Storms

I'm behind again. Trying to weather the storms, both literal and figurative.

We've had some interesting weather in the Midwest through the month of July. I've been blessed not to have suffered any damage through it all, although I know plenty of people who have, and the storms continue.

Have to admit that I'm also struggling with my rewrite, but this is a complicated matter. Part of it is my own state of mind these days which prompts writer's angst, and part of it is being overwhelmed by the state of the market these days. While it is nice that writer's have an outlet now that they didn't have before, the quality control disappears with everyone doing their own thing in a publishing free-for-all. Writing has always been a very competitive field, and now it is even more so with so many new authors muddying the waters (no disrespect intended).

Consider the fate of Borders Books. Like record stores. It's a little overwhelming to realize how much technology has taken over our lives. While self-publishing gives you an audience that you feel you might have been denied previously, for some people, it also opens up the door to public embarrassment - like watching American Idol without judges. Some of those people actually think they can sing and are highly incensed when they are told they are off key and offensive to the eardrums.

In a world where parents give their children participation trophies, these children have missed the lesson of learning from their mistakes and striving to correct their errors. These children have entered the age of entitlement, and those same children are the out-of-tune singers and the unconstructed writers.

I really don't mean to stand on my soap box today, but I am discouraged to struggle in an already difficult market, so for another day, probably another week, I'm going to rest my weary brain, take some deep breaths and regroup. Maybe I'll take some singing lessons (but don't expect me to try out for American Idol - I know my limitations!) Then I'll concentrate on the things I do best. I'm still perfecting my craft. I've been at this long enough to know when my writing isn't good enough to share with the general population - when it needs more fine-tuning - and I'm not afraid to seek out a professional opinion. If a pro tells me my story isn't up to snuff, I believe them. That's what they get paid to do - judge the quality of work. In an already competitive field of their own, I hope they don't disappear the way Borders did. Otherwise we're doomed to humor more of the William Hung's of the world.

Disclaimer - am I saying all the self-published authors are poor quality? No! What I'm saying is with no rules in place, it's more of a crap shoot, and I'm not much of a gambler.

Anon