Book No. 7–that’s Queen Gurun in the bows.
Let me tell you what it’s like, writing a novel.
Probably almost everybody can learn how to put a novel together. And almost everybody thinKs he or she can write a novel. “If only I had the time!”
Lately a question has arisen in my mind: how many publishing execs, editors, marketing consultants, or reviewers could write a decent novel if their lives depended on it?
Same with movie critics – let’s see them make a good movie.
I don’t think they remember what a bad one looks like.
I have watched some bad movies. Some so awful, I couldn’t get very far. After the disaster was over, I have always wondered, if I was making that movie, how could I have made it better? What would I have changed to improve it? I don’t have a clue.
Now, if I was making movies and studying the art, I am sure I would have an idea of what to change. Of course, that still leaves the question, if movie producers know what to change and understand their craft, why are we deluged with so many movies that are not even fit for the compost pile nor the garbage dump?
I have read some awful books, and didn’t get very far, and have wondered the same things. But now after reading hundreds of books, learning about writing, and writing a few, I do have, at least an idea of what to do, how to edit, and so forth. My writing has improved. But the few I have written, are they good or mediocre?
That’s a good question, concerning the publishing execs and their ilk. Just knowing how it all fits together, how to arrange the parts, and dot the I’s, does that mean it will be a masterpiece when completed? I think many of their lives would be shortened by a lot.