The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.
To your last question I quote Rick Bragg in "All Over but the Shoutin'"—
"I didn't get into this business to change the world; I just wanted to tell stories. But now and then, you can make people care, make people notice that something ain't quite right, and nudge them gently, with the words, to get off their ass and fix it."
I'd say that's the best we can aim for: Aim to tell good stories in any genre or medium, and every once in a while, we have the privilege of saying something something real in a real way that may, after all, change the world for the better.
Some of the most profound writing I've seen has been in genre novels. Of course, I've read a lot more genre novels than I have the literary kind, so I may be a tad biased (not to mention that I also write genre stories).
See, I agree with that: I personally think that genre writing has the ability to be MORE profound because those points can be allegorical or metaphorical, and hence "hidden in plain sight" in a way that doesn't raise the audience's psychological defenses. Literature often has to be literal, whereas we can hide the profundity behind vampires or elves.
To your last question I quote Rick Bragg in "All Over but the Shoutin'"—
"I didn't get into this business to change the world; I just wanted to tell stories. But now and then, you can make people care, make people notice that something ain't quite right, and nudge them gently, with the words, to get off their ass and fix it."
I'd say that's the best we can aim for: Aim to tell good stories in any genre or medium, and every once in a while, we have the privilege of saying something something real in a real way that may, after all, change the world for the better.
Helps too if you agree that small changes DO make a big difference. The butterfly effect and all ...
Some of the most profound writing I've seen has been in genre novels. Of course, I've read a lot more genre novels than I have the literary kind, so I may be a tad biased (not to mention that I also write genre stories).
See, I agree with that: I personally think that genre writing has the ability to be MORE profound because those points can be allegorical or metaphorical, and hence "hidden in plain sight" in a way that doesn't raise the audience's psychological defenses. Literature often has to be literal, whereas we can hide the profundity behind vampires or elves.
Genre fiction is derided by esteem-haunted purists.
Read what you love, write what you love.
Oh, I love this new podcast! First chance I’ve had to give it a listen… It’s my new addition! Awesomeness! Thanks! 🤗👋
Oh sweet ... I hope you're now a regular!