Oh, I wish the interviewer had included what angers her in particular (even though it is probably for obvious reasons, I'd like to see how she articulates it) :-) Still, an enjoyable read. I looove it when writers talk about their process.
The more I read about Preeta, the more inspiring she becomes; I keep learning more nuggets about her life and the decisions she's made, and I'm thinking, she's doing it. She's the writer, living the writer's life, as a novelist, too, that we (those of us who have written, or are in the process of writing, a novel, and are working at other jobs) all want to become. Preeta, continue to lead the way, and good luck with that second novel. We're are rooting for you!
Borneo -- I've been living what you call "the writer's life" as well. And you don't want to be me. How sad :P
OTOH, it's interesting to see how some people appropriate a following ("we're all rooting for you") -- that sort of thing is why I'm so enamoured of humanity, that they can be so petty and insecure and hypocritical.
anon - it might have something to do with the fact that they actually get books written and published which you for all your "writer's life" talk do not!!! you've been bullshitting around for several years now with no evidence that you do anything but leave comments on blogs! i think you've got something to prove before we can root for you.
Oh no, Anonymous has got me all figured out again! Yes, Anonymous, I'm petty and insecure and hypocritical, and that's why I paid off BorneoExpatWriter (whom I've never met in real life) to say he was rooting for me. My insecure self really needs to hear people cheering and rooting -- in fact, it's the only reason I wrote the book, really. For the deafening sound of rooting and cheering during the 9 years I worked on it. How you knew ah? You some kind of bomoh izzit?
I wish I could be like you, though. Wah, you don't need approval at all! You just like the Simon and Garfunkel song, man, I AM A ROCK, I AM AN ISLAND. Terror lah. But then why you post comments here ah? Why you respond when people disagree with you? Why you care about getting banned from this blog? Actually what's the difference between needing approval and needing an audience? I'm a bit confused lah.
I don't think this particular Anonymouse will ever be banned, he/she is a stand-up comedy show all his/her own!
The difference is, at such a show we usually laugh at the things the comedian says, not at the comedian.
In the case of Anonymouse, we laugh at the comedian.
I've read Preeta's book, and tho I've never met her, I'm rooting for her too. The proof of the writer is in the writing, and none other is needed.
A whole lot of "random strangers" on the internet and the real world are rooting for her too, because that is what a normal, discerning reader would do.
While Preeta successfully goes on to write her next book, we shall let Anonymouse continue to make an anonymous fool of himself/herself. He/she is good at that.
Watch this space, he/she would be back with his/her Anonymouse comments :)
"Actually what's the difference between needing approval and needing an audience?"
Now this is interesting, I've got to go ask someone.
"Why you respond when people disagree with you?"
Because it's amusing.
"Why you care about getting banned from this blog?"
I don't :)
"In the case of Anonymouse, we laugh at the comedian."
Harold Lloyd. Buster Keaton. "Mr Bean". And the immortal Charlie Chaplin. They are all Anonymouse :)
"A whole lot of "random strangers" on the internet and the real world are rooting for her too,"
There's the appropriation again :)
"because that is what a normal, discerning reader would do."
So now you're saying, "if you don't do what I do, you are not normal." What is "normal"? what makes anyone the sole arbiter of what is normal and what is not?
"The proof of the writer is in the writing, and none other is needed."
Harold Lloyd. Buster Keaton. "Mr Bean". And the immortal Charlie Chaplin.....nobody laughed at (or laughs at) these people. People laugh at the situations and the ironies they portray.
Here, of course, everyone is laughing at the Anonymouse himself/herself, not at what he/she says. There is a difference. Typical of blind mice not to see the light, of course.
You are opening up a can of worms there, Anonymouse, by asking "What is normal?" Indeed.
According to you, the proof of the writer is not in his or her writing, Anonymouse?
Perhaps it is in whether or not he or she has a tail? (just making random assumptions, here, Anonymouse, taking a page from your book, so to speak)
Maybe only anonimice qualify as writers then (using the arbitrary logic so beloved to Anonymouse)...all mice I've seen have tails. Ahem, do you?
Ah, I feel good: I've found a new way to amuse myself (time permitting, of course). At the expense of Anonymouse, and his/her comments on this blog :)
Indeed, Anonymouse, this was SO amusing, thank you!
Preeta, 9 years? God, I'm so glad to hear that! I thought two years here, and two years to see it through to publication, while it takes me far too many years, far too many rewrites to even make my work readable. I'm about to start the 17th draft (unless I'm mistaken, though the first 3 chapters about 50 times!) of The Lonely Affair of Jonathan Brady. Either I'm insane, or this is what it takes, so this is what I'll do to see it published in a big way.
As for paying me for the nice comments, I have this offshore account...
For Anonymous, good luck! As for being anonymous, it gets pretty confusing, which one; there are three in these replies! Why are we hiding? Then again, why not? Happy writing and happy getting published...
"Here, of course, everyone is laughing at the Anonymouse himself/herself, not at what he/she says"
Who are you laughing at exactly? can you really laugh at people (and not at what they say or do?)
"You are opening up a can of worms there"
Yes I am aren't I? :) well let's open up this can of worms then.. what is normal, and what right have you to say what I do isn't normal? I am not normal or discerning if I don't do what you do or think like you think?
Borneo -
Yes, why not? Anonymous is just a name like any other. I would be just as anonymous if I called myself Ali, Tan, Kumar or Tom Johnson.
All writers are seriously damaged people. The proof is all here :)
Good luck to you too. Bob Raymer, didn't you write those great columns in the Sunday Mail? or was that someone else?
anon - you may well be damaged but the vast majority of authors aren't. (or at least not to any greater extent than the rest of us - a certain degree of pain and damage is part of the human condition, innit?) there's no way it's a pre-requisite for the job.
don't play the tortured genius, perlease. if you're a writer, put your stuff out into the world and we'll respect it. if you aren't producing anything, better keep quiet lah. (though something tells me we will be having this conversation periodically over the next ten grouchy years, if my blog lasts that long and isn't sunk under the sheer weight of collective negativity.)
Yes, let's keep it positive and feed off the good vibes of writers (like Preeta, where all this started), getting their work out there, and motivating the rest of us to do the same.
Yes, Anon, good point and thanks for remembering -- that was a long time ago, but it's Robert, not Bob (haven't used Bob in about 25 years!), and it was NST, Sunday Style, back when Sheila Rahman was the editor before she shifted to the Malay Mail. On the same note, the original version of 8 of my LSR short stories were also published in Her World! Ah, to be starting out all over again...
Need to get that wide-eyed innocence back...and translate it into more publications, more books, and more memories to collect and future stories to tell...
Now back to work! We all seem to have way too much time on our hands, when in reality, we're all screaming on the inside for more time to write! So, what are we waiting for?
All the best in 2009 and see you in print (or on the internet).
16 comments:
Oh, I wish the interviewer had included what angers her in particular (even though it is probably for obvious reasons, I'd like to see how she articulates it) :-)
Still, an enjoyable read. I looove it when writers talk about their process.
'discrete' is used wrongly.
The more I read about Preeta, the more inspiring she becomes; I keep learning more nuggets about her life and the decisions she's made, and I'm thinking, she's doing it. She's the writer, living the writer's life, as a novelist, too, that we (those of us who have written, or are in the process of writing, a novel, and are working at other jobs) all want to become. Preeta, continue to lead the way, and good luck with that second novel. We're are rooting for you!
I know, typo! We're ALL rooting for you!
Borneo -- I've been living what you call "the writer's life" as well. And you don't want to be me. How sad :P
OTOH, it's interesting to see how some people appropriate a following ("we're all rooting for you") -- that sort of thing is why I'm so enamoured of humanity, that they can be so petty and insecure and hypocritical.
anon - it might have something to do with the fact that they actually get books written and published which you for all your "writer's life" talk do not!!! you've been bullshitting around for several years now with no evidence that you do anything but leave comments on blogs! i think you've got something to prove before we can root for you.
oh you source of endless amusement you!
Bib -
I think you just proved my point :) people are as amusing to me as I suppose I am to them :)
I don't find myself particularly in need of approval from random strangers on the Internet, but thanks all the same :)
Oh no, Anonymous has got me all figured out again! Yes, Anonymous, I'm petty and insecure and hypocritical, and that's why I paid off BorneoExpatWriter (whom I've never met in real life) to say he was rooting for me. My insecure self really needs to hear people cheering and rooting -- in fact, it's the only reason I wrote the book, really. For the deafening sound of rooting and cheering during the 9 years I worked on it. How you knew ah? You some kind of bomoh izzit?
I wish I could be like you, though. Wah, you don't need approval at all! You just like the Simon and Garfunkel song, man, I AM A ROCK, I AM AN ISLAND. Terror lah. But then why you post comments here ah? Why you respond when people disagree with you? Why you care about getting banned from this blog? Actually what's the difference between needing approval and needing an audience? I'm a bit confused lah.
-- Preeta
Preeta, you have waaaay too much time on your hands! :-)))
But I love your responses.
- Poppadumdum
Hilarious!
I don't think this particular Anonymouse will ever be banned, he/she is a stand-up comedy show all his/her own!
The difference is, at such a show we usually laugh at the things the comedian says, not at the comedian.
In the case of Anonymouse, we laugh at the comedian.
I've read Preeta's book, and tho I've never met her, I'm rooting for her too. The proof of the writer is in the writing, and none other is needed.
A whole lot of "random strangers" on the internet and the real world are rooting for her too, because that is what a normal, discerning reader would do.
While Preeta successfully goes on to write her next book, we shall let Anonymouse continue to make an anonymous fool of himself/herself. He/she is good at that.
Watch this space, he/she would be back with his/her Anonymouse comments :)
"Actually what's the difference between needing approval and needing an audience?"
Now this is interesting, I've got to go ask someone.
"Why you respond when people disagree with you?"
Because it's amusing.
"Why you care about getting banned from this blog?"
I don't :)
"In the case of Anonymouse, we laugh at the comedian."
Harold Lloyd. Buster Keaton. "Mr Bean". And the immortal Charlie Chaplin. They are all Anonymouse :)
"A whole lot of "random strangers" on the internet and the real world are rooting for her too,"
There's the appropriation again :)
"because that is what a normal, discerning reader would do."
So now you're saying, "if you don't do what I do, you are not normal." What is "normal"? what makes anyone the sole arbiter of what is normal and what is not?
"The proof of the writer is in the writing, and none other is needed."
Then everyone is a writer.
I told you so ;)
What do you know, he's back!
Harold Lloyd. Buster Keaton. "Mr Bean". And the immortal Charlie Chaplin.....nobody laughed at (or laughs at) these people. People laugh at the situations and the ironies they portray.
Here, of course, everyone is laughing at the Anonymouse himself/herself, not at what he/she says. There is a difference. Typical of blind mice not to see the light, of course.
You are opening up a can of worms there, Anonymouse, by asking "What is normal?" Indeed.
According to you, the proof of the writer is not in his or her writing, Anonymouse?
Perhaps it is in whether or not he or she has a tail? (just making random assumptions, here, Anonymouse, taking a page from your book, so to speak)
Maybe only anonimice qualify as writers then (using the arbitrary logic so beloved to Anonymouse)...all mice I've seen have tails. Ahem, do you?
Ah, I feel good: I've found a new way to amuse myself (time permitting, of course). At the expense of Anonymouse, and his/her comments on this blog :)
Indeed, Anonymouse, this was SO amusing, thank you!
And now, back to work, sigh.
Preeta,
9 years? God, I'm so glad to hear that! I thought two years here, and two years to see it through to publication, while it takes me far too many years, far too many rewrites to even make my work readable. I'm about to start the 17th draft (unless I'm mistaken, though the first 3 chapters about 50 times!) of The Lonely Affair of Jonathan Brady. Either I'm insane, or this is what it takes, so this is what I'll do to see it published in a big way.
As for paying me for the nice comments, I have this offshore account...
For Anonymous, good luck! As for being anonymous, it gets pretty confusing, which one; there are three in these replies! Why are we hiding? Then again, why not? Happy writing and happy getting published...
"Here, of course, everyone is laughing at the Anonymouse himself/herself, not at what he/she says"
Who are you laughing at exactly? can you really laugh at people (and not at what they say or do?)
"You are opening up a can of worms there"
Yes I am aren't I? :) well let's open up this can of worms then.. what is normal, and what right have you to say what I do isn't normal? I am not normal or discerning if I don't do what you do or think like you think?
Borneo -
Yes, why not? Anonymous is just a name like any other. I would be just as anonymous if I called myself Ali, Tan, Kumar or Tom Johnson.
All writers are seriously damaged people. The proof is all here :)
Good luck to you too. Bob Raymer, didn't you write those great columns in the Sunday Mail? or was that someone else?
anon - you may well be damaged but the vast majority of authors aren't. (or at least not to any greater extent than the rest of us - a certain degree of pain and damage is part of the human condition, innit?) there's no way it's a pre-requisite for the job.
don't play the tortured genius, perlease. if you're a writer, put your stuff out into the world and we'll respect it. if you aren't producing anything, better keep quiet lah. (though something tells me we will be having this conversation periodically over the next ten grouchy years, if my blog lasts that long and isn't sunk under the sheer weight of collective negativity.)
Yes, let's keep it positive and feed off the good vibes of writers (like Preeta, where all this started), getting their work out there, and motivating the rest of us to do the same.
Yes, Anon, good point and thanks for remembering -- that was a long time ago, but it's Robert, not Bob (haven't used Bob in about 25 years!), and it was NST, Sunday Style, back when Sheila Rahman was the editor before she shifted to the Malay Mail. On the same note, the original version of 8 of my LSR short stories were also published in Her World! Ah, to be starting out all over again...
Need to get that wide-eyed innocence back...and translate it into more publications, more books, and more memories to collect and future stories to tell...
Now back to work! We all seem to have way too much time on our hands, when in reality, we're all screaming on the inside for more time to write! So, what are we waiting for?
All the best in 2009 and see you in print (or on the internet).
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