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Personality - does it matter?

7/19/2010

6 Comments

 
There have been several online posts recently, where authors, describing themselves as successful or best-selling, made statements which, at best,  were very arrogant.

Now, I'd not heard of the authors concerned, and that may be because they're not as famous as they like to think or it might simply be because of differences in nationality or genre. However, to summarise for people  who didn't read the posts, these writers caused controversy with views such as the opinion spelling and grammar are unimportant (because that's what editors are for) and declaring that 99.9% of published indie writing (produced by the community in which they'd recently been 'socialising') was rubbish.
Needless to say, these comments, within the context and company in which they were published, provoked strong and mostly unpopular reactions.

At the opposite end of the scale, I have met or corresponded with authors who very definitely are well-known and best-selling. And in each case they have been friendly, humble and helpful, beyond the expectation of diplomacy or manners.

Personally, I find arrogance ugly. And I find humility (not to be confused with lack of confidence) and friendliness appealing. I'm more likely to read and enjoy a book by someone I like and respect as a person. I think this applies to other branches of the arts as well as literature.

Established, famous authors are now saying they are expected to join networks such as Twitter, and interact with their readers.
And while online networking may seem easy, compared to meeting people in person, it's very easy to inadvertently cause offense in a short online post.

So, do you think personality matters? And in a world of increasing internet marketing, does the way a person conducts themselves in this medium impact on their success?
6 Comments
Chris Rigby
7/19/2010 07:05:01 am

I'm in two minds about this. Yesterday there was a movie about Brian Clough, followed by a documentary on his career and life. He was derided by many in his lifetime for his supposed arrogance, but it seemed quite clear from last night's telly, that he was a larger-than-life character. When he was being his most conceited, there was a definite twinkle in his eye. I thought "I like this guy".

As humans I think we are far too complex to be neatly summarised as either arrogant or humble. We display different traits at different times, with different people. What I DO believe however, is that personality can be "cultivated" and used to good effect - or otherwise. Those who are somehow trapped into one extreme or the other, and feel they can't change, are the ones I feel sorry for.

I guess that as writers, we should be rather chameleon-like anyway, so we can get under the skin of a wide range of characters. As for internet networking, that's a reality that we just have to accept nowadays. Only established writers can afford to ignore it.

Reply
Ali Cooper
7/19/2010 07:37:33 am

When people are supposedly helping and encouraging others I find arrogance ugly.
But I agree there are occasions when a more extrovert perceived personality may better fit an 'image'.

I've played about with anonymous online persona on a critique site and it's quite scary the effect it can have. Noticeably different interactions when a character is perceived as male rather than female!

Reply
Chris Rigby
7/19/2010 07:46:43 am

Yes - I've played about too, and you're absolutely right, the scary effect of gender interaction, particularly male to male!

Reply
Ali Cooper
7/19/2010 09:09:50 pm

there are lots more responses to this blog on kindle boards.
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,29730.0.html

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Rudolf
7/19/2010 11:16:47 pm

I agree Ali. I heard a commentator say the other day that the had read a book by so-and-so and had to meet them. having done so this writer turned out to be an arrogant little sod who was so "up" themselves that the commentator said they threw the book away when they got home and will never read anything by them again.

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Replica Louis Vuitton link
12/9/2010 03:25:51 pm

If we should ever accomplish anything in life, let us not forget that we must persevere

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    I'm Ali. I'm an author and musician, living in Devon, and I teach guitar.

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