Counterpoints

Tamara Siler Jones writes about looking at her future in the industry, and the difficulties an organic writer has with planning and pitching. There are no quick fix-its to the problems Tam faces in the years to come. I think she's right in protecting the work; the work must always come first.

Tam also underscores the fact that every writer is different, and so are their methods. We all have our unique vision of the work, and we have to develop an individual approach to creating it. I have yet to meet two writers who do everything the exact same way; even the husband-and-wife author teams I've met aren't writer-clones of each other.

What I write here is who I am and what I do. If my methods help you, great; I've done my bit for the craft. If they don't, then you'll have to find another way, either on your own or by learning another writer's methods. Mine obviously work, but they are not the only way to write books, nor should they be.

I write exactly what I think, and as you've guessed by now I am not inclined to tiptoe when I do. I don't censor myself in order to collect cronies and fans. If I can, I'm going to rock your boat, get you to think, and challenge your views. That's more important to me than being your idol or your pal. Publishing is many things, but it is not us all sitting together around a fire toasting marshmallows and singing Kumbaya.