gifted artists: G B Shaw is my favorite example. Gore Vidal was no slouch either. The serious writer vs the hack might be a more interesting distinction: the hack being willing to write on any subject in any style that will sell for one purpose only: big buckaroos.glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-36555660692553215732013-09-23T16:15:09.603+01:002013-09-23T16:15:09.603+01:00Great to see some strong reactions to this one! I&...Great to see some strong reactions to this one! I'm not sure I was suggesting that there's no grey area in between - there's always a grey area. It's still interesting to couch the question in black and white terms. Personally, I've always hated trying to fit in writing around the rest of life. And I've never seen any point in taking pictures or writing words that aren't intended to be shared. These are stories, they belong in the long tradition that starts with spinning tales around a camp fire - not talking to yourself in the woods... :-)Mark Chisnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10248299206033458004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-38264625685770432952013-09-23T00:10:49.333+01:002013-09-23T00:10:49.333+01:00I'm with Lee on this one. I think it is a fals...I'm with Lee on this one. I think it is a false dichotomy - or at least more complicated than this. Maier's work is stunning. But she was in no sense the equivalent of a one book writer, because she produced a vast body of amazing work. She just didn't give a damn about publicising it, seeing her work in galleries or publications. She was doing it simply to do it. And presumably, that was what she found fulfilling. The practice itself, doing what she loved. Isn't that an enviable life's work? 'One book writer' - to me - has faintly pejorative implications. Well, I've known a few, some of them traditionally published and some of them self published or not published at all. They produce a single book which may or may not be successful, and find that it's enough for them. Archie Hind, with Dear Green Place, is a good example. Their reasons may be various - perhaps that's all they had 'in' them. Or perhaps they didn't enjoy the writing as much as they thought they would. Perhaps life events intervened. Some writers genuinely don't care about being lauded or admitted to the literary 'canon' but they also recognise that being a 'career' writer may mean making compromises they don't always want to make. Who's to say that they are wrong? With Dennis, I think many of us walk a kind of tightrope between the two. The trick is in managing to write for love and publish for money. Not always possible, I know!Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-17179506188704857072013-09-22T11:12:08.827+01:002013-09-22T11:12:08.827+01:00False dichotomy: you can be a one-book writer (or ...False dichotomy: you can be a one-book writer (or more-book writer) whose validation does not come from bookshelves and review columns yet who still self-publishes.I consider myself a career writer whose payment isn't in hard currency (to use my own definition of the term).Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-63321788368419325862013-09-22T11:11:01.930+01:002013-09-22T11:11:01.930+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-35091075959519281292013-09-22T11:09:29.422+01:002013-09-22T11:09:29.422+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-7198760546100577022013-09-22T10:29:45.412+01:002013-09-22T10:29:45.412+01:00By the way, good luck to Tina!By the way, good luck to Tina!Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-43214041324735367582013-09-22T10:28:29.267+01:002013-09-22T10:28:29.267+01:00I've never been in a position where I've d...I've never been in a position where I've depended on writing to make a living and for that I'm thankful (though, when in some company, slightly embarrassed!) But I've never tried to write for posterity either, because I'm not Vivian Maier- or Van Gogh if it comes to that - though in the unlikely event that I turn out to be, I hope my children will profit from it. I'd like to believe there's a middle ground and, without wishing to sound a mushy compromiser, hope that I occupy it. And if I do, I can say that, most of the time, it's not a bad place to be in.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-69128731406677604672013-09-22T09:40:22.574+01:002013-09-22T09:40:22.574+01:00Career writer - although I'll admit I'm a ...Career writer - although I'll admit I'm a long, long way off of being that. When I started to write it was said the average career writer (not employed but freelance) could earn £10,000 per year. This has been revised down (not sure where I read this) to £5,000. I don't think anyone today can survive on £10,000 now let alone £5,000. <br /><br />Finally I keep my fingers crossed that the photography goes well. Lynne Garnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697330164705623835noreply@blogger.com