Comments on: Show me the risk taking writers http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/ Writer of weird fiction, Guardian columnist and journalist. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:32:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ian Douglas http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-617 ian Douglas Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:14:07 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-617 It raises the question in my mind by what constitues a risk. Do you mean experimenting? In my children's sci fi MA dissertation novel there are experiments in form, (breaking from 3rdperson POV to discovered diary entries), in character development, in bursts of magic realism, in unexpected plot turns and 2 billion years of back story. Several agents said, its great but too ambitious for us. So i could ask, is it the agents who arent taking risks, but of course they'd say, we have to take home a salary mate. Of cousre i always was a BIG Bradbury fan :) It raises the question in my mind by what constitues a risk. Do you mean experimenting? In my children’s sci fi MA dissertation novel there are experiments in form, (breaking from 3rdperson POV to discovered diary entries), in character development, in bursts of magic realism, in unexpected plot turns and 2 billion years of back story. Several agents said, its great but too ambitious for us.
So i could ask, is it the agents who arent taking risks, but of course they’d say, we have to take home a salary mate.
Of cousre i always was a BIG Bradbury fan :)

]]> By: fritz freiheit.com blog » Link dump http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-616 fritz freiheit.com blog » Link dump Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:59:27 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-616 [...] Show me the risk taking writers � . . . Damien G. Walter . . . (Writing) [...] [...] Show me the risk taking writers � . . . Damien G. Walter . . . (Writing) [...]

]]> By: sfmurphy1971 http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-615 sfmurphy1971 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:32:33 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-615 Hmm, writers taking risks? In science fiction or fantasy? I have to admit, I can't honestly think of a single name from the current decade. It seems like everyone is too busy trying to get published in The New Yorker or some such. Respects, S. F. Murphy On the Outer Marches Hmm, writers taking risks?

In science fiction or fantasy?

I have to admit, I can’t honestly think of a single name from the current decade. It seems like everyone is too busy trying to get published in The New Yorker or some such.

Respects,
S. F. Murphy
On the Outer Marches

]]> By: damiengwalter http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-614 damiengwalter Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:24:58 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-614 Just because an editor is prescriptive doesn't mean they aren't innovative, as long as the rules they are enforcing are themselves innovative. Of course there are different levels of risk taking and innovation. The risks an editor takes to put out new, distinctive work are different from the risks a writer takes in giving their imagination free reign. Its the latter that I'm more interested in. Too much of the fiction I encounter now is too consciously constructed. Too keen on being correct, over being passionate. Interesting that Cat Valente is being discussed on Vector, one of a handful of writers I would say fulfils what I'm talking about here. Just because an editor is prescriptive doesn’t mean they aren’t innovative, as long as the rules they are enforcing are themselves innovative. Of course there are different levels of risk taking and innovation. The risks an editor takes to put out new, distinctive work are different from the risks a writer takes in giving their imagination free reign. Its the latter that I’m more interested in. Too much of the fiction I encounter now is too consciously constructed. Too keen on being correct, over being passionate. Interesting that Cat Valente is being discussed on Vector, one of a handful of writers I would say fulfils what I’m talking about here.

]]> By: Ian Sales http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-613 Ian Sales Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:09:49 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-613 Great editors? You mean like John W Campbell, who got all his authors to rewrite their stories to fit some fixed template for sf he had in his head? Or Michael Moorcock - well, that's the New Wave, the whole thing was about risk-taking. Great editors? You mean like John W Campbell, who got all his authors to rewrite their stories to fit some fixed template for sf he had in his head? Or Michael Moorcock – well, that’s the New Wave, the whole thing was about risk-taking.

]]> By: damiengwalter http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-612 damiengwalter Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:15:58 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-612 Not taking enough risk is just as likely to alienate a readership. Think about the risks the great editors of spec.fic have taken to amke it what it is. Then think about the risks editors are taking today. How do they compare? Not taking enough risk is just as likely to alienate a readership. Think about the risks the great editors of spec.fic have taken to amke it what it is. Then think about the risks editors are taking today. How do they compare?

]]> By: Ian Sales http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-611 Ian Sales Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:49:33 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-611 OTOH, you could ask where are the risk-taking editors? Writers can take all the creative risks they want, but if no editor is willing to play along, no one's going to see it. And editors, for obvious reasons, don't like to alienate their readerships. OTOH, you could ask where are the risk-taking editors? Writers can take all the creative risks they want, but if no editor is willing to play along, no one’s going to see it. And editors, for obvious reasons, don’t like to alienate their readerships.

]]> By: Mostly responses to reading. Sometimes other stuff. › Risk In Writing http://damiengwalter.com/2009/12/06/show-me-the-risk-taking-writers/#comment-610 Mostly responses to reading. Sometimes other stuff. › Risk In Writing Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:23:30 +0000 http://damiengwalter.com/?p=978#comment-610 [...] G. Walter wrote this call-out post asking for suggestions of currently working writers who are bold, who experiment, and who risk [...] [...] G. Walter wrote this call-out post asking for suggestions of currently working writers who are bold, who experiment, and who risk [...]

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