The Business Side of Writing, Analyzed

Via Jaquandor, here is an excellent dissection of the wrong-mindedness thrust upon writers by other writers and the publishing industry. It's geared toward the mystery genre, but it applies to anybody who writes fiction (and probably even non-fiction). The author of the piece, Jim Huang, puts all the links and info about the sources he quotes in his footnotes, so be sure to check them out too (especially that infernal Jane Austen Doe salon.com article that had every writer rolling their eyes earlier this year). But I also recommend that you read this speech while ready for action. I know it made me get up and actually get ready for the day because, dammit, I had work to do. It's impossible for me to read things like this without getting revved up for the writing that I've been putting off for a myriad of reasons ranging from the valid and serious to the "But I need to watch that mole on my leg today because it might suddenly turn cancerous" variety.