The Writer's Mailbag: Installment One-Hundred and Six

Your articles on writing are so insightful - i really miss being able to browse around and get caught up on all my favorites. Have to see how many I can hit today - make the most of my day off work, LOL

Another great mailbag Bill!

Hi Bill:

Great points as always as we can become somewhat caught up in writing the same thing after a time. I know I am guilty of it. I think it important to sit on occasion and just let the mind wonder as we write, we may be surprised what lands on paper...

Hugs from Alberta my friend...

I'm with you, Bill. If a writer is being truly creative, there will be plenty of differences in writings that might appear similar on the surface. There are just too many turns to take and twists to apply for two writers to end up with the same story.

I did like your example of giving a storyline to several writers to see the differences that would emerge; a fun challenge with a bit of learning involved.

Bill

Two years continuous is something to celebrate! Okay last week was a little hiccup, or maybe a re-setting the click but it's great to see the mailbag moving forward.

I was thinking of Mary's question and had at least asked it in my mind even if not in actual writing!

Actually I've had a few times when I started an idea, shelved it and six months or a year later find that idea in some big movie or book plot!

That's why I thought 'stuff it' with 'Sting of the Scorpion' and wrote the book!

Someone the other day told me they'd read a similar book recently, my reaction was "This ones MINE"

Keep going bro

Lawrence

Bill, fiction is your genre. There's more freedom of creativity in characters and stories you/they create. You put your heart and soul into your characters. Not only do you share them with us, but in so doing, you share yourself.

I prefer reading fiction over non-fiction and I know a lot of others do, too, so the market will never be closed. Keep 'em coming, my friend!

I have certainly come to know a wonderful man, learned a great deal about writing, marketing, and so much more, I am just brimming with so much. You have taught me so much, Billy, I am eternally grateful. Each article of yours that I read, it puts me all the nearer to your actual life. There will always be a mailbag of sorts in some form.

The way you inform other writers and readers is interesting and impressive!

Interesting questions, though they may have gone down in number, and interesting answers. I just hope the mailbag keeps up its weekly appearance. Thanks Bill.

I especially like the chicken-egg question and answer. It would be interesting to hear other author's take on that issue. Thanks for keeping us motivated.

Nice hub as always. I must admit feeling guilty for not been writing a following chapter to the Self Employed Housewife. So many domestic hassles seem to give me a writers block. I like your title: Artistry With Words. go for it.

Always love checking out your mailbag posts just for inspiration and just in case I might have any questions. Hey, I was asked to write for NIUME a blogging platform that is getting a lot of attention lately. It is wonderful to see my blogs getting read and some of them also featured. Nice feeling indeed.

Maybe there may not be a mailbag every week.. But I'm still waiting on the postal service anyhow.. Tada! glad to see this one published...

Good. Enjoy!

I did add a question but it hasn't registered so here it is again: With reference to the pretentious writer, what would you say to someone like that if you came across one? I tend to think they're either insecure or just plain big-headed but how would you make them realise what they sound like? Call it a creative exercise!

Ann

Thank you, bill, and thank you, Eldon! Both answers are great and I agree; just wanted a second opinion. We're all unique and can put a different slant on anything. It must be annoying when you think you've had an original idea though! (I wasn't thinking about legal ramifications.)

I too hope the mailbag continues. I'll try to ask some more obscure questions!

Just got back from a few days' hard work on the house and can relax a little in the sunshine - yes we do have sunshine!!

Have a fabulous Friday and a wicked weekend, bill!

Ann :)

I hope the Writer's Mailbag doesn't fall by the wayside. I enjoy it. I didn't realize that you were in need of questions. So here's a rather generic one because I am having trouble getting very stressed out about writing deadlines. That's why I enjoy HubPages so much...no writing deadlines. I can write whatever I want, whenever I want, and still earn money. Do you know of any other online sites. or offline situations, that allows for that kind of freedom, without deadlines, that still allows writers to earn money?

If I may step in and answer Eric's question; uninvited of course, I would say that writing gives me a certain stability in life. It gives me a purpose for living and goals that I would not otherwise have. If not for writing, I would simply be adrift in a hostile universe, existing rather than living. Don't get me wrong, the universe is still hostile, but writing takes me away from it for a while. It takes me into a happy place.

I hope that we, your fans, can step it up and keep the mailbag going. Great work.

P.S. I love Salman Rushdie. Both for his writing skills and what he stands for.

Great! Good to see you're back. Sorry I can't think of anything just yet, but I do enjoy your answers and explanations. VS Naipaul and also Salmon Rushdie are truly great writers with very differing styles. Good to hear the video. Best wishes.

I'm part of a writers' group that makes no distinction between published writers and newbies. We're all here to share our experiences, learn from one another and provide encouragement and honest critique when needed. I'm very happy to be a part of that. We did have one man whose talent for writing was equalled by his knack for grating on my nerves. He taught creative writing and is a published author so maybe that diet was too rich for his ego. Don't get me wrong. He is a good writer. It's his attitude that needs improving. He seemed patronizing to the women in the group and made of point of reminding the group there was an American (me) in their midst. He left the group about a year ago. He felt he had outgrown it and wanted to move on. Thank the Lord!.

The funny part is that I wasn't the only one who thought he was a jerk. Most of the group did but put up with him because they felt that as a teacher of the craft, he could provide valuable advice. He didn't.

Hi Bill,

Here's a thought ...you may have covered all of the most important questions about writing here in your Mailbag series over time. However, these few here are really interesting questions.

Hmm, I just thought of a couple of questions for you for the next Mailbag, possibly:

How does writing change the writer? In other words, since you've realized you love to write and are passionately pursuing writing through novels, etc., how has writing changed you?

Do you think the unconscious mind is a writer's best friend?

Hope these questions aren't too odd for your next Mailbag.

Peace and blessings for the rest of the week

I read every word and couldn't think of a question to ask, but someone else will I'm sure. You are so willing to help, and that's wonderful. See you next time.

Bill,

I like the "What Came First" question. I see writing like stability, too. When I can't write, I think there's something off. I admire your ability to keep going, either way.

I love hearing other's experiences with snobby writers. My advice is to run away! I think we all have moments when we write like that because we look up to authors from other centuries; however, the ones who do it constantly because they think it makes them sound intelligent are just as bad as the ones who simply can't write.

Do you think any of those writers are naturally like that or that it's all made up? Sometimes, I worry that I'm being a bitch. What if they really do spend more time reading Shakespeare than anything else, and that's why they write like that?

The mailbag returns.

Very intelligent questions and answers here. It really grows our knowledge. I enjoy this mailbag with much interest. Nowadays I am reading some books also. I enjoyed one "Midnight Children" by Salman Rushdie. It was an interesting story. I have been advised to sit less at the computer (I used to sit for 6 hours) as I developed some pain in the left neck and left arm.

I will be waiting for the next mailbag.

It's good to see another edition of the mailbag, Bill. Both the questions and the answers were interesting. Even if you can't create a new edition every week, it would be nice to have one now and then.

Eric: When in doubt, leave them out. When my reporters used them I'd ask them to rewrite the sentence by making more than one sentence. Then you didn't need them. They confuse readers. They confuse editors too!

Hi Bill! It's been a while! I'm starting a new book that requires a lot of research so I'm not writing many new hubs. Hope to read more of yours when I'm on HP.

Writers mailbags are good pieces. Many writers will benefit from an experience and knowledgeable writer - billy Holland

Bill, on the way to writing this, I noticed Eric's comment and now I don't really remember what I was going to say. I can't stop laughing!

OK, I think I have control of myself now. I appreciate your words about stability. I guess I haven't found the perfect balance yet. I love to write, but there is also the garden, the quilting, art...and then my daughter. How to achieve that perfect balance? I always feel like I'm in an ADD flurry from one to the next, each getting a bit of my attention but nothing getting what it needs or deserves.

And, speaking of writing...I can't wait until you pen that cookbook on using quail eggs!

Hi Bill, It's great to hear you have a podcast ready to go. Well done. There's quality not quantity with the questions this week. In regard to making the mailbag monthly rather than weekly.. It does seem to be where it is leading. It is understandable that your regular readers will eventually run out of questions to ask. I know with my Cackleberry Farm series I decided to write it seasonally now instead of monthly, not from lack of interest, but frankly because I don't want to keep rehashing the same stuff. In regard to Ann's question. With my "Between the Floors" children's series, I knew I was inspired by something I read or saw on TV as a child. I had thought of publishing it, but someone who read it told me it was very similar to a certain story (provided name and author) and I didn't want to be accused of stealing someone else's story so it lingers here on HubPages.

As for the quality of self-published books available on Amazon and elsewhere. I downloaded a couple of free "fiction" eBooks for a late night read..and they turned out to be total crap, littered with spelling errors and pathetic story lines. They would not get past the HP quality review even. Anyway, I look forward to the next mailbag whenever that may be.

Naming the podcast the same as the blog seems like a good idea, to me. Best for marketing it, as well. Best wishes! ;-)

Bill, glad to see another mailbag. Regarding Ann’s question: I think I wrote once before that it happened to me, and I have not published my story on HP because I’m afraid someone will think I plagiarized the plot. I think it was in 2007, when I wrote a metaphysical 2,500-word story and never did anything with it. I didn’t want to publish it here on HP because I find short stories to be a wasted effort, and I’m saving my better ones for a book of short stories. I was thinking about turning it into flash fiction when Lo, and Behold, a very popular hubber, and one whom I like and respect, published a fiction with the very same plot, just a different time and a slightly different ending. Out of respect for her and a fear that I would be accused of stealing her plot, I will never publish a version of mine here even if my book never gets published, but still having proof that mine was written in 2007, I still plan to someday include it in my book.

My story was entirely original to me, and there is no way this hubber could have seen it. So, maybe there is something to the theory that all stories and music are written on another plane and channeled to us mere humans LOL. Maybe another angel plagiarized my angel’s story and channeled it to her! Who knows?

Anyway that’s the gospel truth, and I hope I’ve provided you a laugh for the day.

Speaking of boorish, my more “cultured” coworkers threw around NPR and “all things considered” snobbery until I wanted to throw up. I finally said to them, “Those of us in commercial broadcasting looked down upon public broadcasters as broadcasting wannabees who couldn’t make it in commercial radio.” Do you think that hushed them up? Hell no! Cultural snobs will be cultural snobs.

Glad to see the Mailbag has returned! Though I can't speak for everyone, if you decide that it is in YOUR best interest to change the frequency, that's gonna be okay. Monthly might be easier for you to manage while you pursue other writing and work adventures.

Re: Copycats. Hasn't it been said that there are only like six plot lines in the world? What each individual does with them makes each story unique. And, yes, that's for the courts to decide if a challenge occurs. This is such tricky territory!

Re: No to Nonfiction. Well, I think you are an excellent writer of nonfiction, given your work (such as the Mailbag) on HP. But if it doesn't motivate you, forget it. We can all be excellent at things that aren't necessarily our passions. You have to make the choice.

Re: Boorish Bores. Arrogant people bore me and make others feel uncomfortable. They usually attempt to appear superior because they feel inferior.

Have a terrific week ahead!

Maybe a break in the action from time to time, but I'm sure it's only temporary. We need the information you supply, so I'm quite glad to see these questions and answers this week. Thanks again for helping us along.

Hi Bill! An engaging Mailbag. Writing everyday definitely is part of the structure of my life. If you're a writer; if that's the call on your life, writing probably is one of the major support beams holding your life in place. It's part of who you are and that's stability.

Have a great week!

Another great mailbag, Bill. I really loved it. About the pretentious comment... I know I'm just an artist/illustrator and not really a writer. I just dabble to give my heart's blood some reason to exist, however, I tried to get in with a local writer's group recently and was turned away as not being "qualified" because I had not signed with some publishing company. I found them to be snooty and superior acting and really not worthy of my time. But at the same time I was disheartened. Do you find many writing clubs or organizations to be like that or were these guys just a rare occurrence? I'm personally hoping for rare occurrence because I find this writing community to be warm and engaging.

Also I love your answer about the fresh idea. In my view, there is nothing new under the sun... only new and different points of view. I've been out on a plain aire painting expedition with a group of artists before (for the non-painter out there, that the French for painting in the open) and 5 of us are painting exactly the same thing but not one of the paintings turn out the same because we are all painting from a different heart, technique and view point. I'm sure it's the same with writing. Don't you think? Besides, how many times have you seen the same tragic Hamlet-type scenario come up over the years and no one really notices? Lion King, etc. If only Shakespeare could sue...

Blessings,

Denise

The large vocabulary issue can work both ways, being overt simple or overly hoighty-toity. Just keep it real. If real is smart with a good vocabulary then fine.

Yay, Mailbag! I really don't know what more I could add. Happy Monday, Bill.:D

Great stuff as usual, entertaining, educational and life affirming.

Let me get right to it. I am having a problem with colons and semi-colons. (shoot I don't even know if that is the correct way to write semicolons) At least we are not talking about my colon, thank God.

Maybe it is because I have trouble separating thoughts in my head. I am not sure how to use these punctuations. Advise please.

Happy Monday Bill! Glad to see the mailbag back, although I really enjoyed last week's also. I've been on vacation and without access to internet for a while, but now I'm back to work and this mailbag always gives me something to look forward to...so if you go to monthly, I'll just have to stop coming into the office 3 of 4 Mondays--just kidding boss!

:) Hope you have a great week!

Hi Bill,

Happy Monday to you. Thanks for answering my question. I suspected your writing to-do list was rather long.

That was an interesting question about the need for stability when in a writer's life. In fact, I knew there was something missing as to why I couldn't stay on task. You may have just solved the puzzle for me.

If the mailbag does slow, there are still many I haven't yet read as I was late arriving to the party. I will be sad to see the mail bag go but I look forward to the podcast.Will this podcast be part of a hub or accessed via your website?

Have a great week up there.

I think too that many people are celebrating summer time or holiday. I'm won't be so sure it's the mailbag itself. We will see. For today I want to thank you for this evergreen! Have a great week.

It's not the mailbag, it's the summer. You know, "summertime and the living is lazy, fish are jumping and the questions are few."

Hey Bill. 106! What an accomplishment! You chug along while I grab snacks at every possible pit-stop. I.e. your production verges, now, on the prolific. Not one piece, of which, lacks delight.

In response to Ann: There's a great short story by Jorge Luis Borges entitled The Library of Babylon that addressed this issue.

Your answer, Bill, fits snugly with his.

In a Universe where every conceivable book exists, is there anything left to create? In the end the story centers (since the library is a labyrinth) around the abstract notion that one book may suffice for all. Various sects within the library spend eternity tracking down the infamous book, a rosetta stone, that encompasses all others. Finally, I think, Borges describes what you might attest to, Bill; that, sometimes we're given the story as a gift to impart. Perhaps it resembles another ('Simpsons did it!'), but the storyteller's act of creation is also an act of receiving. Our telling of the same truth will be varied.

So Ann, Bill is right.

Bill, you're right. :)

Adios, and thanks (as always) for remaining a constant and continuous voice,

-E.G.A.