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WhydoIdoth
It is as if they have no clue how bad it is in other countries! In Russia, do you walk into bookstores and see lots of bashing Russia books?
Answer
It is lonely at the top. And when you are there, the only company you keep are those trying to knock you down. This happens on a microcosmic to a macrocosmic scale. It is done to star athletes, celebrities, great authors, etc.
Also, consider that egocemtrism plays a role in what you notice, and that marketing plays a role in what is published and placed in bookstores.
With regard to the former, an analogy would be that, if a friend of yours buys a brand new, bright yellow SUV, and you suddenly notice that you see such a vehicle every day, in many different places. It is probably not that everyone bought this vehicle during the same timeframe as your friend. It is that humans are egocentric and pay more attention to what is relevant to them (like a car owned by a friend, at whom they want to wave.)
With regard to the latter, the current climate fosters a critical attitude toward America, not only abroad, but domestically. Dissent about the war, the handling of illegal immigration, concern over the "moral fiber" of the country, etc. have combined to create this atmosphere. Publishers recognize that many people will be more interested in reading such books, because they want to find arguments and evidence that support the view they already, to some degree, possess. In a few years, assuming American foreign policy turns a kinder hand to the rest of the world and assuming domestic issues get buried under an economic boom, you will find more books that praise the current state of the country.
I have to agree that anyone who has a problem with America, as a culture, is arguing on philosophical grounds, or is arguing for a perceived "voiceless minority." The basic quality of life is much better than it has been in most any country, at most any time, in human history. Even those labeled as "economically disadvantaged" have benefits and opportunities that far outstrip what you might find in most other nations, and most other times, in human history.
So, should the America bashing bother us? I don't think so. I think that a critical attitude makes change and progress possible. After all, had John Locke not been critical of monarchies, he would not have written his treatises; had the colonists not felt similarly, they would not have rebelled. Criticism is the fire that forges stronger material.
It is lonely at the top. And when you are there, the only company you keep are those trying to knock you down. This happens on a microcosmic to a macrocosmic scale. It is done to star athletes, celebrities, great authors, etc.
Also, consider that egocemtrism plays a role in what you notice, and that marketing plays a role in what is published and placed in bookstores.
With regard to the former, an analogy would be that, if a friend of yours buys a brand new, bright yellow SUV, and you suddenly notice that you see such a vehicle every day, in many different places. It is probably not that everyone bought this vehicle during the same timeframe as your friend. It is that humans are egocentric and pay more attention to what is relevant to them (like a car owned by a friend, at whom they want to wave.)
With regard to the latter, the current climate fosters a critical attitude toward America, not only abroad, but domestically. Dissent about the war, the handling of illegal immigration, concern over the "moral fiber" of the country, etc. have combined to create this atmosphere. Publishers recognize that many people will be more interested in reading such books, because they want to find arguments and evidence that support the view they already, to some degree, possess. In a few years, assuming American foreign policy turns a kinder hand to the rest of the world and assuming domestic issues get buried under an economic boom, you will find more books that praise the current state of the country.
I have to agree that anyone who has a problem with America, as a culture, is arguing on philosophical grounds, or is arguing for a perceived "voiceless minority." The basic quality of life is much better than it has been in most any country, at most any time, in human history. Even those labeled as "economically disadvantaged" have benefits and opportunities that far outstrip what you might find in most other nations, and most other times, in human history.
So, should the America bashing bother us? I don't think so. I think that a critical attitude makes change and progress possible. After all, had John Locke not been critical of monarchies, he would not have written his treatises; had the colonists not felt similarly, they would not have rebelled. Criticism is the fire that forges stronger material.
What techniques to authors use to make their writing enjoyable?
totallynot
I am writing a book, but i am not yet an adult. All of my teachers say i have a remarkable writing ability. But i notice that my book doesnt pull the reader into the story as much as other books I have read. My dad, a published screenplay writer, says it is because i use too much dialogue, and i need to use more logic in my writing. So what strategies should i try? Also, could you explain exactly what my dad means by logic. Thank you so much.
Answer
First of all, you're probably comparing your work to published authors. These are dudes with decades of experience, etc, etc. So ease up on yourself.
Forget all that logic jazz. At this point in your life, you need to be writing crazy. Ferociously. Attack everything. Write thousands and thousands of lines of dialogue. Over write *everything*. Be a wildman. Read voraciously. Read other madmen, like Kerouac and Melville.
Logic is meaningless. Passion is everything. Explore all sorts of techniques. Read a lot of Shakespeare. Check out "Zen and the art of writing" By Ray Bradbury. Develop endurance... be able to write thousands of words a day. Learn how to write when you hate what you're writing. Learn to embrace failure. Love it. Treat your process the way an athlete treats his training.
Don't write for an "audience" yet. Write for yourself. As you progress, you'll find your own way. A friend of mine once said "it takes 20 years to be a writer". So relax, my friend. You've got world enough and time.
First of all, you're probably comparing your work to published authors. These are dudes with decades of experience, etc, etc. So ease up on yourself.
Forget all that logic jazz. At this point in your life, you need to be writing crazy. Ferociously. Attack everything. Write thousands and thousands of lines of dialogue. Over write *everything*. Be a wildman. Read voraciously. Read other madmen, like Kerouac and Melville.
Logic is meaningless. Passion is everything. Explore all sorts of techniques. Read a lot of Shakespeare. Check out "Zen and the art of writing" By Ray Bradbury. Develop endurance... be able to write thousands of words a day. Learn how to write when you hate what you're writing. Learn to embrace failure. Love it. Treat your process the way an athlete treats his training.
Don't write for an "audience" yet. Write for yourself. As you progress, you'll find your own way. A friend of mine once said "it takes 20 years to be a writer". So relax, my friend. You've got world enough and time.
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