Comments on: Robin Hobb is Not Entirely Wrong

By: imaginarylands

imaginarylands — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:17:07 +0000

At first I was offended by Robin Hobb’s tone, then when I read her post more thoroughly I realise that she has a point.

As a professional writer who is trying to write her first novel I find myself totally written out at the end of the day. At a time when I’m supposed to write at least a few words of my novel, I’d rather sit slumped in front of the TV. The thought of writing more words at the end of the day plain tires me out.

But I must also say that blogging opens up an avenue for readers to see another side of the writer. If you can discipline yourself NOT to spend TOO much time on your blog (and sadly, that can SO happen) you can blog and write that manuscript at the same time.

I have made so many precious friends around the world because of my blog. It’s not all bad :)

By: Stacey

Stacey — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:40:23 +0000

Before I write my own column, I like to warm up by visiting random blogs and leaving comments. I consider it to be akin to shadow boxing before the fight a bit, to loosen up the arms.

By: Simon Haynes

Simon Haynes — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 07:22:32 +0000

Blogging is writing for an audience, and let’s face it, that’s why many people want to get their novel published in the first place. Blogging is also an immediate reward for effort. Write the blog, publish it, and anyone with an internet connection could be reading it within seconds.

Compare that to the 10-14 years some novelists wait until they finally, maybe, see their work in print*, and you can see why blogs are popular.

* That was based on an admittedly small sampling of HarperCollins Voyager authors here in australia, on the Purple Zone forum. It was the average time from the day these authors started the first sentence of their first published novel, until the day it was released. Didn’t include false starts & trunked novels.

By: Josh Jasper

Josh Jasper — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:30:30 +0000

Eddie Clark @ 33 – are we sure the comments in the newsgroup are actual connections? I got polite comments from JMS back when he was posting to rec.arts.sf.babylon5.moderated. I certainly don’t think there was a connection.

But your point is made. I shoulda payed more attention :-/

By: Patrick Shepherd

Patrick Shepherd — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:15:46 +0000

First, I thoroughly enjoy Robin’s works. I’ve read all of them, even those she wrote under her other name, and just finished her latest a couple of days ago. But I really wasn’t aware of her more humorous side until I read this rant. And I must agree: blogging is a serious time suck. But it’s fun! And ego-boosting! And let’s you interact with all those others who think it’s fun! More power to all the bloggers in the world!

By: PixelFish

PixelFish — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:06:50 +0000

I thought Robin’s rant was funny, myself, although I took it with a grain of salt. Partially because I don’t confuse my journalling with my other writing, partly because there are lots of other things I do that have potentially more impact on whether I write. Things like not rigourously scheduling my World of Warcraft or Civilization so they don’t impinge upon the rest of my life. :) So yeah, the lesson I took away seems to be the one Scalzi did: Prioritize the writing and don’t let other things (taking baths, reading other people’s books, killing giant mech monsters, rock out on Guitar Hero) get in the way of your writing if you really really want to be a writer*.

(It probably helps that I don’t watch TV or even very many DVDs. But I have plenty of other distractions.)

*I note that really really wanting to be a writer is different than merely saying you do. I mean, in my early twenties, I went for nearly five years of saying I wanted to be a writer AND NOT WRITING. *head-desk* Too bad I had not yet discovered Scalzi’s advice on laptops and coffee shops.

By: Bruce Baugh

Bruce Baugh — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:54:51 +0000

Patrick’s right on about it varying between writers, and also for any given writer between circumstances. I have days when I have to lock myself away from commenting (and sometimes from reading my usual haunts) to get anything done, and other days when venting or rambling or expositing on something I care about really helps me get the creative juices flowing and write well on paying projects. The only thing a writer can do, really, is try out various approaches and see what works most reliably, then do that most of the time.

By: Robert Hutchinson

Robert Hutchinson — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:04:45 +0000

Completely ignoring the subject:

I like blogging; I think it’s fun and it’s certainly done well by me.

I originally read the second apostrophe-S in that sentence as standing for “is” rather than “has”. I found it amusing. That is all.

By: Michael R. Bernstein

Michael R. Bernstein — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:45:36 +0000

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cromulent

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:40:33 +0000

Hey, is it still “Invent a word day” somewhere? I ask because “cromulent” has me stumped. Are you using Conan the Barbarian’s expression of awe (Crom)? Is it based off of Lent, indicating the giving up of crom during Lent? I’m always interested in word usage, hah.