torgeaux posted:

When? The mystery she wrote was at least published after.

ImpAtom posted:

You can't really go "She wrote one series except for when she did other things afterwards." Also JK Rowling has been very vocal in interviews about how she wanted to diversify and work on new things. She even said she was working on other novels while writing Harry Potter. She is in fact one of the authors who has openly talked about how writing other things helped refresh her energy for her main product and how she was glad when it was over because she could do other things without Harry "taking over."

torgeaux posted:

I'm also thinking of those that write a series, then write something outside the series, but same universe. Think Robert Crais. 8 books in series, then books not in series in name only. Fits your idea of a break, sort of.

torgeaux posted:

Sure you can. She wrote, uninterrupted, a series of books. She, apparently, dabbled in other things on the way, great. She wrote a couple of books after she finished. I'm sure she's glad it's over, like Butcher would be, too. I still want Butcher to write what I want. Now. Not the other poo poo he wants.

Wheat Loaf posted:

Warbreaker frustrated me. It was enjoyable novel, but it was a bit of a, "Wait, what?" moment when I realised that the main character at the end was completely different from the main character at the start. Perhaps that was the idea. I'm not sure. I believe it's the one he published on his website as he was writing it, so I suppose that approach might have influenced its structure.

ImpAtom posted:

Uh. Robert Crais writes television shows and films in-between novels.


So you want Butcher to write shittier books he isn't invested in.

Wade Wilson posted:

It would probably get better reception if the reason for the steampunk thing was based on a bet like Alera was.

torgeaux posted:

You only assume the books would be "shittier" if you assume you're correct. I don't assume that, obviously.

ImpAtom posted:

Yes, and I would be right.

There is no time or place where any creator does better making something they're obligated to instead of something they want to. Writers are not machines you put money into and a story comes out.

torgeaux posted:

Obligated?

ImpAtom posted:

Yes? You're demanding a 'fix.' You're saying you want him to write faster instead of writing what he wants. I'm not quoting you out of context here, you're demanding he write books faster because you want them faster. You care more about the author getting you a book fast than anything else.

Butcher has written more or less one novel a year and a number of Dresden-themed short stories in the mean time. The longest break he had was between Cold Days and Skin Game. Even when he was literally writing another book series he still got a Dresden book out regularly. So you whining about him writing something keeps you from your fix is silly as hell.

torgeaux posted:

I'm not demanding anything. I'm expressing my desire for him to write books I'm interested in.

torgeaux posted:

I still want Butcher to write what I want. Now. Not the other poo poo he wants.

ImpAtom posted:

When you tell someone to write something now and not do what they want, you are, uh, demanding. Like literally. That is called a demand.

I'm not trying to be a dick here but maybe you don't realize how you're writing?

ImpAtom posted:

When you tell someone to write something now and not do what they want, you are, uh, demanding. Like literally. That is called a demand.

I'm not trying to be a dick here but maybe you don't realize how you're writing?

You admit you're being irrational. You admit that you need your fix. You are saying he should do what you want and not what he wants. I mean none of this is taken out of context, it is literal quotes from you.

torgeaux posted:

I realize how I'm writing, but you should note the forum. We're somewhat talking past each other. If I were saying this to Butcher, it would be more akin to your interpretation. I wouldn't think of trying to pressure a writer, for the reasons you note. But I also wouldn't hesitate to note my frustration with the speed of some writers who ARE staying in their lane, so to speak (looking at you Rothfuss).

ImpAtom posted:

So if you wouldn't think of trying to pressure a writer then what exactly is the point you're trying to make? Your frustration is irrational and you admitted it. I guess I'm just confused as to what your point is.

torgeaux posted:

Is it just me or do other people resent an author for writing something else instead of the good stuff? I hate and find stupid the steam punk genre, so I really hate the waste of time here. I love Christopher Moore (a name not mentioned much in urban fantasy, but he has some really good ones), but his historical stuff does nothing for me,and I hate every book that isn't his " normal" stuff. I know it's irrational, but still.

Mortanis posted:

I'm sure this has been posted before.

Neil Gaiman: George R R Martin Jim Butcher is not your bitch

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html

Neil Gaiman posted:

You're complaining about George doing other things than writing the books you want to read...

torgeaux posted:

Is it just me or do other people resent an author for writing something else instead of the good stuff? I hate and find stupid the steam punk genre, so I really hate the waste of time here.

torgeaux posted:

edit: Even you, for instance. Acknowledging that you think it's best an author take creative lanes outside the series, does it make you impatient if such an author writes something you don't care for?

torgeaux posted:

edit: Even you, for instance. Acknowledging that you think it's best an author take creative lanes outside the series, does it make you impatient if such an author writes something you don't care for?

Mortanis posted:

torgeaux posted:

See, Neil's conclusion, that it's unreasonable, is the same as mine. I don't have to ask if it's unreasonable, hence my use of the word irrational. It's irritating to me, I guess I'm the only one. That's ok, too.

Exmond posted:

That was an intereseting 144 posts. People who got the Paranet papers, how awesome is it? In the timeline its between changes and Ghost story right? Do the formor get more background?


This was hard to read... Im okay with an author taking a break on a series. Its their life they can do what they want with it.

Wade Wilson posted:

Kind of disagree with Neil claiming the writer doesn't work for the readers though. The writer totally does work for the reader, they just have a little more freedom in who they work for than people working in different fields.

The trade-off for a writer is that if they make the wrong decision of what audience/boss to write things for, they risk alienating both their original audience and the new one they were trying to gain.

It's easy for a writer like Neil to say the things he says, though, because he literally wrote a short story about putting together an store-bought chair (first short story in Trigger Warning) that was more fun to read than George R.R. Martin's books.

Thyrork posted:

I'm pretty sure Sanderson (since we were talking about him earlier) advices that working on something significantly different (Don't write something similar, you'll latch onto that and never go back) when you're feeling low is A Good Idea.

Mortanis posted:

I'm sure this has been posted before.

Neil Gaiman: George R R Martin Jim Butcher is not your bitch

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html

ImpAtom posted:

He's right though. The writer is not working for the readers. If you're creating (and I mean actually creating, not trying to earn a buck), the act of creating and telling your story is more important to you than the financial aspect. You obviously would like it to sell and for other people to enjoy reading it, but at the end of the day a creator creates for themselves and nobody else.

There are unarguably mercenary creators focused on putting out stuff to appeal to an audience even if they themselves dislike it but almost universally that kind of stuff ends up the lowest type of trash. An author may be critical of their own work but at the end of the day they're not going to make something for their audience over themselves. Doing so tends to work out poorly.

John Scalzi posted:

You may from time to time hear the line from writing instructors that one should always write for one’s self, but I think that’s just a load of crap when it comes to writing for money. A lot of times when it comes to professional writing, you may be writing something you have absolutely no personal interest in whatsoever — you’re writing what you’re writing for someone else who has a specific need for the content you create. This is not to say you shouldn’t have an interest in doing a good job or creating eminently readable content no matter what the context. It does mean that when you are writing professionally, you need to be aware of who your intended audience is and what they’re looking for.

Or, to put it more succinctly: Writing professionally is a business. If you want to write professionally, you have to approach writing in a professional manner — which is to say, you have to approach it with the intent of actually making money doing it.

Wade Wilson posted:

I was talking more in literal economic terms than employer-employee relationship terms. If the writer isn't putting out anything anybody wants to read, they're either going to starve or find another way to make a living.

Also, from a different mildly successful author


The rest of that article is a pretty good read as well.

Wheat Loaf posted:

I've got a question, but it's a bit of an odd question. If I was to go on the Book Depository and get the North American version of Foxglove Summer, how would sit on my bookshelf next to the UK versions of the other books published by Gollancz? What are its dimensions by comparison?

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

I both wish Butcher would just write oodles more Dresden all the time and also understand why he doesn't. I suppose it's a regrettable necessity, like aging or taxes.

mallamp posted:

At least he hasn't decided to double the length of series before going "nahhh, better do some side projects" like GRRM

Ornamented Death posted:

The US paperback is going to be smaller based on the dimensions for Foxglove Summer given at Amazon and the dimensions for Moon Over Soho at AmazonUK.

Though if you're already ordering from the Book Depository, why not get the UK edition so everything will match?