Thoughts on Writing
#47: Different Strokes
by Seanan McGuire
And now, because context is king, our expanded thought:
It's okay to be silly. It's okay to be serious, too. If a
serious writer sniffs at you for writing comedy, or a comic writer
tries to call you a stick in the mud, laugh. You're the one who's doing
the writing.
There's this amazing tendency among humans to go "what I'm doing is
awesome, what you're doing is lame." We apply it to everything, from
flavors of ice cream to professional callings. The thing is, it's very
rarely fair. We're almost never comparing two roller coasters, one of
which has a triple inversion and a great storyline, the other of which
has gone three days without killing a park guest. Instead, we're
comparing kittens and puppies, apples and oranges, and sometimes,
kittens and oranges. So how do we handle things with grace?
Today we're going to be talking about apples and oranges, why both are
awesome, and why no one gets to tell you which one to put in your lunch
box.
Ready? Good. Let's begin.
Apples and Oranges.
Humans are very fond of comparing things. We often want to know,
without a doubt, that one thing is intrinsically superior to another,
and we're perfectly happy to keep comparing until we achieve the
nirvana of perfection. Sometimes, this can lead to some pretty silly
comparisons. Was my trip to Disney World better than your Alaskan
cruise? I'm going to say yes, for me, and no, for you (unless you were
seasick the entire time, and will be joining me at Disney World in the
future). No two of us are standing in the exact same spot. Unless we're
comparing things which are functionally the same,
and thus need to cater to the same sets of expectations, standards, and
qualities, we're never going to come to a perfect consensus. And maybe
not even then! I doubt most people give Disney World extra credit for
being filled with lizards.
It is okay to like what you like. It is okay to do what you do. And if
what you like, and what you do, don't happen to match up with what the
people around you like or do, that's okay too.
(Please note that this is not me endorsing, say, mass murder. It's just
that we're all reasonable sapients here, you can probably guess what I
am and am not endorsing. If not, ask yourself, "Would Kate allow Seanan
to do this?")
When someone presents you with an apples and oranges
comparison—my science fiction thriller to your romantic
comedy, say, or your coming of age story to Jim's wacky princess
adventure—the only way to win is not to play. Remember that
the world is huge, and it has room for all kinds of things in it.
Apples and oranges. And that's okay.
Actual Quality.
Now, this doesn't mean that you don't have to be the best apple you can
be. If you hand me a rotten apple, I stop judging "apple vs. orange:
intrinsic value," and start judging "apple vs. orange: is it going to
kill me." You need to tell the best story you can tell, regardless of
whether it's an apple, an orange, or some strange new hybrid fruit.
People will still prefer what they prefer, but even the most rabid
apple-eater can sometimes be lured by a nice enough orange. It works
the other way, too. Focus on quality rather than focusing on labels,
and no matter what you come up with, it will be delicious.
This Fruit Metaphor Is Getting Silly.
Yes, it is. But that's actually part of the point.
Dismissing anyone else's preferred genre for reasons other than "the
work is of poor quality" is just as silly as today's metaphor, and has
much longer-lasting implications. You cannot force someone with a
naturally comic turn of phrase to become dire and dark; if they're
going to grow into that kind of writer, it needs to happen one word at
a time. And you can't force someone very serious to become a comedian
at the snap of your fingers. Lovecraft was never going to create the
Discworld. For which we can all be grateful.
Write your stories, your way. Be amazing.
That's all you have to do.
© 2013 Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire is an author, poet, and musician who lives in the San Francisco Bay area with three cats and a small army of plush dinosaurs. She has recorded three albums, and published several novels. In 2010, she was awarded the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in the field of science fiction and fantasy. She is nominated for four Hugo awards in 2012, including Best Related Work for her music album, "Wicked Girls".
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