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Originally Posted by gmw
Not sure about the Dylan reference, but I think the Edgar Rice Burroughs quote is also acknowledging the luck-factor. Write enough and not only will you get better (we hope) but you'll also get more tickets in the lottery called public-appeal. Or: Luck happens to those who put themselves in its way.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by orlok
Reminds me a bit of the golfer Gary Player, who, after being accused of being lucky, said, "The more I practice, the luckier I get."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
Not only was he prolific, he was playing the field. To me it really does look like he was hedging his bets, perhaps thinking that the people had to like at least one of these story lines.
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I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah. If you're writing for an audience of more than yourself and your literary buddies, then figuring out how to resonate with them is part of the job.
Some
snobs elite artistes maintain that popularity doesn't equal quality, and obviously by whatever particular standard they are applying (which sometimes seems to be nothing other than 'popular=not good') they are correct, but for writers hoping to be popular...i.e. reach people, spread a message, or just make living, popularity really IS the sign that they are doing it well, and figuring out how to do that is a key.
Kind of a tautology, I guess (popularity is quality if the quality you're going for is being popular), but an often ignored one.
ApK