So we can have an
effect and sway the tide, but is that is that what we should do? Pander to the
current phase? Or let people read what they want to
read?
Katy
Hi
Katy,
What a deliciously
deceptive group of questions. Here's what I think.
Many of us write about gardening because we enjoy it and we want other
people to share that joy with us. How well or poorly we write, in one sense,
doesn't matter because we have convinced someone to buy and publish our
product. That makes us professional writers.
If we communicate
well,and as a result, convince people to do as we suggest then, indeed, we can
sway the tide.
Should we? Yes.
Even those of us who like to use the anecdotal/conversational approach from
time to time are imparting a message, however imbedded or obscure it might
be. Will everyone agree that the tide is coming in? Um..nope. In a field
as diverse as ours we will always have dissenting
opinions.
Should we pander to
the current phase? Absolutely or many people won't read what we are writing.
That shouldn't mean we "sell out" to ignorance. If we have taken it upon
ourselves to 'educate and inform" our readers then we need to do our research
and present it in a manner understandable to them. Pandering to the current
phase can be viewed as an opportunity.
People will always read what they
want to read. We, as writers, can selectively market our product to
distinctive segments of "readerdom."
The passion being shown in this thread shows that
we, as a group, care deeply about what we do. That bodes well for our
profession. In this forum, along with educational threads, there must be some
arguments and arguments can become heated. I'm a pretty thin-skinned guy
and when taken to task head off into a corner and pout for a while. Yet, there
has always been something in those messages that taught me something new about
garden writing. Not that I always appreciated it, mind you.
Like many of you, I am new to this writing thing.
I want to take advantage of the expertise of the more seasoned folks. Gosh,
we've got editors, publishers, published authors, newspaper columnists etc..
hovering out there in the ether full of helpful
advice and cautions. I have a lot to learn
about writing . I have a lot to learn
about the industry and how we, as writers, can both market our product and
protect ourselves. That is why I am on this list. It is why, when I state an
opinion, I expect critical feedback- hopefully positive.
One closing point- we read these messages without
the tons of incidental information provided in a face to face conversation.
Two dimensional stuff leaves lots of room for interpretation. The best
intentioned criticism can easily come across as a personal attack. (No, I'm
not that naive that I haven't noticed some blunt frontal assaults recently.) I
prefer to give folks the benefit of the doubt and respond in kind. Life
is so much more relaxing that way.
Cheers,
Dan
