Since the beginning of publication writers have belonged to a sacred community. As the ones charged with the duty of delivering tools from the heavens to society, the job had a distinct feel of elitism to it. Kings and Queens, nobles, peasants and religious leaders treated storytellers with respect!
Has this been forgotten today?
Maybe with all the voices that are swimming out there the responsibility that comes with the privilege has been lost on writers. As one who is fairly new to the whole process of searching the net for information as opposed to the library I find the sea of awareness larger than my mind can wrap itself around. As a new professional writer I find the behind the scenes look at the publishing industry amazing . . . and not in the more flattering way.
So what is a newbie to do? Stand strong? Hide in the sand? I find at this point of my career that a mixture of both is best. Many in the communities of writers are so focused on getting their opinion vauled that they have forgotten that neither one of us have all the pieces to the puzzle. Let’s not even get on the fact that its sink or swim . . . I know that this is the case with all competitive industries but we’re talking about writers. Writers!
Sadly, knowledge is shared but not without the expectation of receiving praise from their collegium or more important a sense of idolatry from the newbies. Maybe its been forgotten that our energy goes everywhere even on the written page and to one who is learning the overwhelming process of publication having to fit in came make things worst.
Could this be part of the reason that even with the portal that has burst wide open, there seem to be so much competetion for readers? What happen to the pure reason of writing to release an inner burning knowledge? When was it forgotten that those who need to hear your words will be drawn to them? Is it reasonable to say that maybe this is the reason that so many writers spend time writing on how to write?
Storytelling is my strength . . . where are they- the true stroytellers- and why havn’t they stepped up in the fierce online marketing community? If they’re already there why aren’t they fighting to make writers remember that staying true to telling a tale is most important?
The public complains that there’s no original entertainment nowadays . . . well I tell you in the professional writing community- where marketing and publicity knowledge and experience lay- its hard for pure creativity to keep its head above water. There has to be an online community of storytellers out there and hopefully, one day, those who are wise in the way of selling books will join forces with them.
That will be the day.
