Quote:A lot of Australian Writers need to come to terms with the fact that there writing is not that good in comparison to others in their genre and that this is why they do not get quality publishers. It's a highly competitive market out there, with a glut of mediocre writers seeking to become authors.
I guess this becomes the general acceptance that anything Australian, if it wants to make $$ overseas, needs to be dumbed down a bit like simple Ken Done art or the performances of the Wiggles, or the personality of Steve Irwin or the laughing at oneself of Crocodile Dundee.
Is it true that JK Rowling wrote out her 7 novels before publishing the first? If so, then I can see why they have done so well. You can tell a book that has been written for the 'money', not for the love of writing itself. Everyone tries to make a hit song or best-seller straight up because they want the money.
I'm not fussed if I make great money on a book. It would be icing on the cake, but the cake matters most and that is ...writing for the love of it. I think I would get more out of life via what writing the book(s) do for me and at the end of it all, I might see that I didn't need the money afterall - life was good in the end.
I'm a self taught writer, though my Reading out-does my writing endeavours mostly, but things are changing of late. Although I'm a 'failure' at school (unlike my Dux Uni sister) like most boys from the West, I hold firm to the belief that I've smartened myself up via books instead.
When I was at Primary School I would wagg and hang out in Libraries, even the Fisher Library ...reading, reading, etc.
When the teachers asked where I was, I would answer "Getting a real education" which resulted in disciplinary action for being a 'smartarse'.
My favourite subject at school though was "School Excursions". Why? Well for starters, everyone seemed 'happy' on school excursions - so I guess it must be the right thing to be involved in. So I used to jigg school a lot too and go on my own 'excursions'. Little would I know that as a 10 year old hanging out down at the Kiama Blowhole, I would one day be inside the Blowhole via Scuba Diving some 25 years later
I once changed my name ( a few times) to Campbell - named after the Campbell-Turnball Library in West Brunswick and Joseph Campbell.
I would love to pump out a good collection of Books to be quite honest.
So ...
does anyone wanna become part of a Writing Pond?
- come up with a group name.
- brainstorm ideas upon butcher paper
- offer ones' unique writing skills to the Pond effort
- find oneself in the Pond like a Lead Guitarist or Singer does in a Band.
- enjoy the cooking of others
- enjoy the company and arguements of others
- meet at a Community room or rotate at people's residences
- swap valuable 'marketing' goss and info
- change the face of Australian Writing forever