Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Authors as Role Models

This article discusses whether children's authors should be role models.

An author's job is to write stories.  Not do publicity, not go to cons, not show people how to live.  Write.  All that other stuff is optional.  Nobody has a right to demand that writers do all that other stuff.  Some do, some don't.  Sure it can be helpful for your career to interact with your fans.  It can also be a disaster if you happen to be an asshole who writes great fiction.  

Know your own strengths and weaknesses.  Never let anyone make demands of you that are outside your job description.  If they want to do that, let them pay you a full salary with benefits to put up with their bossifying.
Tags: networking, reading, writing
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  • 3 comments

Deleted comment

ysabetwordsmith

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

June 29 2012, 02:58:04 UTC 9 years ago

More complexity would've been helpful, but really, most people who bring up "writers are obligated to do more than write" tend to be idiots. "Don't be gay" is one of the dumber obligations they ask for. Sheesh, gay kids need role models just to help them believe they might actually survive to adulthood.
rippatton

rippatton

June 28 2012, 21:30:41 UTC 9 years ago

Thanks for you strong stance on this and I happen to agree. We are storytellers and that doesn't guarantee anything else. Nor should it have to.
ysabetwordsmith

*bow, flourish*

ysabetwordsmith

June 29 2012, 02:33:47 UTC 9 years ago

It annoys me that people keep trying to demand more and more from writers, often while paying less. No. Screw that. If we wanted to put up with that nonsense, we'd go into public education.