Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Should the Market Decide?

This weekend the Wall St. Journal filled us in on the possibilities offered by E books; authors will soon be able to track their readers' choices: the color of men's eyes, the length of sex scenes, the endings of stories. Will economist Milton Friedman's famous maxim, "let the market decide" be the new rallying cry of novelists? Will creativity and artistic decisions yield to the demands of those turning the page? But in Sunday's NYT Book Review we find hope: Sarah Towers' review of Christopher Beha's "What Happened to Sophie Wilder" describes the book as a "meditation of why and for whom we write." Might be worth reading. I get into big trouble when I worry about pleasing those who might read what I write. Clarity and good writing are all important, and rewriting is essential. But what I want to say is mine alone. I can't let the "market" decide for me.

2 comments:

  1. Added to my TBR pile!

    When I write, I don't consciously consider the market or even my audience. What I do try to do, is be as honest as I can in thinking and reacting as teens do. Forget about silencing the inner editor, it's not always easy for me to silence my inner parent and let characters make their own mistakes.

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  2. Oh, J.A.! I love that! Yes, silencing my inner parent can be a challenge!

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