A little rant about "authors"

Sarah81 · Post by **Sarah81** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:52 pm

Hey everyone - if you don't feel like reading my little gripe, I understand. But I'll try to keep it short anyway.

I'm sick of hearing about celebrities-turned-authors. Madonna, Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, etc. I don't run around saying "Woohoo! I can be a pop star/actress!" and try to do their jobs. They might have had to work hard to make it in their respective careers, but I'm willing to bet that they didn't have to do much to get their little books published (because they're already famous, and just having that name on the book will put it on the bestsellers' lists the day it's released).

What's even more frustrating, though, is when people I know talk about how anybody can be a writer. I'm going, "What? You're kidding, right?" They're not. I don't walk around saying that anybody can do the jobs that these people do everyday. None of the writers that I know personally say things like, "Anybody can be a chef," or "If you can hold a screwdriver, you can be a carpenter." I don't hear comments like that about people who paint, or sculpt, or even sketch, but I hear them all the time about writers. As if all we do is sit around drinking champagne and eating bon-bons while we stare at MS Word, waiting for the muse to visit us.

Strangely enough, when I ask these so-called experts what they've written lately, they say things like, "Oh, I don't have time to write - but if I did, it'd be a bestseller," or "Well, I don't actually write, but I could if I wanted to."

Pfft. The next time I hear anything like that, I'm going to karate-chop somebody.

Galskygge · Post by **Galskygge** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:02 pm

You make a good point.

LJade · Post by **LJade** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:18 pm

Are you sleeping with my husband??? LOL

No, really I agree 100% about these celebrity authors but then again, you know that they didn't write one single sentence in the entire book.

Guess who did though ...

A well paid "ghostwriter" and hey, you gotta respect 'em.

C'mon, if you were offered about 50 grand to write a short book with no recognition you would have to think long and hard about it ... not me because I would snatch that up in a minute.

Still I get your point but it wouldn't be possible without writers to do the work, it's something to think about.

LJ

Dorothy Edison · Post by **Dorothy Edison** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:47 am

Sarah,

What a beautiful rant!

My beef is with an ignorant public who would support already wealthy celebrities when there are thousands of writers more deserving who have been pushed to the side.

DE

southernrose · Post by **southernrose** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:44 am

I couldn't agree more, Sarah. What's even worse is when I see a writer who thinks their talent isn't special or worth good pay. It's easy to take your own talent for granted, and it's a shame to see people do it so often.

~Elizabeth~

LJade · Post by **LJade** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:23 am

I think the public part of it is a lost cause because the public is obsessed with 'glitz and glam'. Just look at the top searches on google, Jessica Simpson one week and Britney Spears the next then JLo on and on.

We all do it.

At the store we even invest our money in name brand products, careful to try new things because we're afraid to do it. Even if 'a lil guy' looks like a good option, we second guess it and most often decide 'it's too good to be true' because let's face it, most often than not ... it is! LOL

LJ

PS. I'm still trembling because of the FORD deal today.