I
was talking to a writing friend last night and also another one today
and they've made me realize how lonely it really is to be a writer.
It sort of is you know.... writing the book is the easy part. Then
comes promotion. You know book launches and promos and intense
internet time building a fan-base, blogging, tweeting or what have
you. Spouses and families tend to feel left out and it causes such
drama in happy home after a while. But don't get all glum, I'll try
my best to keep the mood light tonight, what with it being the
holidays and everyone being stressed.
So
here's a fun fact about a writer, someone you might have heard of a
guy I like to call Shakespeare. TRUTH Shakespeare left his wife and
his son Hamlet to pursue a writing career years before he met his
African/Jewish mistress for which Othello was written. Now we all
know that this is a fact, we learned it in English Comp and also
history. But what if it had happened today? Let's have a peek at that
scenario.
William
S : I have left mine wife to play with puns and the craft of
words because my agent said it was best for mine career. Besides she
was overly scorned amongst all mine time on Fate Book and mine book
launch at Barnes & Noblemen.
Desdemona:
She is a right harlot and canst not understand thee as I canst.
William
S:
Aye! There's the rub; whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the
slings and arrows....
Desdemona:
Oh what the hell art thou talking about now? Can't thou
speak English?
Imagine
also just the long talk with an editor that Mark Twain would have
now:
Editor:
We can't have this character in Tom Sawyer being an actual … well
his grammar....
it isn't educated you see. We'll be liable.
Mark
T: But
he isn't supposed to be educated. He's an ex-slave.
Editor:
Well the entire slavery thing is just really offensive and
oppressive. You'll have to change that you see.
Mark
T: .
Hence the lack of education
Editor:
We don't want to portray people as ignorant. This'll have to be
edited out. Simply change that character and then it'll be perfect!
Mark
T:
Change him to what?
Editor:
We were thinking a middle-aged accountant in Boise, Idaho would work
better.
Imagine
George Orwell trying to submit his book 1984 to a publishing house
now. What might their response be?
Dear
Mr. Orwell,
Thank
you for submitting your work to our house. We will not however be
interested in your manuscript at this time. A good critique would be
of service to you as we find the term Big Brother to be sexist. Any
woman can be just as iron-fisted as a man and just as ferociously
uncaring (but at only half the pay.) Also it is politically incorrect
to point out anyone's gender, totalitarianism dictatorship or not.
That kind of behavior is not only gender-insensitive, it also we tend
to find evokes feelings of sadness and fear, whereas we want monotone
feelings of inspiration for all equally.
Thank
you for your submission and best of luck in your future publishing
ventures.
PS.
We also feel your title 1984 is not only out-dated but makes the
other calendar years feel “left out,” which is not something we
want to do to our demographics.
That's
my side of it,
Angel
www.streetlighthalo.com
www.streetlighthalo.com
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