It's the same principle that makes certain accounts on socials more popular than others; and some of the "dumbest" accounts are the most popular. Fundamentally, people hate a challenge or anything that is outside their norms and experience. They judge everything accordingly.
>the bad clay of their work forever after glazed with the good fortune of brilliant readings.
This reminds me of the Nabokov line about inflated reputations like “great marble blocks passed down from generation to generation” until some intrepid critic comes along with a sledgehammer to demolish “a Balzac, a Gorky, a Mann.” Odd that he sees marble as eminently smashable, whereas for Flanagan, glazed clay is forever.
You are correct. Even if someone reads your book, they will probably only give useless feedback. Recently I’ve been using Claude AI to review my fiction. It is incredibly smart, clever, and insightful.
It is frustrating to see less capable writers gain recognition for lower-quality work. I also sometimes feel the same way about my work when the quality of the work/outcome is ignored over a less quality work/outcome. However, a good writer’s responsibility is to produce the best work they can, as they have no control over who reads their work, how it is interpreted, or whether success will come their way.
External factors—like luck, timing, and audience reception—play significant roles in the success of any creative endeavor. Still, the value of writing lies in the journey of creation, the pursuit of excellence, and the potential to deeply touch even a small audience.
We should let the work speak for itself and trust that its worth extends beyond immediate recognition. Many great works find their audience in the long run, sometimes even after the writer is long gone.
I generally direct myself to the Bhagavad Gita verse "Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana" (we have the duty to perform our actions, but we are not entitled to the fruits of our actions). This verse emphasizes the importance of focusing on one’s efforts and responsibilities without becoming overly attached to the outcomes.
It's the same principle that makes certain accounts on socials more popular than others; and some of the "dumbest" accounts are the most popular. Fundamentally, people hate a challenge or anything that is outside their norms and experience. They judge everything accordingly.
>the bad clay of their work forever after glazed with the good fortune of brilliant readings.
This reminds me of the Nabokov line about inflated reputations like “great marble blocks passed down from generation to generation” until some intrepid critic comes along with a sledgehammer to demolish “a Balzac, a Gorky, a Mann.” Odd that he sees marble as eminently smashable, whereas for Flanagan, glazed clay is forever.
You are correct. Even if someone reads your book, they will probably only give useless feedback. Recently I’ve been using Claude AI to review my fiction. It is incredibly smart, clever, and insightful.
Agreed. I did something similar a while ago and posted it here: https://open.substack.com/pub/pulpstack/p/claude-and-i-discuss-daffar-quiu?r=6agbi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true. Claude has only got better since then.
It is frustrating to see less capable writers gain recognition for lower-quality work. I also sometimes feel the same way about my work when the quality of the work/outcome is ignored over a less quality work/outcome. However, a good writer’s responsibility is to produce the best work they can, as they have no control over who reads their work, how it is interpreted, or whether success will come their way.
External factors—like luck, timing, and audience reception—play significant roles in the success of any creative endeavor. Still, the value of writing lies in the journey of creation, the pursuit of excellence, and the potential to deeply touch even a small audience.
We should let the work speak for itself and trust that its worth extends beyond immediate recognition. Many great works find their audience in the long run, sometimes even after the writer is long gone.
I generally direct myself to the Bhagavad Gita verse "Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana" (we have the duty to perform our actions, but we are not entitled to the fruits of our actions). This verse emphasizes the importance of focusing on one’s efforts and responsibilities without becoming overly attached to the outcomes.
777
?