@sim@Flick I buy 2nd hand ones all the time. There’s nothing being published now that has any interest for me, regarding novels, that is, so much utter tripe around.
@HebrideanHecate@Flick That is sad, and it isn't easy to find the gems still coming out. Especially just going to the book shop itself. How would you describe utter tripe?
@sim@Flick Badly written, as in simplistic language, I’ve seen older books for children with better writing style than some of what is being published for adults now. What I call the we did this, and then we did that, and then we went over there, and then we went back again, cat sat on the mat style. Absolutely pathetic story lines, weak and infantile in the extreme, all the ghastly chick lit kind of rubbish.
Also, historical revisionism and downright lies too, no research done, poor grammar and etc, what appears to be no proof reading having been applied either. Physical quality of the book poor, looks like a print on demand disaster.
@HebrideanHecate It’s pretty good. The writing is clunky in places, and it could do with illustrations*, but it is interesting. I’m not sure I’d prioritise it over something else, but if there’s nothing else you want then go for it.
@HebrideanHecate@Flick I know that feeling too well. Last time I went in one, I had the same feeling. But then it is also hard to find a decent place to buy books from as they have fallen the same way. I tend to look for secondhand book stores now, so at least it goes for a good cause if I do find something.
@Flick Thanks, have a book token as yet unspent, couldn’t find anything wanted with it, where it’s from, might use it for that. Waterstones have it. How to tell friend and not sound ungrateful that they are not a place I buy from, now a Persephone book token would be much the better option. She isn’t much of a reader herself though and doesn’t understand that Waterstones have gone to shit with what they offer, never mind being wankers!
@sim@Flick@HebrideanHecate not mass-production, but masses in production, a million novels being written a year, everyone knows they are going nowhere, so there is no real attempt to improve, edit, rewrite. It's a lottery ticket, and there's no need to spiff up your lottery ticket. It's just a vanity game, people are compelled to believe in. Old commercial pulp novels, whether crime or romance, were actually cranked out by a few "skilled" writers, who could just write, write, write. I think the lottery ticket effect happened withe Rich Men North of Richmond. It was just thrown together, and the lyrics are weak, but so be it.
@HebrideanHecate@Flick Thanks for that description. It made me curious if my own novels would fall under being tripe and I can only hope not.
I don't think the writing itself is my strong point... but I'll probably only know when I can finish it and get people to read it. It does suck to see that my craft has gone downhill so far when it comes to the quality overall. I guess this is the problem with mass-production.
@polarisera@Flick@HebrideanHecate I don't think that I can think that way, even if it is a lottery ticket that my novels get found and picked up. I would be writing my novels anyway, in the hopes that I can learn to master my craft. I want to improve, edit and rewrite to make it the best that it can be. Although I think some of that comes with a skilled editor who can pick up on the mistakes as well as offer advice to expand on the themes and storytelling. I'm not sure if we have lost the skilled editors now.
@polarisera@Flick@HebrideanHecate Less related to novels, but I have heard someone speak about how films and TV shows suffer from characters that can't emote. This is a current problem for the strong female. They remain stoic so you can't really see the stakes in play, it's hard to believe that a character is in real danger if they don't show that they are. That they fear for their lives. How do you invest in this? It's a good lesson to learn in storytelling in general. If you have a stoic character, then you at least need another character to contrast them and reveal the danger they are in.