Entitlement issues...

ねぇねぇ February 6, 2017 6:47 am

'Look, this may not be palatable, reader, and I keep trying to come up with a better way to put it, but the simplicity of things, at least from my perspective is this:

Ayano Yamane is not your bitch.

This is a useful thing to know, perhaps a useful thing to point out when you find yourself thinking that possibly Ayano Yamane is, indeed, your bitch, and should be out there typing what you want to read right now.

People are not machines. Writers and artists aren't machines.

You're complaining about Ayano Yamane doing other things than writing the volumes you want to read as if your buying the first volume in the series was a contract with her: that you would pay over your ten dollars, and Ayano Yamane for her part would spend every waking hour until the series was done, writing the rest of the volumes for you.

No such contract existed. You were paying your ten dollars for the book you were reading, and I assume that you enjoyed it because you want to know what happens next.

It seems to me that the biggest problem with series mangas is that either readers complain that the books used to be good but that somewhere in the effort to get out a book every year the quality has fallen off, or they complain that the volumes, although maintaining quality, aren't coming out on time.

For me, I would rather read a good manga, from a contented author. I don't really care what it takes to produce that.

Some writers need a while to charge their batteries, and then write their books very rapidly. Some writers write a page or so every day, rain or shine. Some writers run out of steam, and need to do whatever it is they happen to do until they're ready to write again. Sometimes writers haven't quite got the next volume in a series ready in their heads, but they have something else all ready instead, so they write the thing that's ready to go, prompting cries of outrage from people who want to know why the author could possibly write Book X while the fans were waiting for Book Y.

I remember hearing an upset comics editor telling a roomful of other editors about a comics artist who had taken a few weeks off to paint his house. The editor pointed out, repeatedly, that for the money the artist would have been paid for those weeks' work he could easily have afforded to hire someone to paint his house, and made money too. And I thought, but did not say, “But what if he wanted to paint his house?”

And sometimes, and it's as true of authors as it is of readers, you have a life. People in your world get sick or die. You fall in love, or out of love. You move house. Your aunt comes to stay. You agreed to give a talk half-way around the world five years ago, and suddenly you realise that that talk is due now. Your last book comes out and the critics vociferously hated it and now you simply don't feel like writing another. Your cat learns to levitate and the matter must be properly documented and investigated. There are deer in the apple orchard. A thunderstorm fries your hard disk and fries the backup drive as well...

And life is a good thing for a writer. It's where we get our raw material, for a start. We quite like to stop and watch it.

And if you are waiting for a new book in a long ongoing series, whether from Ayano Yamane or from someone else...

Wait. Read the original book again. Read something else. Get on with your life. Hope that the author is writing the book you want to read, and not dying, or something equally as dramatic. And if she paints the house, that's fine.

And reader, in the future, when you see other people complaining that Ayano Yamane has been spotted doing something other than writing the book they are waiting for, explain to them, more politely than I did the first time, the simple and unanswerable truth: Ayano Yamane is not working for you.

Hope that helps.'

Obviously not my writing, changed the names and some words because I thought it translated well in this situation for those that don't mind a longer read ;)

Responses
    Yakuza_Yume February 6, 2017 6:58 am

    I would say this explains perfectly, the problems with creative entertainment producers and the fan bases that always want more. I have seen writers or inde game developers who have burnt out (they could have burnt out or disappeared for other reasons) but I feel that fans of an media should not push deadlines on the creators.

    Anonymous February 6, 2017 7:46 am

    I agree with you. I wanted to add that with Yamane I think that some things are different from some mangaka. From what I understand, she does most of her own drawing and has very few assistants.

    She puts detail in her work and adds extra content. Look at Asami's ties. His favorite ties has a lot of detail and from what sensei said, Asami's slicked back hair takes a lot of work.

    She draws a lot of extra material for souvenirs and comics for her releases. I don't follow CS as closely, but with Finder she does Pink Gold chapters, and she has also drawn anniversary extras. She also does be-boys covers.

    The fact that people are still complaining given everything, I'm thinking that the complainers are young people who have never worked and are still in school with their parents paying for everything. A working adult would understand the amount of work Yamane sensei puts into her projects.

    Well said! February 6, 2017 11:27 am

    I salute all of you for speaking out like that. Sadly, this had to be said and I hope the message sticks with those that needed to hear it.

    Smoothie February 6, 2017 6:52 pm

    Didn't even read, but I'm rolling my eyes already.
    I know for a fact much will be left out of consideration when writing this up.

    Snarky February 6, 2017 7:10 pm
    Didn't even read, but I'm rolling my eyes already. I know for a fact much will be left out of consideration when writing this up. Smoothie

    If you didn't bother reading then your offered feedback on it and your overdramatic reaction to what you didn't even read makes you look petty, foolish and immature.

    Smoothie February 6, 2017 8:27 pm
    If you didn't bother reading then your offered feedback on it and your overdramatic reaction to what you didn't even read makes you look petty, foolish and immature. @Snarky

    Ya my comment was immature, problem?
    But imo it's just as petty, foolish and immature to post a full write-up clearly directed at me, when I think the argument being made is wrong

    ねぇねぇ February 6, 2017 8:29 pm
    Ya my comment was immature, problem?But imo it's just as petty, foolish and immature to post a full write-up clearly directed at me, when I think the argument being made is wrong Smoothie

    Lol, it wasn't specifically directed at you. You're not the center of the world. I'd have replied to you directly if it was.

    Besides, it's not my writing, I just thought it was interesting to bring it up now.

    ねぇねぇ February 6, 2017 8:31 pm

    If anyone is wondering, this is one of Neil Gaiman's essays that I just modified. Great read, go check the original too :)

    Smoothie February 6, 2017 8:32 pm
    Lol, it wasn't specifically directed at you. You're not the center of the world. I'd have replied to you directly if it was.Besides, it's not my writing, I just thought it was interesting to bring it up now. ねぇねぇ

    sure if you say so

    Pacgirl February 7, 2017 5:11 am
    sure if you say so Smoothie

    Smoothie?
    So I've been realizing this.
    Why does your attitude keep changing with each of the many comment chains you're in?
    One second you'll be calmish, and then the next an "angsty" stranger.

    Smoothie February 7, 2017 9:03 pm
    Smoothie?So I've been realizing this.Why does your attitude keep changing with each of the many comment chains you're in?One second you'll be calmish, and then the next an "angsty" stranger. Pacgirl

    It does? Interesting...
    The way my comments are written reflect on the way the comment I'm replying to is written.
    So if the person is being nice, I'll be nice back etc guess it comes off bipolar but i'm not.