The Good Guys Do It Easy
Sad news. Fletch author Gregory McDonald has passed away.
I was 13 or 14 the summer I discovered Fletch. I laughed out loud as I read. think I was IN LOVE with Fletch. Over the next couple of years, I think I read every single one ever published (at that time). I tried (but failed) to enjoy the Chevy Chase movie (he was all wrong for the part). I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be like Fletch, and if not, then like McDonald.
Now, switching gears entirely . . . oldest daughter is reading this book. It won the Booker prize about 8 years ago, and it is, truly, magnificent. As Oldest says, "I steal a few minutes whenever I can to read it" (she is, after all, taking a huge course load plus orchestra and sectionals and . . . and . . .). "The writing is so eloquent." And it's true. Each sentence is a work of art.
Somehow, you won't ever find anyone who would say that Atwood isn't a genius. You couldn't. Not with that book. Probably not with any of her books.
But stick a few people in a room to discuss a "popular" fiction writer, and you'll find it's easy for the bashing to begin. Or maybe I should re-phrase that. Stick a few WRITERS in a room . . . and you'll find it's easy for the bashing to begin.
Sometimes, those who write popular fiction, make it look easy. They create some light entertainment for a few hours of our time. We get lost for a little bit. We get scared. Or we cry. Or we laugh. Or we can't wait to turn the page to see what happens next. People who can do that are gifted in their own way. Maybe each sentence isn't a work of art, but the sum of the whole . . . enjoyable.
When I am out in the "real world" (which is rarely), I notice something. When I'm with, say, a women's book club, if the ladies, as a whole, don't like a book, they simply say, "I didn't like it. I was really rooting for x to happen but then y happened." Or they say, "I just couldn't get into it because I didn't like the main character--I thought she was mean." Stick a few writers in the same scenario, and I swear it's jealousy (if it's a popular writer), or something . . . but they can't heap the snark and criticism on fast enough. Sometimes, it gets personal--all you need is to read some writer-reviewer blogs to see that.
Maybe it's me. But most of the time, I say, "I can see why someone loves it." I may not love it, but the good writers make it look easy--the sum of the whole. I have said many a time here that I would never read a book by her. She's sold 60 million (!!!) immensely popular books, but they're just not my thing. I like physics (yay for the super collider!). I like philosophy. BUT . . . I have never met a kinder, more gracious author in all my years (we both spoke at the same conference). I cheer her every success, because if there's such a thing as a writer putting out positive vibes and getting it back again, it's that lady. But here's the other thing. I would never want my reluctance to read "that kind" of book be perceived as a book snobbishness. It's entertainment. It's not rocket science. Just because I like to READ rocket science doesn't mean I don't appreciate the art form that is commercial fiction.
So here's to Fletch. To McDonald. He made me laugh. He made me want to be a writer. And he made it look easy.
Thoughts?
14 comments:
I think there is only one book lately that has truly pissed me off that is commercial fiction. And am I "jealous" that it made the NY times bestseller list?
Hmmmm, not really, because honestly I wouldn't want to make the list for that reason. Is it an entertaining book? If I hadn't watched Buffy, it would be. But the fact is, it's nothing short of fanfic, Spike was almost EXACTLY copied, every word out of his mouth could have been spoken by Spike. Most of the words out of the heroine's mouth, could have been spoken by Buffy.
This is not art, this is not creativity, this is ripping off someone else's creation and calling it yours. As much as I LOVE Spike, when I read a piece of original fiction that I paid money for, I expect it to actually contain original characters, and not already used characters with different names.
I can read Spike/Buffy fanfiction for free. So Yes, in this one book I am PISSED that it made the bestseller list, but it is not jealousy.
The bestseller list, while a nifty thing, would not be important enough for me to write like that.
I've long felt that popular writing and so-called literary writing involves exactly the same process, although the destination is perhaps a bit different.
When Stephen King was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award in 2003 he was criticized by several so-called literary writers including Shirley Hazzard and Dubravka Ugresic who was quoted as saying that "'contemporary literary professionalism' was comparable to socialist realism and called King's win 'a Fall of the Literary Wall: a final unification, not of good and bad literature but of literature and trash.'"
Hazzard supposedly complained that she saw no reason to take literary advice from Stephen King.
Yet, as my wife was saying just the other day, people are going to be reading King in 50 years. Who are these other people?
No, popularity isn't everything, but... I think that reaching people is pretty much the point of the exercise.
zoe:
I don't really read fan fic or things like that--but I totally "get" why some people would either like it or loathe it with no lukewarm.
E
Hi Mark:
I always think art should be judged for what it is not for what it could be. I.e., there is some pop art that is really accessible and fun and that's what it is, and there's Michelangelo. They are not competition for each other.
Margaret Atwood is a brilliant literary writer. What she does, she does probably better than almost anyone alive. What Stephen King does (scares the pants off people), he probably does better than anyone. And again, I think people who do it WELL make it so seamless, look so easy.
Without taking any particular person to task, there was a difference of opinion on the excerpt you included on your blog a while back of a writer you admired (Sandford). Some of the commentary offered was that it was a really poor example of writing. And everyone is entitled to opinion, for sure. But there's definitely a tendency of WRITERS to bash more than "regular humans," so to speak, when I think looking at the sum of the parts is probably the fairer thing to do.
Da Vinci Code--no one is saying it's a work of art. Writers in particular seem to think he's a hack or he has wooden characters. But I think it's fair to say, likely, that the sum of the parts of the adventure and the mystery was intriguing, fun, controversial . . . for what it IS, it serves its purpose well.
E
Debbie is a great motivational speaker and so, so sweet. I heart her a lot. :-)
Hi Heather:
She was just so lovely . . . I was very struck by how gracious she was. I am her biggest fan--who doesn't read her books. LOL!
E
I don't bash anyone. You know, I'm a James Patterson fan, the mac daddy bash target of all bash targets. I like what he says about his own books: Thousands of people hate them, but millions love them.
Jah.
I think most writers are generally supportive of one another. At least I hope that's the case. There's enough "regular humans" out there spewing venom without writers getting in on the action.
Jude:
Writers are very supportive--unless you are a famous author, in which case, it seems like everyone thinks you're fair game. I suppose the richer and more famous you get the thicker your skin . . . but . . .
E
And the reason that so many people think it's easy to write a book - is because good writers make it look easy. And that ease is what transfers into approachability - at least when you're not dealing with a rockstar author.
Margaret Atwood has been my favorite author since I was a teenager.
amy:
I was bemoaning that yesterday to a friend of mine. Ever comb craigslist for "writing" ads--it's SICK what some places want to pay writers. And it's, to me, two forces at work: the "art" of writing is denigrated as "anyone can do it" . . . and there will always be writers who are so desperate for bylines they will work for any price. Thus lowballing the rest of us.
E
Sometimes it's jealousy. Sometimes I think it's perceived as jealousy, but I'm not convinced it is at all.
Sometimes, I think it's part of the learning process. In conservatory, we all analyzed and tore apart every single mistake. Some would count mistakes they heard made by the Cleveland Orchestra, even! LOL! We were very critical, but it wasn't jealousy. We were learning to be critical, pushing ourselves to hear more and more so we could improve ourselves.
It hadn't been that long ago that we couldn't tell when the Cleveland Orchestra missed a note. I think it's the same with writing. As you learn, you see and understand so much more, and you have to go through that critical phase to improve your own stuff: it's natural that you start doing it with everything else.
And then you grow out of it, I guess. Once you're confident, maybe, or just more compassionate, or more comfortable with the fact that every book is going to have some sort of "mistake," at least in some way, in some one's eyes. Then you start to appreciate someone for even getting up and performing, or for just finishing a book. :-)
Hi Spy:
As someone who has edited/critiqued for a living, I totally get that. I guess it's that sometimes . . . at least with books, it's easy to dismiss something that's simply a "good yarn."
E
The further I get into this writing and submitting process, the more I am convinced that the 'good yarn' is what it's all about. I am currently writing a ms aimed at Harlequin Intrigue and there is certainly nothing easy about getting it 'right'. The mix of the action and the romance has to be just so. Managing that takes a clever writer because those books are written for a particular audience. Just like Debbie Macomber. I don't read her books either but I sure admire her for what she has achieved.
Suzanne:
Yes . . . i feel like I am a character-driven writer, but I have to remember the story--a good yarn--keeps people turning pages.
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