Mary Doria Russell, Writer Tech: Not An Easy Game to Play

[pontalba]

I receive notifications from the blog of Mary Doria Russell, author of Doc, Epitaph (both about Doc Holliday), The Sparrow and more.

 

She recently spoke of writing a book about Edgar Allen Poe from the viewpoint of, I believe, his fiancé.  Russell has shelved that project and this blog speaks to the game of writing.

 

http://www.marydoriarussell.net/2014/11/13/writer-tech-not-an-easy-game-to-play/#comment-43443

 

a small quote from the blog post:

 

This is not an easy game to play, and it was nice to see someone acknowledge that. Do I really want to keep playing? I don’t know. I am, after all, just two years younger than Mr. McEwan. My husband has given notice of his impending retirement to his colleagues. We talk about Medicare and Social Security a lot. Six novels is a good run. I can’t help thinking that Doc Holliday might advise, “Cash out now and walk away from the table, darlin’.” - See more at: http://www.marydoriarussell.net/2014/11/13/writer-tech-not-an-easy-game-to-play/#comment-43443

 

Is it worth it?  How much can we the readers expect from an author?  Would we, given the talent and patience, be able to accomplish anything near to what the authors we voraciously read?

[Athena]

That's a very interesting article / blog post! I think I will ponder it for a while, it's late in the evening here and my brain isn't working optimally due to tiredness and sleepyness. But thanks for posting it , I just don't know yet how to respond to your questions.

[Chrissy]

A well written article, and an aspect of writing I had never really considered. I had always thought in terms of 'writers write'. Having never had to write anything with publication in mind, it was an easy thought to have, especially as I see only the pleasure of writing rather than the job of it. 

 

If I had deadlines to meet, readers to satisfy and bills to pay from earnings of my writing then the psychology of the process would probably change for me. That said, I loved how MDR says in the final paragraph that, 

 

And I'm committed to the characters. To leave Annie Clements now, even when I've only written a single chapter about her, seems like an unconscionable abandonment. That's all I had when I started the short story that became The Sparrow: a committment to a character I cared about. That was enough to keep me going. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS is the kind of person I want writing books!  It's not a commitment to her readers that matters, it's the one felt for her own creations. With feeling like that the words should soar! 

 

She and her books have been added firmly to my wishlist 

[vodkafan]

Wow. Really very interesting. At the same time it is both very encouraging (for somebody trying to write a first novel) and yet also completely discouraging and depressing.

I suppose in the end writing is like any other profession: you must ideally choose something that you can do very easily that makes the maximum money with the minimum effort; if you choose something that is hard work for you then it will be, well, hard work.

[ian]

I've always liked MDR, The Sparrow is a great book that blends Sci-fi, religion and anthropology in a really unusual way. One of the few times I've been moved to email an author to tell them how much I've enjoyed their book. I got a very nice, personal message back from her the very next day.

[pontalba]

I hadn't thought too much about a writer just petering out like that, although her blog post ends on a very hopeful note.  I do think that one has to have the absolute compulsion to write, that it feels as though it's bursting out of you and you just can't manage anything else till you release the pressure by writing the darned thing.     It seems that is only the initial phase though.  And that the rest has to be dragged out, kicking and screaming. 

 

But lately it seems some other older writers have decided to "retire", Philip Roth comes to mind first thing.  I wonder though.....can one retire from writing?

 

James, I know there is nothing "easy" about writing.......unless one is Stephen King and is able to somehow grind out a new book every year.  And his books are new...not like some authors that essentially rewrite the same book over and over again.........Sue Grafton, I'm looking at you....!  But, at least Grafton et als write their own books, unlike someone like James Patterson that "farms out" stories.