(I apologize in advance for any incoherence this article may contain thanks to my throbbing sinuses.)
“So this is what a real writer looks like,” was, I’m embarrassed to say, my first thought as I approached the Writer’s Dojo, a Portland writer’s resource center tucked away in north of the city. The woman who had caught my eye was wore an overcoat and carried a large Queen Bee Creations bag. I smiled, thinking of the Queen Bee bag slung over my own shoulder and feeling that perhaps I wouldn’t look entirely out of place despite the fact that I had gotten caught in a rainstorm on the way to the Dojo.
I’d like to excuse myself for these silly thoughts with such generalizations as “no one is immune to shallowness,” but that would be ignoring the truth of the matter, which is that I still feel as if I’m intruding on the Portland writer’s world instead of being a part of it. I pay attention to the way I dress because I feel as if maybe I can make myself look the part people won’t realize that I’m still an amateur. Perhaps it’s a symptom of my own mental transition from academic to writer. Maybe it’s because I don’t have the mental energy these days to devote much time to fiction, which I would love to eventually have time to do (it just feels irresponsible to dream about the lives of others while I, myself, am mostly unemployed.) But I think the most likely reason of all is that I am not yet published (though this will change in a small capacity shortly. I’ve landed a small freelance gig, but I’ve hesitated to post about it here so that I don’t jinx anything.).
This muddle of thoughts is actually central to a lot of what I got out of attending the Writer’s Dojo panel discussion on publishing, community and social media. Featuring writers, small-press publishers, and the owners of literary social networking sites, the discussion panel answered questions and posed new ones about the future of publishing: What does it mean that with technologies such as Twitter and blogs, anyone can be their own publisher? Does blogging about your day smother the seeds of stories by forcing them out into the open air prematurely? Do people still read books? And what about the fact that a lot of people need solitude to write and don’t want to constantly be able to communicate?
Despite my nerves, the atmosphere was genial and open, becoming more of a giant conversation than a lecture, and I’m sorry to simplify what was an all-together fascinating panel into this small write-up, but this was what stuck with me. This is the second panel I’ve attended on this subject, and I’m more than a little surprised about the one commonality between this one and the one I attended at Wordstock: The panelists at both were very concerned about what “the kids” think about print media, and yet, “the kids,” for the most part, didn’t attend these discussions. I don’t know what to make of the latter point, but I’d like to speak a bit to the former. Being on the younger end of my twenties, I’m more or less on the upper edge of the age group in question and felt a little awkward hearing such joking comments as “Yeah, you want a 20-year-old to do your marketing!” It’s akin to hearing relatives discuss your life at a family function, referring to you in the third person while you stand right next to them, staring at your shoes.
As the conversation moved in fascinating directions such as the usefulness of paper media for annotation, and the fact that children still grow up with books (and children books are amongst the most beautiful printed), I often wanted to raise my hand and offer a recent college graduate’s perspective. (Unfortunately, I’m short, shy, and was sitting behind tall people, so by the time I got called on, the conversation had moved in such a direction that I mumbled something about the kinds of interactive fiction I’ve seen on Livejournal, primarily in fandom, where people are supposed to respond to journal entries as if the characters were real people, and came off as a not particularly serious sci-fi dork, but that sorry tale is neither here nor there). What I had wanted to say though, is that the person who brought up children’s books hit the nail on the head: I don’t know anyone my age who sees books as obsolete. I heard of a few people who hate reading, but not even my constantly plugged-in little brother is ready to give up books yet (granted, he doesn’t hate reading.).
This brings me back to the issue of publishing and the question of what makes a “real” writer: yes, anyone can be published these days through blogs or twitter. There are sites designed to help you archive web comics and sites which which you can use to print small runs of your work for family and friends. Before all this, zinesters were self-publishing their work armed only with a copier and a stapler. But even amongst people younger than me, I don’t know if anyone considers these self-publishing tools to be “real” yet. From what I can tell, and I admit that I’ve never truly been in an online writing scene (there’s more than one), writing on the net is still seen as a prelude to a book deal. Getting recognized by a publisher still has a kind of mystique. When a fanfic author such as Cassandra Clare, both infamous and famous in the Harry Potter fandom, gets a book deal, people see it as having moved on to the big leagues. At this point, I think it’s both the seal of quality publishers assure for readers and the affirmation they provide writers that keep self-publishing in this manner less mainstream. If these attitudes change, well, the sky’s the limit.
I write a lot of articles on this blog. People have commented both positively and negatively, and it’s a lot of fun. I feel like my voice is being heard. Nevertheless, I don’t think of it as publishing my thoughts. I don’t consider myself a journalist or a published writer at this point, which is why I still feel like I’m performing something I’m not when I go to events like this panel. I still list myself in the “aspiring” category, someone who’s still striving make her output match her ideas, and then, with a little luck, her output match her dreams of publication. Maybe one day I’ll change my mind. Maybe I’ll be published before I have to change my mind. Or maybe I’ll opt out of all of worry of when I can truly call myself a writer and join the publishing world (or try and make my way in both.) Until then, I’ll still worry that I’m out of place at writing events, checking out the aura of the authentic writers and wondering when I can walk among them with confidence. Even if our publishing media has democratized, I’m not sure our attitudes have. At least mine sure haven’t.
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March 30, 2009 at 5:21 pm
saira
You reminded me of this conversation I sat in between my boss and an older grantwriter, where the grantwriter went on and on about how you need to hire someone older to do the development stuff for you because they’re more experienced. And it really pissed me off because the last place I worked, the entire development department was under 30, and it worked really well. And also because most of the older people I know don’t understand how to market themselves using the internet, and that’s pretty important in nonprofit development these days…
Also, I think the way things are going, online writing/media is going to get more important. There are a lot of REALLY good webcomics out there, for instance, which developed largely online, through word-of-mouth. Some didn’t even really use social networking tools as energetically as people are now beginning to. And I think people are just beginning to see the potential in social networking tools — it’s something that occurred to me the other day, actually. You can set up an alternate world WITHIN THIS WORLD so easily. I mean, not like RPGs or whatever, but you can create Twitter accounts and Facebook accounts and so on for fictional people and literally create a person with a real, online presence — and because we’re all interacting online, they might as well be real, right? It’s a thought I’ve been playing with — it has so many creative (and illegal) implications that it’s absolutely fascinating.
March 30, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Steph
One of the things I was really happy they mentioned was that it’s not enough to simply be on facebook or myspace or twitter: you have to understand the demographic and nettique of each. I find that this is one of the major problems older people have with using social networking tools.
And I agree, online writing is going to become more important. I think it’s going to take longer than some people are worried about for people to view print and online publishing (and online self-publishing) as being one and the same. Right now people are hybridizing the two in really awesome ways though: web comics will go on to gain a published anthology, etc. Because there really ARE great web comics (and soon for there to be one more ;) ), and, though I haven’t had the chance to look, I’m sure there are great stories developing on the net.
I’m also with you on the social networking tools. My failed comment at the panel involved people who wrote an X-Files fanfic on livejournal. It wasn’t really an RPG in that it had a set plot (as opposed to a scenario) but more of an epistolary novel. The people commenting on it were not other characters, but the readers themselves. If ever they complimented the authors on “sounding just like Mulder,” “Mulder” would correct them with a, “That’s good; I’m glad I still sound like myself despite all the stress.” I think it would be really cool to write an original “novel” of sorts in this way. In fact, I’m sure someone already has. Also, now that I think about it, the creator of the web comic Achewood set up blogs for each of his characters all the way back in 2003/4 (When I was a senior in high school, in any case.) It made the comic far more complex because there would be really well-developed plot threads in the blogs that only appeared in passing reference in the comic and vice-versa. There’s so much opportunity out there! The panelists ended up agreeing with me on this point (I say that as if I brought up the point to the panelists, which was not the case at all.)
Speaking of web comics, I wonder if the success of web comics has inspired talk about the future of comics amongst comic presses because I haven’t heard much hubbub. Not that my not hearing about it means anything.
March 31, 2009 at 5:11 pm
saira
Questionable Content developed twitter feeds for all (ALL!) the major characters. So you can follow the conversations between characters — and the conversations might reference the comics, but they might not. I haven’t really followed the twitter feed there because I… am not THAT into QC. But it’s an interesting idea.
March 31, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Bitsy
I very much understand how you feel odd as you are much closer in age to “the kids” people are talking about then to the people talking in age. I have encountered this quite a bit in going to poly community gatherings, and even more in trying to be a part of poly activism. Often I am younger then the children of the other people there. I haven’t completely gotten over it, but luckily, there is recognition of the importance of youth voices in the community. I’m not sure this is so in the writer’s community, but if it is not recognized it should be. You have valuable life experience to offer, and life experience that is different then the people at the table.
I also have to agree, as much as the internet changes the dynamics of publishing, it doesn’t totally erase the dynamics (you aren’t a real writer, etc.). A well written, thought out, edited and published book is still it own thing, and still very much alive and well. Much like in music, while the internet does hurt some old model businesses (news papers), it doesn’t destroy everything, and certainly shouldn’t been seen as doing so. I think when people talk about this sort of thing they tend to fall into the “we are all going to die!” (“you are going to destroy everything I hold dear!”) camp or the “everything will be new bright shiny and different!” camp. I think both are equally poorly based in reality, and it equally hard to have rational discussion with either. To make matters worse, they reinforce each other.
April 7, 2009 at 9:49 am
Kristin Ginger
Nothing that insightful, but I thought of another interesting and related phenomena: cell phone books. Wired recently had an article (http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/01/72329) about this fascinating intersection of publication, technology, texting, and writing, and one of these novels has been digitally published (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/07-26-2007/0004633449&EDATE=)…there are also a great number of sites that post them. I’m not sure how different people and sites distinguish between posting writing online and publishing writing online, but that’s the terminology that the latter article uses, anyway.
For myself–and this might just be a comforting distinction of semantics–I deal with being a writer but not being a Writer by thinking of someone who has been published as an author, and myself as a writer. I don’t know where that breaks down…for instance, now that I’ve published short stories, am I an author? I don’t think so, but why? Does someone have to publish a book to be an author? No…anyway, it’s just a small difference, but makes me comfortable identifying as a writer and not feeling presumptuous about it. I don’t like the focus on publishing that seems so ubiquitous, but do feel the pull…it’s more that I don’t think having publication in mind while writing is always productive. Next year at Boston U I’ll be teaching an undergrad creative writing course and one of the aims of the workshop is for each student to pursue publication of a story, and I’m rather uncomfortable with that.
April 15, 2009 at 10:32 am
Julie
Honestly, I have an MFA from a fancy program and several publications, and I *still* don’t feel like a real writer. The fiction world is so competitive and hipster-infested that the feelings of inferiority never go away.
All the more reason to legitimize self-publishing!
May 4, 2009 at 5:13 pm
robotcupcake
Hey Steph,
This is a really thought-provoking post on a number of levels. I’ve actually been asking myself some of the same questions about legitimacy as well. And like Julie and Kristen, I’ve been published in these little magazines and I would certainly, certainly consider myself firmly in the realm of aspiring. I like Kristen’s semantics here, and would like to consider myself and others like me “writers”. My poetry blog is an informal ground to get comments (or not get them, as the case may be…:) ) and share my writing in various states of undress/uneditedness..
I just sort of want to say, “poop on legitimacy”. The reason to publish, online or otherwise, is to get your voice heard. So some people are reading my poems. Do I ever think I’ll be “famous”, or even ever make a living by writing alone? No (and why would I want to– I love my teacher “day job” and it gives me inspiration for my work!). Even if I were Mary Oliver, I’m not sure how “famous” I’d be anyway. Maybe my poetry will be enjoyed by a few people along the way. I think that’s what anyone, from Mary Oliver to Jane the blogger, can dream of.
That’s not to deligitimate Mary Oliver, but just to say that things are a lot more relative than some people think. Being a writer, real or not, is nothing to get a big head or a inferiority complex about (at least in theory. I wish wish wish I could practice what I preach here).
ps. My ulterior motive for commenting is to say we should hang out sometime. You haven’t fallen off the face of the earth into the blogosphere, right? :) Let’s do movies or something with Robbit this weekend.