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It Sells Millions

I recently got into an argument with a friend over the fact that she says everything that sells is good.  I say that is completely not true.  Look at authors such as Stephen King, John Grishman, and Anne Rice.  There work sells, yes, but does it mean they are wonderful authors?  No, in my opinion what they write is trash.  Every writer is entitled to having their own style of writing.  Poets such as e.e. cummings expressed his individuality and dislike for conformity through his work-- altering modern grammar rules and such.  Though many people consider him to be great, this friend of mine pointed out that work such as his, "sucks" because he couldn't even form a real sentence.  I don't understand how she can say e.e. cummings and the remarkable work of Virginia Wolf or James Joyce "sucks" because it is too difficult to understand and is simply unreadable, as he says.  Anyway, my point of this is to ask everyone what your opinions are of writers such as John Grishman and the like, and do agree with my friend-- just because its sells, that makes it good?  This friend is 3 years older then me (she's 20, I'm 17) and told me that I'm immature and even stupid and don't understand writing enough yet to make statements about Virginia Wolf's work being remarkable.  I'm curious to know the opinions of everyone on this.

Millions Sells It

LOL obviously your friend is the one who is not mature enough because she should not call you that in the first place. :
Anyway, I agree with you. Not everything that sells is good. There are so many singers who I cannot comprehend who will be able to buy a CD from them and those guys sells millions of copies. Just because I don't like it, it doesn't make them 'bad' or just because millions like them it doesn't make them
'good'. It's just a matter of opinion.
In literature the same rule applies. Each author has their own way of writing, not everybody can 'capture' what he/she meant to say, but that's the wonderful thing about it! Reading takes a lot of thinking and analysis.
Same example you gave, Virginia Woolf (I don't know if it's the same one you're refering to). I have not read much about her, just heard about her famous 'To the Lighthouse' (hope I make the translation properly) but I do know she was a remarkable author. I'm glad to know you like to read.
Regards to ee Cummings, I only read a couple of poems in english and it was pretty difficult to understand because of my limitations in this language.
But like I said, I believe that each author has a way to write that make them unique and great. Not everybody must agree with one's preference.
But going back to the subject, not everything that sells is good...
Millions of people buy ilegal drugs every day...does it make it good? :

It Sells Millions History & Civil Business Politics

I would hardly call a twenty year old a judge of anything.

ALL young people go through a period where they think they have the answers to the mysteries of the universe. It is a common, universal disease.

She is merely suffering from the same delusions we all did at that age.

Good-bad-indifferent is in the eye of the beholder. To some, Shakespeare is trash, to others rap music is genius.

To try and quantify it in those terms (good-bad) is an exercise in futility.

If she doesn't get run over by a bread truck for being such a little snot, she may live long enough to figure that out.

Think about it, she's only been alive for twenty years. During all that time her parents have been wiping her nose and changing her diapers. What could she possibly know?

Millions Sells It

[quote]

I would hardly call a twenty year old a judge of anything.

ALL young people go through a period where they think they have the answers to the mysteries of the universe. It is a common, universal disease.

She is merely suffering from the same delusions we all did at that age.

Good-bad-indifferent is in the eye of the beholder. To some, Shakespeare is trash, to others rap music is genius.

To try and quantify it in those terms (good-bad) is an exercise in futility.

If she doesn't get run over by a bread truck for being such a little snot, she may live long enough to figure that out.

Think about it, she's only been alive for twenty years. During all that time her parents have been wiping her nose and changing her diapers. What could she possibly know? [/quote]


;D....that....was.....beautiful! I couldn't have said it better myself (hellz, I probably couldn't say it. ! That is like everything I wanted to say to my friend, but then the dumbass turns all my arguments around, and twists my words to the point that I just burned myself. Her main weapon against me was age ( she kept ca;;ing me inamture the whole time) :-/

Millions Sells It

[quote]and twists my words to the point that I just burned myself. Her main weapon against me was age ( she kept ca;;ing me inamture the whole time) :-/[/quote]

You will find that you can do anything with words. The best way to  combat that is to detach emotionally, remove yourself from personal involvement and LISTEN.

Listen to what the other person is saying, and think about it for a moment or two.

Then begin dissecting what they are saying, find the flaws in their logic and begin asking questions.

Don't respond with your answers; make them PROVE their point of view, demand facts, and most of all, don't lose your cool.

You could have thought about the "age" argument. If it applies to you, then it certainly applies to her.

As an exercise in this, get in a quiet spot and go over the age argument in your mind. That was a completely inane and irrelevant argument if you think about it.
Now go think about it and tell me why.

It Sells Millions

Although this can be quite effective i have often found it difficult - it is an art. Communication in itself is the seller, making them believe is the bigger part, usually that comes from 'the right moment', better known as 'timing'.