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The Duty of a Furry Writer
15 years ago
General
You want to have your story read. You want comments when you post it. You want people to critique it. You might even want some editing help. And if you're lucky enough to get it published, you want people to buy it, and even to review it.
This is what any writer wants. But let me ask you this:
When was the last time you read a furry story? Did you comment? Did you offer critique? When was the last time you bought a furry book? Did you write a review of it?
There's one important thing that I think the furry writing community does not do:
We do not support each other.
After I asked folks to write a review for my own book, because I knew that would help with sales, I looked through FurPlanet's website and noticed just how few books there had reviews. I then realized how few reviews I"ve seen of furry books on other artists' journals. I never see discussions of other works. When I went to a con on Halloween, I had never heard of half the books on the table. This bothered me.
Why do many not read furry writing? Besides people in general not reading, furs do not know that there is anything out there worth reading. If 90% of everything is crap, then either an individual needs to be motivated to find the 10% that is not, or they need to be shown. Producing something of quality is great, but what good is that if no one knows that it is good?
When it comes the finished product, we are islands unto ourselves. "Visit my story, tell your friends," but we do not venture out to each other's work. We do not read, we do not comment, we do not review.
How can you want attention without giving it? You of all people should know how much another writer needs your input, your attention. Because we are in the same damn boat. As a niche within a niche, a second class within our subculture, we do a disservice to our little writing community by not focusing inwards.
Well Rechan, what about you, huh? Today I sent Tempo321 an initial critique of his story "Code Drop" that appears in Heat #7. I've sent small suggestions to furaffinity.net/user/threetails as I work my way through his novel Basecraft Cirrostratus. And when I am finished with that, not only will I write a review, but I will move on to another furry book.
I am not saying that you should buy every book that comes out. That just because someone publishes something you must run out and give them praise and attention. If that were the case then you would get nothing done. We should not turn into a back-patting circlejerk where criticism is not permitted over warm fuzzies. Going from 0 to 100 is impractical, but at the same time, remaining at 0 gains us nothing. We should at the very least help those who have managed to make it, because if nothing else we do what so many do not: read.
Neither is this intended as a guilt trip. The message is not "you are bad because you want to receive but are not giving in return". No, while I want to wake you up and make you aware, the message is in fact: If you want attention to your own writing, and if you want the community to grow, then the avenue towards this is fostering a community that supports its members with that attention. And that if you want your book to be a success, or your story to get those hits, then networking and spreading the feedback wealth will improve things for you along with your fellow writers.
If for no other reason than if you read someone's work, then they are more likely to reciprocate. If enough of us buy, read, critique, review, then chances are that when you get something out there, it will happen to you.
Read. Respond. Review. It is your duty.
This is what any writer wants. But let me ask you this:
When was the last time you read a furry story? Did you comment? Did you offer critique? When was the last time you bought a furry book? Did you write a review of it?
There's one important thing that I think the furry writing community does not do:
We do not support each other.
After I asked folks to write a review for my own book, because I knew that would help with sales, I looked through FurPlanet's website and noticed just how few books there had reviews. I then realized how few reviews I"ve seen of furry books on other artists' journals. I never see discussions of other works. When I went to a con on Halloween, I had never heard of half the books on the table. This bothered me.
Why do many not read furry writing? Besides people in general not reading, furs do not know that there is anything out there worth reading. If 90% of everything is crap, then either an individual needs to be motivated to find the 10% that is not, or they need to be shown. Producing something of quality is great, but what good is that if no one knows that it is good?
When it comes the finished product, we are islands unto ourselves. "Visit my story, tell your friends," but we do not venture out to each other's work. We do not read, we do not comment, we do not review.
How can you want attention without giving it? You of all people should know how much another writer needs your input, your attention. Because we are in the same damn boat. As a niche within a niche, a second class within our subculture, we do a disservice to our little writing community by not focusing inwards.
Well Rechan, what about you, huh? Today I sent Tempo321 an initial critique of his story "Code Drop" that appears in Heat #7. I've sent small suggestions to furaffinity.net/user/threetails as I work my way through his novel Basecraft Cirrostratus. And when I am finished with that, not only will I write a review, but I will move on to another furry book.
I am not saying that you should buy every book that comes out. That just because someone publishes something you must run out and give them praise and attention. If that were the case then you would get nothing done. We should not turn into a back-patting circlejerk where criticism is not permitted over warm fuzzies. Going from 0 to 100 is impractical, but at the same time, remaining at 0 gains us nothing. We should at the very least help those who have managed to make it, because if nothing else we do what so many do not: read.
Neither is this intended as a guilt trip. The message is not "you are bad because you want to receive but are not giving in return". No, while I want to wake you up and make you aware, the message is in fact: If you want attention to your own writing, and if you want the community to grow, then the avenue towards this is fostering a community that supports its members with that attention. And that if you want your book to be a success, or your story to get those hits, then networking and spreading the feedback wealth will improve things for you along with your fellow writers.
If for no other reason than if you read someone's work, then they are more likely to reciprocate. If enough of us buy, read, critique, review, then chances are that when you get something out there, it will happen to you.
Read. Respond. Review. It is your duty.
The only one i haven't done that with is bridges, and thats because i read the first few chapters and then did get back to it for a month or two; due to work. I need to re-read the whole thing, and get write my thoughts of the whole thing down.
(FWI though, bridges was fantastic.)