If you can't....

[Paul Whybrow]

'If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing.'

Kingsley Amis

 

[Claire G]

'If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing.'

Kingsley Amis

Totally disagree!

 

[Hannah F]

Totally disagree!

I totally agree with you and disagree with him.

 

[Jake E]

I mean, if your goal is to challenge ideas for a noble cause then yes.
...
If you're just being a dick... then no.

 

[Mel L]

I'm on the fence. Alienating people is not the goal but -- IMO, good writing challenges ideas and is provocative or controversial on some level. This will always annoy somebody!

 

[Claire G]

'If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing.'

Kingsley Amis

Challenging ideas of course has its place, but to say that otherwise there's little point in writing, well! Writing has many purposes. I like to be challenged but I also like to be entertained and to escape into another person's imagination sometimes!

 

[Hannah F]

Challenging ideas of course has its place, but to say that otherwise there's little point in writing, well! Writing has many purposes. I like to be challenged but I also like to be entertained and to escape into another person's imagination sometimes!

And challenging doesn't have to mean annoying. I've read many enjoyably challenging books and many just plain enjoyable books. I'd say, the only books that have annoyed me, so far, are boring or badly written ones.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Well he succeeded. I never did see the point of his writing. It was for a very specific audience. And I wasn't in it.