If you’re more interested in a book’s metadata than its theme, you might be doing it wrong.

If you’re more concerned about publishing the book than writing it, you might be doing it wrong.

...

If you’re a writer who doesn’t read, ooh, holy shitkittens, you’re super-mega-ultra-wrong.

If you’re a writer who only reads for pleasure, who never reads non-fiction, who refuses to read outside a single beloved genre or medium, yeah, you’re probably pretty wrong over there.

...

If you think writers or other artists shouldn’t get paid: YOU DOUBLE WRONG.

If you think you don’t need an editor: you are Mister Wrongyfaced Wrongypants, Esquire.

...

and a whole lot more:

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/07/23/writers-you-might-be-doing-it-wrong-if/

Mister Wrongyfaced Wrongypants, Esquire

LOL! I know a few of them! One of them was a poet who came and talked to our writers' group. Apparently it was fine, cos his wife proofread it all. Well, that's alright, then.

Deb

I like this one too - heard a few of those holding forth in writing groups and online:

If you think that there’s one way up the mountain — and that you or someone else is the magical sherpa who will guide you up that mountain — oh yeah, you’re doing it wrong.

I thought you were WWs' magical sherpa, Emma? Now I'm all disillusioned...

(Don't worry, I'm joking - I understand the point )

Deb

Deb.

Even if I think I've found the right path for me, I try very, very hard always to mention one or more possible paths that I know a writer or three does/could take...

I thought you were WWs' magical sherpa, Emma?

Me too!

Great blogpost but what is NSFW let alone NSFL?

That looks interesting ... for when I have time (was just having a rest for ten mins but now I have to go and make white sauce. The chores never end.)

What is a book's metadata?

Edited by Catkin at 23:08:00 on 23 July 2013

Unlike NSFW/NSFL, I know metadata - whether I can explain it is another matter. It's the keywords used to enable the computer to undertake searches using relevant keywords, etc.

Eg. If it is a book on Salmon, the metadata would be (and I guess, as I've only put in metadata for a local authority website) non-fiction, fishing, salmon, sea fishing, etc.

I hope the white sauce went well.

I think metadata has another meaning too, but that may be the meaning they mean (that's an awful sentence, sorry).

I think it also means "information about". Ah, here's a definition:

met·a·da·ta
Noun
A set of data that describes and gives information about other data.

I mean, that is what you were talking about, but I guess you were talking about a specific instance of it, and I agree that probably is the one that was meant here.

Emma, one of the things I love about the advice and answering musings you give on here is that you are never prescriptive. You tend to talk around a subject and explain all the options. That gives a real feel and understanding to others (me) rather than a narrow rule.

Deb

Faffing with the meta-data could be referring to the sort of writer who spends more time and thought driving the software and finding the sleekest possible way to create character profiles or link images to sentences, than in writing the damned novel...

It could indeed. Just as problematic.

I don't particularly like rules like these. Even though they have a sense of humor to them, I think it has the potential to make people second guess themselves incorrectly.

Laugh out loud funny, Emma!

If you keep cheating on your current manuscript by porking other, momentarily-sexier manuscripts behind the barn, yep, that’s some wrong-flavored wrongness with hot wrong sauce.

Thank you!

FV you're welcome. It made me laugh too.

My analogy for the same situation was rather less schoolboy, but definitely also centred on sexual mores, shall we say...