Robin told me about Alison's success in science fantasy, and I've been
trying to make myself remember to get one of her books (which I expect
I'll like simply because such books are a big part of my fun reading--I
read an average of one a day while substitute teaching in middle and
senior high schools where they make up a large percentage of extra
credit reading for students). One question for Alison, because I tried
her route to a day job I'd enjoy unsuccessfully: how did you manage to
first get a novel published? I failied commercially with a children's
book (tested in various schools by friends who taught with great
success), plays, a tv script I had a tv actress friend fail to help me
get looked at by a studio, a couple of x-rated (very bad, I have to
admit) novels, and now, a science fiction novel. I think my problem was
lack of perseverance. Maybe lack of talent, but looking at the stuff
out there, it's hard to believe any literate person could write worse
than half the "successful" writers out there. Not in any way to suggest
I don't have great admiration for the good ones in commercial writing,
many of whom I consider extremely good and as valuable to our culture as
any poet--Rex Stout, for instance.
--Bob
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