I'm getting pretty fed up just lately.
Most people really enjoy my book 'FOUR CORNERS.book one.The Rock Star.' And they usually tell me so. Don't get me wrong, they point out mistakes, offer advice, and so on, but generally it all looks good. Over this last year my book has changed dramatically and with the help of other Authonomites I've managed to edit it and it's risen to number 296.
However there are the few who keep pointing out the same errors in my book - the fact that I over-use adjectives and verbs. I know I do and I have purpously done it for effect. Whether it be the 'right way' or the 'wrong way' I don't particularly care.
I AM MAKING A STAND.
I ask you this - If a man passes a writing course he has the education to write - maybe even a book. But will everyone want to read it?
A true writer is an ARTIST, not someone who cares about too many adjectives or verbs in his sentance. Have we forgotten what our writing means to us? Do we spend all of our time studying every word instead of seeing each chapter as we used to do, as a completed masterpiece. (I bet you did)
Well no one is taking that away from me. My verbs and adjectives are staying put, for as long as I want them to be - probably forever. Oh and the swearing too!
Come and have a look and leave a comment. I always return them, and I'm never unkind, but honest.
Junetee
FOUR CORNERS.book one.The Rock Star
(http:www authonomy.com./books/33351/four-corners-book-one-the-rock-star-/)
That's fine and dandy, but...
What you're going to get is others reading your book and telling you what works and what doesn't work for them.
If the style is intentional and if in the creation of that style you're expecting to clunk with a large proportion of readers, then you have to anticipate a large proportion of readers on Authonomy to say 'It clunks'.
If you write a work packed with long sentences for effect, you can bet the main comment from passing readers will be 'the sentences are too long'.
If you write a book and a third of it is in Bulgarian, you can expect a lot of readers to say 'I don't speak Bulgarian'.
If you decide to experiment with minimalism and have a work devoid of words and put it out there it may be great as an artistic statement - dunno, never made that statement myself - but you can probably assume most comments will be 'There's nothing here to read'.
You can't eat your cake and have it. If you write something that is going to clunk with a lot of readers and that is your 'voice' then you stick with it and good luck but you can't expect others to come along, read your mind, realise it's artistic and intentional and praise it on that basis. For them it just clunks.
Finally, if I may dare intrude here upon the integrity of the artist, maybe if everyone is saying it then either i), the people who are going to 'get it' are a very limited and select few and er... well... ii), maybe the voice actually isn't working?
Just a possibility, I've not read it.