Yes, you are right, Emma. I hadn't thought of that. It fits the model very well. (not the model or type of Aga, of course)

Sheila

I'm sure she has an enormous, glossy aga with hundreds of ovens, one of which she very occasionally uses to warm up croissants.

Emma

Self-indulgent writing must be close to sacrilege if you're an established writer. Kind of like being a criminal. You repeatedly do it because you know you're in the situation where you can get away with writing any old tosh. There are quite a few writers on the market that are guilt as sin The supermarket bookshelves are littered with them.

S.M.

Maybe that's what's happening when you get something like that fuss over Martin Amis - or was it Ian McEwan?* - anyway, a recent one of his was destroyed by the critics, including those who usually like him, and yet some people absolutely loved it. Maybe if an author's work really rings your bell, them doing what they always do, if a bit lazily, is enough. Whereas for someone who finds it less magnetic, the author has to come up with something a bit new for it to be engaging, and if the author's much-hyped, then the un-engaged reader is much less forgiving of the slightly sub-standard work.

Emma

*someone out there in WW land knows who I mean!

*someone out there in WW land knows who I mean!

Not me though, I'm afraid.

Just going back to the Frustrated Poet Syndrome, I've found that one of the most common symptoms, and one of the easiest to spot, particularly among the less successful and newbie, is the use of the word, "alabaster." Or am I just being wordist and/or a snob?

Nik.

Emma, Amis sounds quite good, from what I've heard, but McEwan just looks like lad-lit dressed up as literary. I don't buy that kind of thing at all.

S.M.

Emma,

Yes I think you mean McEwan - 'Saturday' was ripped to shreds in some quarters...I will make up my own mind when the paperback comes out. But I do think we (as a country) love to tear down people when they're up on top, so I reckon some critics just salivate when they see a chink in someone's armour. I would forgive McEwan, as well as others, a mistake every so often.

S.M.

McEwan is lad-lit dressed up as literary? Hmm, sounds to me like a throwaway comment. Yes he does sometimes use male MC's aged under 50 and yes he would be considered 'literary', but that covers rather a lot of ground.

Myrtle

Myrtle, might I have meant Black Dogs? I dunno. And I did love Atonement, which is the only one I've read (Enduring Love is on the shelf, but still pristine) though it had some big flaws. I think you're right that there's no venom like that sprayed over someone in this country who's good at anything, the moment their concentration slips.

Emma

Emma,
I hadn't heard of Black Dogs until you just mentioned it - 1992 that was published...sounds like tricky ground from the blurb. I discovered McEwan via his short stories, and then Enduring Love (worth creasing that spine on your shelf) and then the totally gut-wrenching Child In Time, which I recently heard someone taking the piss out of and it made me want to hurt them (in a semi-pacifist sort of way). And Atonement, of course - I read it on holiday one year and the flaws didn't seem to matter so much in a sun-drenched garden in Italy.
Myrtle

The book in question is Yellow Dog, and I guess any writer who still retains some humility towards their art is going to miss the target sometimes. The thing is, it's a hard thing to point out or deride, because the very nature of writing is subjective, so as you say Emma, some people loved it, while others panned it.

It's important to me to remember that anything I think is rubbish is only down to my own tastes and view what have you, as Mr Wade recently illustrated for me. I used to say 'this or that writer is utter is rubbish', but maturity and experience seem to have shown me that it is only from my POV, and doesn't neccessarily mean it's true for everyone.

I think the more headway you make as a writer, the less inclined you are to be derogatory to other serious writers. A lot of writers have something to add, even if the audience isn't set in stone.

JB

Yes, Yellow Dog was the one. But even Homer nods, they say. Or maybe editors do. And there must be times when an editor thinks, 'this is really, really not up to standard', but doesn't say so to Famous Author, either because FA is scary, or because Editor knows FA's marriage is breaking down, in which case saying 'and your writing's breaking down too', feels like cruelty to animals.

Emma

Lol. I loved that imagery Emma!

I think a lot of it has to do with being tuned to your 'inner voice' without being too mystical about it. You get a feeling for when you've written something good, or when it isn't as good as you can do etc. I guess sometimes the voice can be wrong, but I've not stopped listening to it or to outside impressions of what I knock up. Of course, most editors I've encountered usually have a valid point of view, even if it can be infuriating on occassion. I remind myself that if it's worth their attention, it must be worth something. Still, I wouldn't mind writing something that bombed too much as long as I'd had a couple of successes first. You can't win 'em all.

JB

What happened with Mr Wade Waxlyrical?

Hi Traveller

Mr Wade read my full MS and gave me a glowing report, telling me he admired what I had achieved. He recommended that I don't change anything in my novel, but keep sending it out in its present state, kindly explaining that the genre itself wasn't to his taste, so he couldn't honestly represent me.

I pressed him a little on it, and he sent me a lovely email making me see how many times I had put aside a bestseller, or not been fired by a book that everyone else loved. He stressed the importance of finding the right person to represent the right writer, and told me he absolutely believed I would find that, and soon, but that person could not be him.

It gave me an insight into the industry I won't forget in a hurry, and also made me appreciate that very little in life can appeal to everyone - even if it is good. That's why these days I have stopped bashing other artist's attempts, and adopted a more mature and accepting attitude towards other writers I might not personally appreciate.

JB

Hmm sounds like he was very helpful and encouraging. He didn't like any of the stuff I sent him ages ago. So, who's next on your agent hit list?