I'm Lazy
While I have a spare moment, wanted to post something on the blog.
Oh - first off - the Onion is always funny. But sometimes, it reaches another level of genius - where it's both topical, side-splitting, and painfully true. This recent article is one of those times.
Now, onto the most depressing/inspiring thing I've read this week.
Most writers lament the fact that we don't have enough free time to work on original material. And being creative types, we make excuses - mostly about how we're too busy with paid writing work to work on our original pitches, spec screenplays, etc.
Then you read something like this from the NY Times-
She wrote her best-selling novel... WITH HER THUMBS. Suddenly all my excuses about not having time seem pretty pathetic.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go write. Maybe on my @#$#-ing cell phone.
Oh - first off - the Onion is always funny. But sometimes, it reaches another level of genius - where it's both topical, side-splitting, and painfully true. This recent article is one of those times.
Now, onto the most depressing/inspiring thing I've read this week.
Most writers lament the fact that we don't have enough free time to work on original material. And being creative types, we make excuses - mostly about how we're too busy with paid writing work to work on our original pitches, spec screenplays, etc.
Then you read something like this from the NY Times-
Thumbs Race as Japan's Best Sellers Go Cellular
...A 21-year-old woman named Rin, wrote "If You" over a six-month stretch during her senior year in high school. While commuting to her part-time job or whenever she found a free moment, she tapped out passages on her cellphone...
...Her story of the tragic love between two childhood friends was turned into a 142-page hardcover book last year. It sold 400,000 copies and became the No. 5 best-selling novel of 2007...
She wrote her best-selling novel... WITH HER THUMBS. Suddenly all my excuses about not having time seem pretty pathetic.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go write. Maybe on my @#$#-ing cell phone.
posted by Eugene at 2:23 PM
4 Comments:
The cell phone girl is a gimmick, like the Eragon guy. They can use her story to sell books, so her quality really doesn't matter.
Come to think of, I wonder what my gimmick could be? I feel a blog post coming on...
Btw, I'm gonna link to your blog from my writing blog (http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/).
"Eugene doesn't use punctuation, capitalization, or correct spelling - but because of his gimmick, his books sell."
You're right. We need gimmicks. And some time to go for Korean food.
Yes, Korean food! We should do that soon.
Your "gimmick" sounds like some of the scripts I read...
I really did do a gimmick post totally inspired by your blog post. Here it is: http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/the-marketing-gimmick/
I credited you, too!
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