issue 16 / volume 42

19

 

 

What happened when George R. R.
Martin finished his first book

How to be successful and create your own ‘Misery’

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor

Young author George R.
R. Martin’s first collection of
novellas and short stories, A
Song for Lya, is being published
this year. There is probably not
going to be a big launch party.
There is probably not going to
be coverage from multiple media
sources. And there are probably
not going to be lineups outside
the bookstore. It is probably
going to be a modest event
with reserved excitement.

For a writer, there doesn’t
need to be a big event,
because there is nothing more
exhilarating than seeing one’s
works there, visible on shelves at
a local bookstore. It must be the
same sensation musicians feel
when they hear their song on the
radio, or how actors feel when
they see their face on the screens.

Yet, at what point does
that thrill fade? As artists, your
profession is also your passion,
right? That’s why when I see an
artist with an insipid attitude
towards their craft, I wonder:
Why pursue this daunting,

critical, often thankless, often
highly demanding, sometimes
soul-crushing, most often a
poor return of investment brand
of work? Why climb Mount
Everest if you dislike heights?

Hopefully, this young Martin
fellow can recall that initial
sensation of accomplishment
for having been published if
he continues to write, and will
never feel resentful towards
any fame or success he gains.

My advice to Martin and to
other young writers is to always
be carefully aware of the scope
of one’s craft—what it will mean
to you, and what it will mean to
the greater public. If you create
something people love, what
responsibility do you have to
continue delivering? How much
do you owe to those who have
raised you to such prowess?

I was speaking with Stephen
King, another young writer,
and we were bouncing ideas
around. He had this outline for
a novel called Misery. It’s about
an author who is captured by an
obsessed fan and held hostage
in an attempt to get him to write
another book. That’s the risk

   

wi

of being beloved; you are not
actually loved. I hope King gets
around to writing that book
soon. | think it'll be good.

Let’s hope we never do the
same thing to Martin. We love
his work, but we don’t care about
him as a human being. He won't
win us over with his delightful
personality or his literary, sci-fi,
or fantasy expertise. We'll respect

him for the awesome work he

will surely produce. But if we

want more, he’ll have to supply

it or find someone to help.
Artists need to think

of their work like starting a

franchise. Books are the business.

Understandably, when it comes
to artworks, the artists get
personally attached, because
writing is, in essence, a birthing

Dear refugees from Vietnam

My advice for new immigrants

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor

A few years ago, my mother’s
side of the family emigrated to
Canada, France, and the United
States from their home country,
which had been torn apart by
the Vietnam War, in the hope
of starting a new life. So here
lam now. What my family
went through must have been
tumultuous and frightening.
Hopefully they can put those
experiences in the past.

The following is some
advice I have to give to not
just my family, but to all
immigrants, from all over the
world, because there is so much
to learn in this new world.

Language: One of the first
things I would tell them is how
important proficiency in English
is. It’s true that Canada is a
multicultural country, but only
in select parts of it. The majority
of Canada is still predominantly
English speaking. Having a strong
command in English is the first
step to getting work that isn’t
in a kitchen or warehouse.

Owning property:
Homeless to homeowner in a
few years. It can happen. This

is the country of opportunity.
Get a job, save up, and buy
property. Invest in the suburbs
surrounding the urban core,
where property prices are very
reasonable for families. Canada
loves immigrants, and our
population will surely boom, thus
increasing the value over time.
Travel: I don’t believe travel is
a practice you learn in your latter
years. I think it is the best form
of education both personally
and socially. I understand that
being immigrants means that at
one point they were put through
an arduous trip, but traveling
in all forms is an opportunity
for growth. My family members
are citizens of Canada now,
but they could be citizens of
the world (even though there
is much to see in Canada).
Hobbies: In developing
countries, hobbies are for
survival. In the developed
countries, hobbies are for survival
too, but in a more personal way.
In this new world, my family
works, comes home, watches
television, goes to sleep, and
repeats those steps. They don't
have hobbies per se. My mom is
a practicing Buddhist, so she is
a part of some communities, but
she doesn’t have any personal

projects—except for raising
me, I guess. I believe personal
projects, be they reading books,
building miniatures, learning
to cook, or working on puzzles,
are a substantial record of
accomplishments. Finding

process. But if they’re not able
to maintain their franchise,

the artists should sell their
rights to their work or hand the
reigns to trustworthy partners.
Although it would be tough to
give their art up for adoption,

if the author does not have the
capability to raise it properly,
would the right thing to do not
be giving it up for the fan’s sake?

 

 

an area of interest to focus on

helps create an identity, not just

for other people to view you,

but how you view yourself.
Refugees, like my mom,

are still finding homes and

creating their lives in Canada.

They walk among us every day.
In this country, there is so much
freedom, and I wouldn’t want
any new citizen to squander it
by living only to pay their bills.

Image via www.lifo.gr

Image via wikimedia