Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
I've decided it's time I start documenting my latest fan-to-pro effort – my next book "Focused Fandom: Fanart, Fanartists, and Careers." It's about the career value of cross-national linguistic software.
Wait, no it's about how fanart can lead to and enhance your career. Sorry – it's been a long week.
Unlike our own Rob and his wife I don't have the energy for a day-by-day discussion, and the book isn't due to April anyway. In fact, that's part of the story.
One of our regular commentors and occasional posters, Rob Barba, is launching his own series. A long-time fan (as in, he helps make me feel not that old), he's also been around and has given a lot of thought to issues of what fanfic, fandom, worldbuilding, etc. mean for him as an author. He's written an extensive essay on the subject – and it's one that might just shock or surprise you as he touches on a lot of areas of controversy and some past internet incidents.
So if you've got that indie series a-brewing, here's some advice . . . fix the holes
(I'd like to thank Leona Wisoker, a talented writer who's also had me blogging at her blog, for this contribution on writing, ideas, and fear – something a lot of us know of. I reccomend her blog as she has some fascinating insights.)
I used to be paralyzed by the thought that I had nothing worth saying, no skills with which to say it, and nobody who would want to read it anyway. Even after landing a four-book contract deal, publishing a handful of short stories, and running a relatively regular blog for almost two years now, I still hear those statements in my head nearly every day:
It's a fluke. It's not real. People are just being nice to me. If I was a 'real' writer, I'd be signed with a Big Name Press, like Tor or Baen. I'm an upstart and I'm going to get squashed very very soon now….