Lois’s answer to “How do your family and friends relate to you and your writing? I imagine they would enjoy a special…” > Likes and Comments
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I read and/or listen your books at least once a yr, never gets old!
Back in the days when I fancied myself a poet, my mother (with no insult intended) suggested I get a job writing greeting cards. Recently my husband, when I told him my blogs were going well, said, "That's great, honey! Maybe you should think about starting to write again." So I know how that feels.
What a lovely question. Thanks to the asker. And thank you, Lois, for such candor. I understand how my fiction is different from what anyone in my family would read--if they read, at all--but it helps to know others are in similar situations! Families, gotta love 'em, even when mutual understanding eludes.
Family is weird. Friends are probably better.
When I was 20 my father wrote a short autobiography of his life growing up on a very rural Iowa farm, as a Christmas present to me and my siblings. Ten years later I finally read it. I was very glad to have read it and frankly quite embarrassed that I'd waited so long ( I admitted that to him). But I figure that the 20 year old me probably wouldn't have appreciated it as much as the 30 year old me did.
So maybe all it takes is time and a changing perspective to get children to read their parent's stories.
Yes, you can make your books required reading, but you probably don't want to (considering some of the stuff that's been required reading for at school ).
Personally, I think he'd like them, but I thought my son would like your stuff more than he does, too (has a sad).
I love my father very much but have not read anywhere near all of his papers! I comfort myself by saying I have the almost singular privilege of absorbing his outlook and ideas directly.
I homeschool my son, so I COULD make them required reading if I wanted to, but I suspect I'll stick with making them strongly recommended reading. LOL
I grew up reading a lot of female-authored science fiction. My daughter has stolen most of my collection as she learned to appreciate sci fi from an early age. That includes my books by you, Elizabeth Moon, Anne McCaffrey, C.J. Cherryh, Joan Vinge, and so on. We always read to her, with her, so that by the time she was 10, she just grabbed things off my shelves. Now she tells me what I should read.
Tyler, you are so lucky your father wrote about his life. I wish my parents had. All I have are fading memories of tales they told. I have written some about my life but I don't think my granddaughters will be interested.
for the record- my daughter is named Cordelia in many parts because I wanted her to be able to be as emphatic and kick ass as Miles' mum; smart, kind, honest...all I could ask for. :)
Lois, your answer made me want to give you a hug. Fantasy, Sci-Fi (both Science and Speculative Fiction) are the glue that hold my family together, the one place we can all meet. In particular, The Sharing Knife series is one that my mother brings up each and every time I see her, she loves it so much. I introduced her after her appendix burst, and she had a lot of reading time while she recovered.
Family is complicated. Thank you for bringing mine together.
I understand. Sometimes your family understands your vision, but a lot of the times you just have to push ahead on your own. Keep writing! I enjoy your books.
The Curse of Chalion is my favorite (and my reading tastes skew toward SF) of your works, with Paladin of Souls second if not the Penric & Desdemona series (there are a few Vorkosigan novels in there, too). I suspect that for many readers it's the first they've heard voice given to their own religious struggles as reflected in Chalion theology. I found your commentary, such as it was, quite powerful.
I once read an anonymous question on Quora or Reddit or somewhere like that. The poster asked if they should be alarmed or feel bad that their spouse and family had not read their book. They received many good answers, but this one stuck with me: Sometimes the people in those positions close to you may not want to understand the things about you that are revealed by your writing (or may be scared at the prospect of discovering this on a not necessarily conscious level).
Of course, there were answers about how some people just do not read, and some people cannot comprehend the thing that is revealed about you by a book in the first place. But I found this answer also very understandable.
I think authors are like prophets in the way neither one is appreciated in their own lands, or in this case, families.
I write space opera myself and Lois has been a huge influence with me. If only I had a tenth of her talent. My husband supports me but refuses to be my sounding board and I don't think he has ever read my books. I know my daughter hasn't. That's okay. I don't write for them, I write for me, and I am developing a small fan base myself. Very small, but hey. You gotta start somewhere. Lol.
I read fiction often, mostly sf and fantasy. My wife is Spanish and reads fiction (in Spanish), but not sf or fantasy. My son doesn't seem to read fiction at all (gulp!). Families are a bit of a lucky dip; they usually have their good points, but you can't expect them to be perfect in all respects. At least I like a few books that my mother liked; although she wasn't into sf or fantasy either.
I am glad your parents got to enjoy some of your writing. By the time I get anywhere, my Mom is already in the afterlife.
Just read your first book. You're obviously a terrific mind, by the axiom that any character is a subset of the author's internal armada. Absolutely admire you, it's a bit tragic that your kids don't all get it, but of course you've figured out how that all goes by now. Legacy is a funny thing. If only the daisies could appreciate it!
I’ve read your chili on books and some penric books. I just finished shards of honor. Absolutely loved everything you’ve written. I cannot imagine your son not wanting to read your fiction! Maybe someday he will and your wish will be fulfilled :)
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Dorothy
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Jan 02, 2015 10:03PM
I read and/or listen your books at least once a yr, never gets old!
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Back in the days when I fancied myself a poet, my mother (with no insult intended) suggested I get a job writing greeting cards. Recently my husband, when I told him my blogs were going well, said, "That's great, honey! Maybe you should think about starting to write again." So I know how that feels.
What a lovely question. Thanks to the asker. And thank you, Lois, for such candor. I understand how my fiction is different from what anyone in my family would read--if they read, at all--but it helps to know others are in similar situations! Families, gotta love 'em, even when mutual understanding eludes.
Family is weird. Friends are probably better.
When I was 20 my father wrote a short autobiography of his life growing up on a very rural Iowa farm, as a Christmas present to me and my siblings. Ten years later I finally read it. I was very glad to have read it and frankly quite embarrassed that I'd waited so long ( I admitted that to him). But I figure that the 20 year old me probably wouldn't have appreciated it as much as the 30 year old me did.So maybe all it takes is time and a changing perspective to get children to read their parent's stories.
Yes, you can make your books required reading, but you probably don't want to (considering some of the stuff that's been required reading for at school ). Personally, I think he'd like them, but I thought my son would like your stuff more than he does, too (has a sad).
I love my father very much but have not read anywhere near all of his papers! I comfort myself by saying I have the almost singular privilege of absorbing his outlook and ideas directly.
I homeschool my son, so I COULD make them required reading if I wanted to, but I suspect I'll stick with making them strongly recommended reading. LOL
I grew up reading a lot of female-authored science fiction. My daughter has stolen most of my collection as she learned to appreciate sci fi from an early age. That includes my books by you, Elizabeth Moon, Anne McCaffrey, C.J. Cherryh, Joan Vinge, and so on. We always read to her, with her, so that by the time she was 10, she just grabbed things off my shelves. Now she tells me what I should read.
Tyler, you are so lucky your father wrote about his life. I wish my parents had. All I have are fading memories of tales they told. I have written some about my life but I don't think my granddaughters will be interested.
for the record- my daughter is named Cordelia in many parts because I wanted her to be able to be as emphatic and kick ass as Miles' mum; smart, kind, honest...all I could ask for. :)
Lois, your answer made me want to give you a hug. Fantasy, Sci-Fi (both Science and Speculative Fiction) are the glue that hold my family together, the one place we can all meet. In particular, The Sharing Knife series is one that my mother brings up each and every time I see her, she loves it so much. I introduced her after her appendix burst, and she had a lot of reading time while she recovered.Family is complicated. Thank you for bringing mine together.
I understand. Sometimes your family understands your vision, but a lot of the times you just have to push ahead on your own. Keep writing! I enjoy your books.
The Curse of Chalion is my favorite (and my reading tastes skew toward SF) of your works, with Paladin of Souls second if not the Penric & Desdemona series (there are a few Vorkosigan novels in there, too). I suspect that for many readers it's the first they've heard voice given to their own religious struggles as reflected in Chalion theology. I found your commentary, such as it was, quite powerful.
I once read an anonymous question on Quora or Reddit or somewhere like that. The poster asked if they should be alarmed or feel bad that their spouse and family had not read their book. They received many good answers, but this one stuck with me: Sometimes the people in those positions close to you may not want to understand the things about you that are revealed by your writing (or may be scared at the prospect of discovering this on a not necessarily conscious level).Of course, there were answers about how some people just do not read, and some people cannot comprehend the thing that is revealed about you by a book in the first place. But I found this answer also very understandable.
I think authors are like prophets in the way neither one is appreciated in their own lands, or in this case, families.I write space opera myself and Lois has been a huge influence with me. If only I had a tenth of her talent. My husband supports me but refuses to be my sounding board and I don't think he has ever read my books. I know my daughter hasn't. That's okay. I don't write for them, I write for me, and I am developing a small fan base myself. Very small, but hey. You gotta start somewhere. Lol.
I read fiction often, mostly sf and fantasy. My wife is Spanish and reads fiction (in Spanish), but not sf or fantasy. My son doesn't seem to read fiction at all (gulp!). Families are a bit of a lucky dip; they usually have their good points, but you can't expect them to be perfect in all respects. At least I like a few books that my mother liked; although she wasn't into sf or fantasy either.
I am glad your parents got to enjoy some of your writing. By the time I get anywhere, my Mom is already in the afterlife.
Just read your first book. You're obviously a terrific mind, by the axiom that any character is a subset of the author's internal armada. Absolutely admire you, it's a bit tragic that your kids don't all get it, but of course you've figured out how that all goes by now. Legacy is a funny thing. If only the daisies could appreciate it!
I’ve read your chili on books and some penric books. I just finished shards of honor. Absolutely loved everything you’ve written. I cannot imagine your son not wanting to read your fiction! Maybe someday he will and your wish will be fulfilled :)
