Identifying with the author

lilypad

I would have to admit that my knowledge of the author or the authors personal characteristics does influence my opinion on his/her work.

Although I try my very best to remain neutral and objective -

If there is an author that I use to enjoy and find out some how that their personal interests are less desirable than anything I would consider 'normal' then I probably won't attempt to read any more of their work. I know... to each their own but there are some people's habits that just don't bring good thoughts at all and I would just feel.. dirty after a read.

On the other hand... I would have to say popularity plays a HUGE role in the acceptance of someone's work. If that person is sociable and well liked, everyone makes a point to at least comment on their work.

Also, if an author wants to receive votes and comments... it's also necesary that he/she do the same for others. Otherwise, it's tolerated for a couple of stories and then most people won't bother to read any of their work.

It all boils down to common courtesy at all times... and don't tell anyone about your 'other' interests - especially if they are questionable!

We are an interesting crowd - aren't we?

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Jonathan_Philips

I basically agree with all that has been said so far and it only happened the once when reading a work by an author I liked. I had seen a picture of her and didn't really find her attractive and then when reading a story of hers in the first person I found I couldn't enjoy it (no one here of course because we are all gorgeous).

I was asking ainly because sites like these are very social as well as being places to submit and read works of erotica. I wondered if perhaps we lose something when the author no longer appears anonymous.

JP
x

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Rotsen

Far too interesting a debate to resist...

If a beautiful, comfortable sweater knitted carefully from the yarn of the soft underbelly wool of high altitude alpine sheep were given to you as a gift, would you reject it if the woman who knitted the sweater were not beautiful and hot? Would you care if the guy who sheared the sheep were not a strapping stud of a man? Would you really want to know the acts of perversion committed upon the fairest of those sheep by the lonely shepherd boy?

Of course not, because the sweater stands on it’s own, just as a story does, or at, least as a story should be allowed to in my ever so humble opinion.

I’ll admit, JP and Lilypad, there is something to be said for popularity. Personal appearances by authors: readings, interviews and signings have always been used to boost book sales for authors who could successfully promote themselves. However, the gems of literature ultimately stand long after the bones of the sometimes miserable, degenerate, tortured miscreants who brought them to life have returned to dust.

OK, so none of us here at Mindspire claim to contribute much in the way of literary gems, but it’s a shame to think that our erotica, because of being passed back and forth across the social cyber table has to submit to the same reduction that popular music has had to endure at the mercy of MTV. I also agree the danger exists of not giving a story a fair shake if prejudging the author. But if you can, re-read the story in question JP, as objectively as possible. If it’s a gem you might be able to appreciate it now, if not you might find the story simply unable to stand on it’s own. If that’s the case you may not have been as tainted by the author’s picture as you thought. The story just sucked.

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lushi

hmmmmm, guess that explains why you don't want to bandy your pics about, JP........... afraid it'll taint the fan club? LMAO j/k

Seriously though, I have never let the appearance of an author impact how I might feel about his/her work. I have, however, allowed their personal and professed belief systems censor their works for me. ........ E.G., Kurt Vanegutt [sp], bless his soul, a very unattractive man, but wrote some of the most inspiring books of the 20th Century. OR Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson or anyone from the Bush administration will never entice me to even pick up a book to look at the jacket.

We all have biases of one sort or another, but I think they generally cut much deeper than the author's physical appearance.

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