Quote Originally Posted by lucy View Post
Every once in a while when I'm done reading a text sent by one of our contributors I sit on my cheap publishing house skivvy-chair, scratch my head and can't help but think: "And who should or will give a flying f*** about any of this?"
I mean, it's not unusual that someone writes two thousand words about nothing. I usually don't have much of a problem deleting two thirds of it, either. But, frankly, six or eight hundred words about Nothing is still, well, Nothing. However, since I'm paid to delete 1200 words of Nothing I don't mind all that much.
But when I think of it being printed 35'000 times on perfectly perfect paper it still makes me cringe because of all the beautiful trees that had to be cut for - yes! - Nothing.
I do understand what you are saying and agree, but the nothing lucy might be nothing to you and I, but out there in the other few billion people there might be twenty thousand people waiting for that nothing to be written. It is also some persons something. By the way...plant a tree..it might make you feel better...lol
Quote Originally Posted by lucy View Post
No, the crucial and most important question about writing comes much, much earlier. In fact, it should be asked and truthfully answered before you even think about dipping your pen into the inkstand or open a Word doc.

It's a simple question, too: Do I have to say something or am I wasting my potential readers' time?

If in doubt about the answer, let it be. Thank you.
Vanity in a lot of writers will always force them to answer that question. [Yes I have something to say]

One other point about those books and stories you get, they have never been placed in front of another person to be checked. The reason is because they don’t want either ridicule, rejection or a bad review. They all think publish and be damned.

You and I lucy, have learnt to check our own stories harder than an editor would. I have thrown six chapters away because I felt it was not working and had too much of the nothing. Others writers of first time or one story only have not got that luxury, and are very protective of their writing.

I will always help anyone that I think has talent or they think they have talent. I will find time to read their story with too much nothing and nurture them in the way of replacing the nothing with something. People are too afraid of someone stealing their idea to ask for that kind of help. True writers never steal the story or concept of an idea off of another person. [Well I never have.]

Be well IAN 2411