The most important thing I take from this is that we need to remind people that what we do has real value. It uplifts souls and changes lives; if only all means of doing that were as inexpensive as buying a book.
Here's Nicola Morgan talking about "When will there be good news?"
Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm nowhere near having anything ready to send out, but this gives me insight (and yes, a bit of hope) for the road ahead.
Thanks for your comment, Brad. I think there is still hope, and we have to keep holding onto it.
ReplyDeleteThere was a related post on the Criminal Minds blog about why writers matter. It reminded me of this picture book I read years ago and can't find again, where there's this community of mice. Most of the mice are busy gathering grains and fluff for the winter while one is soaking up the sun and checking out the flowers. The other mice aren't too happy about it, but when the weather gets cold and dark, the mouse who'd been absorbing all the bright cheerful things tells stories to the others, reminding them how it had felt.
ReplyDeleteThat's part of what writers do. They remind the people around them of wonder and joy when they need inspiration. Granted there are depressing stories, horror stories, and all that, but all stories serve some sort of purpose in the community.
I'm also reminded of a filk song from the POV of a writer to an engineer of some kind. "You build worlds with steel and stone, I build worlds with words of old......You change matter, I change thought" (Don't remember the inbetween part.)
Good thoughts, Jaleh. Thanks for sharing them.
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