How I Feel About Twilight

Let me start right off. This is a weird post. It's been a long time coming for me. It's not a defense of TWILIGHT . . . well, not exactly. Overall, it's a defense of writers. And books. TWILIGHT is just a good example.

So, over the last few years or so I've seen a lot of facebook stuff like this:

*I'm sorry to pick on the dear person I love so much who posted this photo and sent me over the edge. It was just that straw, you know. 

Unlike this photo, a lot of the statuses are funny and I even snicker a little. And sometimes, when I see the ones where they compare TWILIGHT characters with say HARRY POTTER characters or Tangled characters, I even agree a little bit inside. But I never repost.

Again, before I go further, let me clear up my personal feelings about TWILIGHT as a book. I liked it. Ms. Meyers ensnared me like she did so many others with good storytelling. I go and see the movies because for the most part, I've liked them too. I'm not obsessive. I'm not planning a vacation to the real Forks anytime soon, but I won't judge you if you are. 

Like I said, I'm defending this as a writer. A few questions for you. When is the last time you poured your heart into a manuscript? Or had to endure letting a beta reader and then, if you're lucky, an editor at a publishing house or an agent rip it apart--and did it with your chin held high? Have you ever winced when you opened your inbox and saw an email with the subject line RE: QUERY for KISSING A SUPERHERO by Ranee` S. Clark (uh, did this just get personal . . . sorry), and then cringed some more when you read the opening lines, "Dear Author, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your work but it's not for me ..." And for the kicker--when was the last time you wrote a book that sold millions and millions of copies? That impacted publishing so hard that your book blew open a genre and it's still going strong? That was made into movies that shattered box office records? Unless your name is J.K. Rowling, you're going to have to put your hand down.

There's a point to my rant. It wasn't to defend TWILIGHT. In all honestly, if Stephanie Meyers sees those statuses, she's drying her eyes on a hundred dollar bill and then laughing at it. She doesn't need reassurance about the value of what she wrote. Millions of readers have already given her that. So what is the point? I'm a writer. When I see this, I wonder, will someone be posting this about my book? Probably. When I get published (when . . . when . . . when . . .) people will hate it. (There's a fantastic post by Beth Revis on this.) It's inevitable. But I will never repost because Stephanie Meyer is one of us. We're like cops. We protect our own (well, we should). And as writers, just consider, when you're reviewing, critiquing, reading for a friend, remember what you put into your writing and be considerate and honest. 

Thank you. Rant over. You may all go about your business.