A quick example of the response 101 Reasons provokes:
Blogless reader Cassie mentioned 101 Reasons on Whatever, referencing my post about “all sex scenes are gratuitous“. Author John Scalzi demonstrated that he didn’t bother reading the link by replying thus:
The blogger’s an idiot, then. But I would allow that about 98% of all sex scenes probably needn’t be written.
Dude, what I said. Does that make me 2% idiot? I’m all for people calling me an idiot if they think I’m wrong, but don’t then tell me you agree with me.
Shouts out to those bloggers who’ve directed their discerning reader my way:
- A Dragon Writes: “This guy is brilliant.” But has she stopped writing?
- madwriter: “mostly tongue-in-cheek and often has good links, but not always.”
- Issendai: “It’s one-handed reading for writers… who are wearing a sandpaper glove.” I’m not exactly sure if the metaphor fits, so I must acquit.
- Writing Sya: “Maybe a more accurate blurb would be ‘101 Reasons Not to Get Published’.” But then no-one would read it.
- Jay Lake: “fascinating and somewhat hilarious.” As one commenter put it, it’s better than “somewhat shit”.
- Midnight Highways: “if you haven’t heard of him yet, evidently you don’t keep up on the science fiction writers-and-aspirants Internet subculture.” Ye gods and nanotechnology, if I had to rely on that demographic …
- AntiBlog: Just quotes a couple of paragraphs, which is sweet but really, really lazy. Dustbury.com quotes at length from the same post.
- Simon Haynes: “Another blog to read.” I’d write some really witty put-down about this, but he sent me a free book. I’m that easy.
- Matilda: “Wouldn’t have thought any of us needed 101.”
- Daniel Hatadi, my all-time favourite petrol-jockey-turned-crime-writer, reacted well to being interviewed.
- wordweaverlynn misunderstands the concept of 101 Reasons by volunteering a 102nd.
- A.R. Yngve: “Is it possible that human evolution is now moving in reverse?”
And extra-crispy kudos to those who’ve added 101 Reasons to their blogroll:
Store credit is due to two men, who have pimped 101 Reasons like they own stock:
Paul T. Riddell, who took up the mission with the zealotry of a Heaven’s Gate acolyte, and
Lee Battersby, the link that started it all, and the inspiration for 101 Reasons.
Thanks to everyone who’s ridden the bus this far.
![[Logo]](/images/101ReasonsLogo.png "101 Reasons to Stop Writing")
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I hate to say it, but “Paul T. Riddell” is dead, and I’m throwing a party in May to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his passing. He couldn’t write worth a damn and he couldn’t edit at all; considering his competition in the skiffy field, that still made him an MVP. That said, I will be the first to christen his grave in the only appropriate fashion, and if enough people join in, we can guarantee that he’ll never rise again by trapping him in a gigantic crystal of pure uric acid.
It just so happened to be the demographic with which I’m familiar. Glad to hear you’re not relying on it overmuch…
Diversification is, after all, key.
“I’m all for people calling me an idiot if they think I’m wrong, but don’t then tell me you agree with me.”
I neither agreed nor disagreed with you. This is because, as you surmised, I didn’t follow the link, and I was going off what Cassie wrote. I’m not actually obliged to follow every link someone leaves on my site. If you want to complain to Cassie about inadequately expressing your argument, that’s one thing. But the meat of your issue with me is that I didn’t follow a link in a frenzy of Pavlovian mouse-clicking. To which my response is, oh, well. Get used to disappointment.
However, it is delightful that you agree with me regarding how few sex scenes need to be written. That is, if you actually do; I still haven’t read the piece in question. You could totally be lying.
Dear Mr. Stop Writing,
Do you really have 101 reasons? Or have you become a victim of your own cleverness? I know a bit about procrastination, and with nearly 10 days lapsed since #11, it seems you’re stalling. The non-writings of the late Mr. Riddell are nice filler and all, but, frankly, reasons 1-11 did not convince me. If your objective is to keep us in suspense, that’s fine, but even Lost throws its audience a bone every week. If you do not pick up the pace, I may be forced to unleash some narcissistic drivel on the unsuspecting public.
Blogless,
We’re not unsuspecting. We’ve suspected you all along, and we’re just waiting for the evidence to nail you.
Thanks, Sean, for the link to my blog.
As for the remarks by Scalzi, he is quite correct when he points out that he is not obliged to follow every link that someone posts in response to one of his posts.
However, if I had felt strongly enough to call someone an “idiot,” I would have at least visited the link to see what led them to the so-called “idiotic” notion. I don’t think it is so much about unfair responsibility caused by a commenter’s hyperlink as it is about simple common courtesy.
Maybe that makes me the unreasonable one, but I think not. Otherwise, anyone could come on my blog and attribute anything to anyone without any potential for fact-checking.
On the other hand, perhaps the example that fellow writers can sometimes be less-than-courteous to each other could itself be a big reason for some people to avoid the profession.
Hey! Thanks for putting me in your little list, there. That was awfully nice of you.
However, now I am afraid that people are going to click on it and come to my site–someone already has–and they’re going to find that I almost never write on my blog, unless it’s a quick line to point out that I’ve changed my template. What you’ve done, in effect, is to actually make me feel like I need to write something, which, I would think, goes totally against your principles!
Honestly. One would think you were actually trying to do some silly reverse-psychology thing.
Patrick wrote:
“However, if I had felt strongly enough to call someone an ‘idiot,’ I would have at least visited the link to see what led them to the so-called ‘idiotic’ notion.”
Proof you’re not me, I suppose, Patrick, because not only did I not feel any obligation to visit the link, neither did I feel particularly strongly about the possibility that someone who said something idiotic might be, in himself, an idiot. Indeed, it’s something I dispensed with in a matter of seconds and thought no more about until today. Since the fellow in question maintains his formulation was not as reported, he may not in fact be an idiot. In which case, good for him. I’m not going to spend much time worrying about it either way, however.
“perhaps the example that fellow writers can sometimes be less-than-courteous to each other could itself be a big reason for some people to avoid the profession.”
There’s a word for people who would avoid the writing profession on the possibility that other writers might be mean. You wouldn’t like it, though.
andLee Battersby, the link that started it all, and the inspiration for 101 Reasons
You know, there are two ways to read that…..
John,
Of course you’re not obliged to follow links, and your criteria for idiocy are your own. I was just puzzled that I qualified, based on five words in sequence, when you then stated that you were 98% in agreement with my prima facie point. Cassie (whoever you are, darling) is likewise under no obligation to express my argument for me, and providing a link was a kindness.
There’s no “meat”, certainly no pork or sausage, or hot beef. You have to expect a little comeback when you toss around the i-word.
Paul, count me in for a few pints. I’ll bring the asparagus.
Blogless, I’ve always been a victim of my own cleverness (It was written verbatim on my second grade report card). In my defence, I’ll say two things:
a) Lost has a multi-million dollar budget, sixteen credited writers, as well was script supervisors, story editors, writers’ assistants, etc. It’s an unfair comparison, although 101 Reasons does have an unknown threat living on the other side of the island.
b) you may have noticed decorative lights hanging from nearby houses, an excess of baubles and cheer, and a guy in a red suit.
By the way, I’m doing my best Sean Lindsay impression on my blog today. See if you can spot the difference. “I can’t believe it’s not 101 reasons!”
Don’t worry, Sean — I won’t make a habit of it. This town ain’t big enough for… well, you actually.
See. I knew you had an unknown threat living on the other side of the island. I knew it.