tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post3974310946482576866..comments2024-03-22T12:11:58.453-06:00Comments on Michael Offutt: IWSG September editionMichael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-76930221625285915202012-09-10T12:39:10.271-06:002012-09-10T12:39:10.271-06:00People call my writing "weird" all the t...People call my writing "weird" all the time. I guess they are expecting the watered-down soup of everything else? I think my work's fresh and original. Half the time I'm proud when I get the "weird" label and half the time I realize ... ah, this is why people write predictable, ho-hum mush ... to avoid the "weird" label.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-17856949246460041742012-09-08T13:37:10.752-06:002012-09-08T13:37:10.752-06:00This is the kind of post that I love. One I can re...This is the kind of post that I love. One I can read and get that feeling that I have read something worth reading. One where I can tell the writer put a lot of thought into it.<br /><br />Though really, people have never really put me down because of my intelligence. There was one class I was in last year where I occasionally caught a resentful comment, but I didn't mind because I knew I had done the reading and work to know the answer to the question and they hadn't. Most of my classmates don't really treat me that different except for rare moments of awe or when I'm suddenly swarmed because everyone has a question. 0-0 I swear some days I let one person look at my paper so they can understand how I worked out a problem and it ends up getting passed to everyone. I have often wondered, however, if they're all just afraid I won't help them if they're rude...Brooke R. Bussehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17147444223968856153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-53322974821280473112012-09-06T22:52:41.973-06:002012-09-06T22:52:41.973-06:00To the non-artists, comparisons help them relate a...To the non-artists, comparisons help them relate and they don't typically understand that the artists find their comparisons offensive. Art should push boundaries, find beauty in things that are anything but, and ugliness in stereotypical beauty. You've pushed boundaries beautifully. I have an urge to push harder with my own work.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03060064276650474244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-64025979178433525642012-09-06T19:19:32.817-06:002012-09-06T19:19:32.817-06:00Firstly, I like books that don't fall into any...Firstly, I like books that don't fall into any certain mold. Why is it that if your book doesn't fall into a certain prescription it can't be labeled a book? Authors who follow their own lead and write what they love are the successful authors, if you ask me anyway.<br /><br />Second, I want to write in third person omniscient but no one wants to read what I write because I didn't stick to a certain POV and they couldn't agree with my writing because of that reason. They say, "Change you POV and you should be good to go." <br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Third, boy, I just wrote some really long sentences...<br /><br />Nice to meet you through ISWG:)<br />TalynnInk in the Bookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03117718811407968345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-82501514508900321242012-09-06T15:48:01.523-06:002012-09-06T15:48:01.523-06:00You're beckoning me with strange, weird, and b...You're beckoning me with strange, weird, and bizarre. Now I'll have to read the books in front of it faster, so I can delve into it. That's exactly the kind of thing I love to read.<br /><br />People say insensitive crap all the time. One, I don't think they think, and, two, obviously your friend's perceptions are warped toward seeing Mr. So and So. Since she thinks he's really hot, it was probably meant to be a compliment.M Paxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14096697282530998519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-64409522019660409542012-09-06T01:34:46.333-06:002012-09-06T01:34:46.333-06:00There's so little originality left in the worl...There's so little originality left in the world that anything original that comes about is immediately declared to be a copy. It sucks :(Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02548680159204361401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-51612166429282071562012-09-06T00:44:44.298-06:002012-09-06T00:44:44.298-06:00Nothing wrong with weird and strange. I look for ...Nothing wrong with weird and strange. I look for it in books and movies I watch. It is hard when people compare our "babies" to something else.<br /><br />......dholedolorahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715849844092553699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-73634964669369218922012-09-05T19:39:08.566-06:002012-09-05T19:39:08.566-06:00I tend to not take things too personal unless I th...I tend to not take things too personal unless I think the person is deliberately trying to piss me off. Like when people through the word 'talent' around. I don't think it's 'talent' that makes someone spend 20 or 30 hours a week, without any hint of reward, often when working/going to school full time, to practice a craft until they've mastered it. <br /><br />Then, when they unveil what may have taken them years and years of preparation to get ready. Some folks take a look at it and say, "wow, you're talented."<br /><br />I disagree, that's hard work/perseverance/dedication. But I don't get too upset about it either. They're trying to tell you that you're good. It's a compliment. When they come my way I eat them up and thank the giver profusely. <br /><br />And that picture you drew really was amazing. Disbelief in others is just their awe at what you've done.Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-16565235843872102702012-09-05T19:05:37.456-06:002012-09-05T19:05:37.456-06:00I tried not to get offended when someone said THE ...I tried not to get offended when someone said THE BREAKAWAY was a knockoff of 50 SHADES OF GREY. Say, what?<br /><br />I loved this rant. :)Michelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-65734682811522883342012-09-05T18:10:06.187-06:002012-09-05T18:10:06.187-06:00Lots of my favorite books don't fit into a spe...Lots of my favorite books don't fit into a specific genre. Lots of indie publishers thrive on their willingness to take on books that are different.Susan Gourley/Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669793865290876168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-54789166573802286882012-09-05T17:29:38.137-06:002012-09-05T17:29:38.137-06:00Michael, my dear -- we're really on the same w...Michael, my dear -- we're really on the same wavelength this week! It is SO frustrating when someone compares your work unfavorably to someone else's or complains that it doesn't fit in a genre. Of course SLIPSTREAM wasn't strictly genre; this made the story all the more intriguing and unpredictable to me. And the fact is, when people smash through genres they can hit the big time. PASSAGES combined sci fi (or at least high tech) with vampires; the TWILIGHT series was different enough to be rejected by 14 agents; and even the TRUE BLOOD series was rejected for a couple years by publishers as being too different. Then, of course, there was my rant this week about a magazine editor comparing my historical manuscript unfavorably to Edith Wharton or Gone with the Wind. You know what my reaction was.<br /><br />Hang in there. You're absolutely right that this genre obsession and fear of originality is one big reason why self-publishing is taking off.Helenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14967821142796562697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-43826081496897582192012-09-05T16:35:12.935-06:002012-09-05T16:35:12.935-06:00People who try to shame you for being smart or dif...People who try to shame you for being smart or different are afraid to let their own genius show. <br /><br />The world is like one big Rorschach test. People find strange patterns in it. Patterns that only they can see. And those patterns tell you a lot about the person.<br /><br />When people say stuff to me that throws me for a curve, I try to remember this. I shrug. And I try to move on. Because what they think of me should not matter in my grand scheme of things. (This is what I aspire to, anyway.)<br /><br />Makes for a good rant, though. Liz A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16531953467834426316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-1347152414108147662012-09-05T16:00:26.517-06:002012-09-05T16:00:26.517-06:00Oh, that lady was just seeing what she wanted to s...Oh, that lady was just seeing what she wanted to see because she likes that "hot" guy at the office. Every guy probably looks like him. <br /><br />As for comparisons, they can be good for marketing...in a more positive review, of course. Readers seem to want to make connections and label stuff as others have said. I tend to be the opposite..I want unique and compelling ideas. <br /><br />All this being said, I can't think of any book or movie like Slipstream. Cindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07922596724107742478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-2270305967253618692012-09-05T15:28:30.209-06:002012-09-05T15:28:30.209-06:00'To thine own self...' and you just gotta ...'To thine own self...' and you just gotta let the rest of the world 'go to hell' sometimes.<br /><br />Love the rant, love the drawing, book is in my TBR. Go get 'em Michael and don't worry about the un-smart, they will be their own worst enemies.farawayeyeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17578277501054242356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-6730868501443996572012-09-05T14:19:42.472-06:002012-09-05T14:19:42.472-06:00We value brains at my house. :)We value brains at my house. :)Luanne G. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15762881276976395955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-17470926720768023372012-09-05T13:30:42.229-06:002012-09-05T13:30:42.229-06:00Rewrite Twilight? Have they not heard of 50 shades...Rewrite Twilight? Have they not heard of 50 shades? And also, how is your book anything like the Dark Tower. That...that just makes no sense.<br />But, all that said, i'm a firm believer that there are no original plots. BUT i mean, when you boil it down to bare bones, everything is pretty much the same. Or one of a few varieties. That doesn't mean that there isn't original work. There's tons of original work! And we allll know the devil's in the details.<br />Also, you'll be glad to know there are no love triangles in my work. Because, sigh, boring. Sarah Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02795455714801965956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-30730569891027233132012-09-05T12:30:34.261-06:002012-09-05T12:30:34.261-06:00Michael, always remember that when God made artist...Michael, always remember that when God made artists and writers he created critics from the scrap that was left over. You are not Stephen King so your story CAN'T be his.stephen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659054447637207734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-14205933843467270972012-09-05T12:21:11.344-06:002012-09-05T12:21:11.344-06:00I agree that a lot of people don't like smart ...I agree that a lot of people don't like smart people. If someone seems more intelligent than they are, they feel threatened and attack. It really is a shame, though.Alyson Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916059117572619004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-35709953713244034642012-09-05T11:21:29.391-06:002012-09-05T11:21:29.391-06:00I feel your annoyance. Everyone gets inspired by ...I feel your annoyance. Everyone gets inspired by other books, people, and so on. Much of it is unconscious. Some is conscious. But people can take old ideas and make them their own. An example is The Beatles or JK Rowling. Try to smile and nod. Not easy. Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-53679639478362633362012-09-05T11:11:05.571-06:002012-09-05T11:11:05.571-06:00I'm proud to like the weird, the odd, the stra...I'm proud to like the weird, the odd, the strange...<br /><br />and I'm content to write it too, even if that makes it unpublishable.<br /><br />I can only do what I love to do :)<br /><br />...so I'm happy to know there are others out there doing the same.1000th.monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16835988128285459745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-40034244616590733632012-09-05T10:53:38.612-06:002012-09-05T10:53:38.612-06:00People like you to be stupid in some specific, gri...People like you to be stupid in some specific, grippable way, so they can throw that thing at you and make sure you don't think you're little miss uppity here talking about how much money she should be making or what she should be writing about or what she should be doing with her own damn body, thankyouverymuch.<br /><br />*ahem*<br /><br />I recently was accused of "bullying" someone because I told that person not to verbally attack a third person. People like to use words like "bully" and "snob" to put you down into the place where they think you should be, i.e. lower than them. Infuriating, but it happens. You don't have to take it.<br /><br />I see how you could be upset about Jordan being compared to a 35-year-old, but it does seem like it was intended as a compliment, albeit a poorly-delivered one. :(<br /><br />And some people don't understand the concept of originality whatsoever.Callie Leuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09535505792102190920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-30177186023256089402012-09-05T10:49:27.880-06:002012-09-05T10:49:27.880-06:00Until you mentioned it, I'd never noticed all ...Until you mentioned it, I'd never noticed all the similarities between your stuff and Tolkien's. He had two towers, you have two towers, he had Frodo save Gondor from Mordor by taking on Galadriel in a hockey game, he had all that hot, hot sex between Boromir and Gandalf...<br /><br />... or was I reading a fanfic? Hard to tell.<br /><br />I read Slipstream, and I loved it. I thought it unique and well done.<br /><br />Don't worry about people who want to make comparisons. It's easier to tear someone down than build yourself up, and every idea I've ever had has at some point been the subject of a "didn't {x} do that same thing?" YES, EVEN THE ONE ABOUT HOW A PINEAPPLE CREATED THE UNIVERSE.<br /><br />Screw people. That's what I say. But thanks for the permission to be smart. I'd been holding back.<br /><br />How is the exercise working? Brianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616494058636881575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-29891276632123222602012-09-05T10:27:09.940-06:002012-09-05T10:27:09.940-06:00I can certainly say Slipstream is oiginal and not ...I can certainly say Slipstream is oiginal and not a bit like The Gunslinger. It's like saying that my house and yours are exactly alike since we both have kitchens. Also, there is no way that the drawing of Jordan could resemble a 40 year old man. Brindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09809660700359597836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-37698254141722577202012-09-05T10:03:38.216-06:002012-09-05T10:03:38.216-06:00This is the best post you've had in a while. I...This is the best post you've had in a while. If there is one thing that it's absolutely not okay to say in America it's "I'm smart" or "I'm smarter than you." People have decided that intelligence is some kind of subjective thing and, therefore, no one can be smarter than anyone else. Unless they work in science, but, then, those people are hardly viewed as actual humans, so it's okay for -them- to be "smart." The truth is, I am smarter than most people. I'm not saying it to be saying it; I know because intelligence tests and all sorts of other objective measures have told me so. I've never understood why people hold smart people in such disdain and spend their time trying to belittle them. Even my younger brother used to call me things like "King Nerd" and "Nerd of Nerds" because, not only did I go to a school for smart kids (so I was a nerd), I was an honor student at that school (so I was a nerd of nerds). Anyway...<br /><br />As for the whole genre thing:<br />The first books I ever read that blended genres were Anthony's Apprentice Adept series. I loved them for just that reason. I thought the sci-fi/fantasy crossover world was, like, the coolest thing ever. I can't really read those now, but I loved them when I was 14. And Asimov wrote The Caves of Steel kind of to prove that any genre could be done in sci-fi after someone told him it couldn't be done. Especially the detective story. It's a brilliant book and just goes to show what can be done when you put your mind to it.<br /><br />As for Magic, I was, of course, playing before you could look any of that stuff up online. My friends and I came up with all of our own decks. I will never forget when Scrye magazine came out and started printing decks in it, and someone brought me a copy of one of the early issues and said, "Look, they put your deck in here." It became a pattern for a while with decks my cousin and I came up with.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-2782743978975695532012-09-05T09:30:04.748-06:002012-09-05T09:30:04.748-06:00I am all for originality and being true to yoursel...I am all for originality and being true to yourself. If you're smart... USE IT! Same with any talent.<br /><br />I was the oddball in HS because I had friends in ALL cliques. Smart, creative, athletic, etc. I accept people for who they are and if they're are real, honest, and sweet. <br /><br />Who is anyone to JUDGE? make false accusations? or just plain attack for the sake of being different?<br /><br />Good RANT, Michael! Keep it up. WE need people like you in this world to point out the injustice of it all.Michael Di Gesuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047267262428143113noreply@blogger.com