Does this scare anyone else as much as it scares me?

[Meerkat]

Good morning, I'm very new here. I have over 1700 books I can read but instead of reading one of them, I read this blog post. I noticed that there isn't any sort of support for what is said in the original blog post - not sure what site it came from. I think I'm going to stick with what I know. I will provide it without support. They are just my beliefs.

There aren't any new stories.
It's okay that authors have no hope of writing something wholly original because originality is not why people read.
People read for an emotional experience.
There will always be those authors who stand out in terms of providing said emotional experience. They will always be irreplaceable.
It's been my observation that sometimes success has to do with timing. Whatever themes or mythos are alive in our collective unconscious at any given time will gain the attention of readers. Example: 50 Shades of Grey - horrible book, not the first time a power exchange story has been in print, not at all - Why are housewives giggling over it?
Sometimes success - or in terms of this discussion standing out among the archived bytes - has to do with talent. Beautiful language is music. Readers will dance to it.
Most importantly, we die without story and since we live in a culture dying from literalism, I find it more likely that people will turn more and more to story. I believe this because people always seek to relieve their suffering and yes, story will do that. I believe story is essential to the minds, hearts, and yes soul of human beings.

Finally..... If you're lucky enough to get paid to write, I'm so happy for you. If the primary reason you write, is for the nickel, I feel sorry for you. I'm trying to imagine a time when 'Author' would have been listed as the top paying jobs for college graduates and I can't do it in spite of being a very fanciful person. It's been a long time since we've really valued our storytellers. Although, I imagine you could find tribes in so called 'primitive' cultures who value their storytellers.

S0 - not worried about the archived bytes. - or as the original post said 'unlimited content'.

I so agree with this. I didn't go to a great college (no Creative Writing major), so I was an English major. Then I doubled up with an Art History major as well. Of course I got all the jokes about "useless majors," and it made me so angry. What kind of impoverished society do we live in when the cultivation of the mind and art is considered useless because "it won't make you any money"? Like THAT'S what's important?

 

[Jason Byrne]

I so agree with this. I didn't go to a great college (no Creative Writing major), so I was an English major. Then I doubled up with an Art History major as well. Of course I got all the jokes about "useless majors," and it made me so angry. What kind of impoverished society do we live in when the cultivation of the mind and art is considered useless because "it won't make you any money"? Like THAT'S what's important?

Should have been a Greek, my friend.

An ancient one. Not a frat house brother.