Subtext is Everything

[leahbobet]

It seems there is a new FAQ at the very top of the SFWA home page, titled "Why Should I Join SFWA?" and featuring responses from the current president to "real letters" asking this very question.

I browsed through and found one of the questions/answers notable.

Q: I've heard there's some tension in SFWA between the old crowd of established writers and the "newbies" like me. Will I feel uncomfortable?

A: A good rule to follow is: Never give too much weight to a few strident voices. For as long as the organization has existed, a few loud voices have always declared that the Old Farts should dry up and blow away and make room for the Young Writers Who Really Have Something To Say. Most new members' experience is of how open to questions and how generous in giving advice the more established members are.

I find the subtext to this answer -- and the very existence of this FAQ -- interesting in the extreme.

Discuss?

Comments

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

I've heard that attitude among several people who've let their memberships lapse. I suspect that lapsing is connected to the interestingness of subtext displayed above.

[(Anonymous)]

I think this is a problem seen at all writing organizations. There has been many such stories about the HWA, as well.

I'm not a member of any writing organization, and have no intentions of joining any, but I've heard these groups are good for exchanging advice with other writers, and that's about it.

The members of these organizations can be divided into two groups of people. Those who join in order to converse with other writers, and those who join because they believe membership will some sort of VIP pass to the Glorious Kingdom of Publishing. These latter believe that putting "SWFA member" or "HWA member" on their cover letters will prompt editors to give them special attention.

And who knows, maybe some editors are bowled over by such things. But I willing to bet that most of them don't care. It's the story that matters, not the membership cards one carries in his/her pocket.

Ian