I just wasted a whole afternoon searching for a car insurance quote on line. Doing this kind of thing is so frustrating. These forms are set in concerte and if you slightly veer from the normal, then you are in big trouble. Try telephoning and you get these press button non-service things that do not always work. Life is hard, these kinds of tasks make it harder.
It got me thinking, suppose my books are as frustrating. Suppose some readers get so fed up they toss the book across the room, or worse, chuck it in the garbage. Of course that might happen but at least I can claim that my aim is to please. But how do I know if I am successful? Well I guess if folks buy a second book, then you are hitting a spot somewhere.
Why do writer's set out to please, who are they pleasing, is it themselves or their readers? Are we really the best judges of what is pleasing and what is not? Surely we all write about what we like, our attitudes come through, and if we have characters that don't match up, well aren't they usually the "bad" guys. I wonder if any writer has a character liking a particular thing that the writer loathes. I mean I hate a British vegetable called "swede" I could no more have my heroine waxing lyrical about finding that on her plate, than if it were a dead rat! I am not keen on belly button display either, so my heroine would never go around wearing her trousers well below the belly button. (I wonder who decided that a belly button was attractive?) but she would don a bikini, I would too if I were size 10 again!
Of course we might put our people in frightening situations but we know they are going to get out of it, we can frighten ourselves and we can cry along with them, but we don't really want them to come to harm and disappear from our pages, but I guess we are just living vicariously through them, and not really wanting to get in dangerous situations ourselves. Heaven forbid we ever would!
I realise I am rambling, having come a long way from being frustrated by internet price comparison sites and writing a novel, but hey it has really done me good. All that angst and frustration has now gone. So there you have it, writers when you get totally fed up with real life, go jump into your imagination. It is a great healer.
Ta ta for now,
Margaret.
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5 comments:
Sorry you had such a frustrating time. I can't stand the business of insurance quotes and the like...I let my more patient husband deal with stuff like that! It annoys me so much that I usually declare we don't need insurance and walk away in a huff! *BG*
Go jump into your imagination--I like that. I'll have to remember that one, Margaret. :)
I'm with you Sarita. Hubby handles all the bills and stuff like that. He's retired and has the time. Of course, at the end of the day I get to hear about it:)
Oh yes, Ladies, I remember it well. Up to this year the man about the house did these things, but he has been very poorly (pneumonia) and everything has landed on my doorstep. I admit to being ill equipped to deal with it. Can I confess to you all, I had to ask my neighbour to go to the gas station with me just to show me how to fill up the car. This has always been man's work in my world. I have landed in the 2lst century with an almighty crash, and I tell you, is my rear end hurting!
Margaret.
Gosh Margaret, I remember those days when we had full service gas stations where they pumped your gas and cleaned your front window for you. I recall how scared I was when I had to learn how to pump gas!
Sorry to hear about your hubby not feeling well. Hope he gets better soon.
Thanks,Debbie
Margaret.
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