I like to post about irrelevant things
What's been keeping me from posting, honestly, is that I couldn't think of anything relevant to say. I figure that just typing in line after line of "I hate my job" and "I wish I were writing" wasn't doing much to further the common good. It just doesn't feel like much is actually going on, especially compared to what's going on in the lives around me.
I suppose it's that hang up that keeps me from being a good blogger. Relevance. I read the blogs of people I don't actually know, people who are perfectly content to write all about the obscure minutae of their days, and I find this stuff fascinating. I guess that's what makes a good blogger.
Anyway, something that is interesting. John Scalzi has announced his candidacy for president of SFWA. I don't like SFWA. I think it's an old boys' club that does very little that's relevant. Scalzi seems to be putting his hat in the ring for that exact reason, so that's good. I don't have a lot of hope for him because, as I said, it's an irrelevant organization that seems to be smitten with a kind of paralysis of nostaligia. That's just the view of an outsider, obviously, but for an organization that is supposed to represent the literature of the future, they seem to be almost paranoid about change. I mean, look at their website! When was that written?
posted by Tim Akers @ 7:40 AM
5 Comments:
Well, you could post about your hair.
It is best to post only when you have something to post. No worries. Most of my blogging should probably be obliterated. The most fun I have with a blog is when it's nothing personal at all, just random dialog among characters who will live and die within the space of the post, never to be heard from again.
Don't know if anyone else enjoys them, but I do. So there.
I don't have the credits to qualify for SFWA, but I always said I couldn't wait until I did so I could not join SFWA. It always seemed to me that SFWA put the writers before the genre. I can't really argue with that, but I think that what's good for the genre is good for the writers. Scalzi platform is one that appeals to my sensabilities. Of course if he gets his way I still wouldn't join because he'd put me to work and I'm lazy.
In the very early trajectory of my career I wanted to join SFWA, mostly because I had no other standard to apply. It was like the cool kids at school, right? Everyone wanted to be a cool kid.
What you said about SFWA putting the writers before the genre probably best sums up my various frustrations. When they kicked the pro-rate to 5 cents there was a lot of kicking and screaming. SFWA was very proud for having made such a pro-writer move. But I just didn't see the value in it. Are people really going to be living easier at 5 cents than 4 cents? No one makes any cash at short stories, unless you're compiling them or something. There's nothing "pro" about it. So a bunch of magazines got de-listed. Does that affect them? Maybe. Maybe there are kids who make their submissions based on the SFWA-qualifiers list. I did at one point. But I don't think the serious talents take that into consideration.
What would have been good for the genre at that point was for SFWA to include more magazines. To reward honest hard work, the people who publish for the love of the genre out of their basements or whatever. The more magazines there are, maybe the better those magazines can be. I still think the mid-list markets publish the best stuff, because they don't have to dilute their ToC trying to appeal to every taste in the field.
Now look what you've done, Scott. You've made me rant. I hope you're proud of yourself.
I wanna see a little story about a trip in an airship. Just a little slice of life in cog-world. Cut us a slice, sir.
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