Why don't people realize how hard it can be to write?

[T.Allen.Smith]

I'd like to apologize if my posts sounded as if I was attacking Mr. Martin in any way. This wasn't my intention, I don't really know anything about him and the discussions about his books. I was merely surprised by some of the reactions to propositions made by others here on this forum and in the linked article.

There's no need for apology. Nothing you said was offensive in any way. You're entitled to have contrary opinions. That's how we learn from one another.

 

[PlotHolio]

If HBO adapted any of my books into a high-budget series that was all but guaranteed to run for at least three seasons, I'd stop writing, too.

Then again, I don't actually have any books. All I have is an unorganized folder of Word documents and a half-baked story about zombie children and evil trees.

 

[Devor]

If HBO adapted any of my books into a high-budget series that was all but guaranteed to run for at least three seasons, I'd stop writing, too.

He didn't stop writing. Feast for Crows had to be rewritten because he was originally skipping five years, and it came out so long he cut the book in half, which meant more rewrites, and then the second half got so long he cut off the two fight scenes at the end. He's actually complained when his publishers sent him on book tours because it meant there would be a few months that he couldn't write. And he's expressed his fears that the books won't even be published when the HBO series catches up, which means he knows that he needs to focus even more on writing.

You really shouldn't judge people, even celebrities, if you know nothing about what they're doing.

 

[Zero Angel]

Seriously? Why is it that so many people can pass off writing like its no big deal or that pumping out a novel can be done in a day. From my own personal experience I've had to put up with people that constantly joke or laugh that I write and yet they do absolutely nothing creative or productive. Is this a mechanism for them because they feel threatened or just that they are pricks? Anyone else experience this or something similar?

HECK YES! My fiancee would just say, "They're jealous," but I think there is a serious disrespect or ignorance when it comes to what it takes to be creative. I think part of that is most people only see the finished awesome product we produce, and are unaware of the thousands of hours we put into making it the best possible work. I mean, it's EASY to consume art, isn't it?

In my experience, people lie all over the spectrum on how they feel about writing (or any other creative art form).

Some have great reverence and respect for authors, understanding that there is a craft that needed to be learned & a comprehension about what a daunting task writing a novel can be, the commitment involved. They are well aware how many people try, and fail, constantly....every year...throughout history.

Some people, without any real, intimate knowledge of craft, believe that writing is merely putting words on paper. They write emails, chat on Facebook, occasionally pen an actual letter. Therefore, they may feel they could write a novel or story...if they wanted to. Often, even aspiring writers fall into this category, those that dream of being a literary success without the understanding that, in the end, a lot of hard work is required. They offer excuses. I'm going to start writing when "x" is done, or some similar reason for postponing the actual labor of art.

Still, others are just indifferent. They don't care about the art form, or any type of creative art for that matter. They don't read. They don't appreciate visual arts beyond movies, they simply don't care. I'm not chastising this outlook. It's just not their cup of tea. Don't ever expect people like this to appreciate the work behind the scenes. They never will because it is unimportant to their lives.

"A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." ~Thomas Mann

I love that quote. It illustrates that, once you take an art form seriously, delving into the craft to become a true, working practitioner, only then can you realize the difficulties of doing it well. So don't be too hard on the uninitiated. They just don't understand.

For those fans, that one day, may consider your writing or art the work of genius:

"It's none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way." ~ Ernest Hemingway

Nice quotes!

And how about the people who, upon finding out that you finished your first novel (or are a writer with published books), immediately want you to ghostwrite THEIR idea. Right, 'cuz I have all the time in the world and a shortage of ideas.

He didn't stop writing. Feast for Crows had to be rewritten because he was originally skipping five years, and it came out so long he cut the book in half, which meant more rewrites, and then the second half got so long he cut off the two fight scenes at the end. He's actually complained when his publishers sent him on book tours because it meant there would be a few months that he couldn't write. And he's expressed his fears that the books won't even be published when the HBO series catches up, which means he knows that he needs to focus even more on writing.

You really shouldn't judge people, even celebrities, if you know nothing about what they're doing.

I judge, I judge. But seriously. I can't believe they bought the idea to the series knowing it was incomplete and how miserable he is when it comes to deadlines. Are they going to do like they end up doing with a lot of manga and write their own endings? Will he tell them what happens ahead of the books so the series will pull ahead? Will they end in the middle, stymieing any fans that cared about the show but not the books?

I'm only in the middle of writing my second book in my series, so I'm not going to say that it would be easy for him to figure out what he should do and write that. I remember reading that for every page he wrote in the book, there was ten more pages writing in-between scenes or describing things or whatever, but I don't care. Just give me the next book.

Except, I gave up on him after whichever book it was where he skipped half the characters. I'm not going to say that it's easy, because I know how hard it is, but come on. He wasted about three days of my life. I probably will never finish the series, and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It's upsetting, but as a writer I can understand screwing up. It's just, I don't know, it's so slow-going! I can't imagine the hell his publisher goes through trying to get the next book. "Oh, you're writing another two episodes of the show that we see no royalties from instead of writing another two chapters of the next book, FANTASTIC."

 

[Devor]

I can't believe they bought the idea to the series knowing it was incomplete and how miserable he is when it comes to deadlines. Are they going to do like they end up doing with a lot of manga and write their own endings? Will he tell them what happens ahead of the books so the series will pull ahead? Will they end in the middle, stymieing any fans that cared about the show but not the books?

If that happens, I imagine that Martin would give them a few spoilers, but that the show would mostly diverge from the book.

 

[PlotHolio]

Actually, he did stop writing. He took a year-long break to focus on the TV show and some stuff with Dunk and Egg.

 

[Devor]

Actually, he did stop writing. He took a year-long break to focus on the TV show and some stuff with Dunk and Egg.

Okay, sorry a bit then, I must have missed that. One year isn't so bad, though.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

He didn't stop writing. He stopped writing ASOFAI.

 

[Arhenvir]

I hear a lot of these comments from people who haven't opened a book since they were forced to in high school. To them, fiction writing seems to mean 'making stuff up all day' until such time as I've filled an entire book cover-to-cover. They don't think about (or understand) what good writing is versus walls of text.

Folks that love reading, though, are more sympathetic if I say I have a hard time finishing out the latest chapter in my own novel. They marvel at their favorite authors' ability to keep them entertained, and understand that often it's not quite so much the basic premise of the novel, but how the story is being told.