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Whatever #3
Don't Live for Your Obituary: Advice, Commentary and Personal Observations on Writing, 2008-2017
Between 2008 and 2017, author John Scalzi wrote fifteen books, became a New York Times bestselling author, and won numerous awards, including the Hugo, the Locus and the Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio. He also had book deals crater, lost more awards than he won, worried about his mortgage and health insurance, flubbed a few deadlines, tried to be a decent parent and husband, and got into some arguments on the Internet, because, after all, that’s what the Internet is for.
Scalzi wrote about it all—the highs and lows in the life of a working writer—and gave his readers, and other writers, a glimpse of the day-to-day business of navigating a writing life in today’s world. Sometimes these essays offered advice. Sometimes they commented on the practical business of publishing and selling books. Sometimes they focused on the writing issues, arguments and personalities of the day. And sometimes, Scalzi reflected on his own writing life and career, and what both meant in the larger scheme of things.
Don’t Live For Your Obituary is a curated selection of that decade of advice, commentary and observations on the writing life, from one of the best-known science fiction authors working today. But more than that, it’s a portrait of an era—ten years of drama, controversy and change in writing, speculative fiction and the world in general—from someone who was there when it happened…and who had opinions about it all.
About John Scalzi
John Scalzi is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hugo Award-winning Redshirts, the Old Man’s War series of books, The Dispatcher and many other works. He lives in Ohio with his family.
Scalzi wrote about it all—the highs and lows in the life of a working writer—and gave his readers, and other writers, a glimpse of the day-to-day business of navigating a writing life in today’s world. Sometimes these essays offered advice. Sometimes they commented on the practical business of publishing and selling books. Sometimes they focused on the writing issues, arguments and personalities of the day. And sometimes, Scalzi reflected on his own writing life and career, and what both meant in the larger scheme of things.
Don’t Live For Your Obituary is a curated selection of that decade of advice, commentary and observations on the writing life, from one of the best-known science fiction authors working today. But more than that, it’s a portrait of an era—ten years of drama, controversy and change in writing, speculative fiction and the world in general—from someone who was there when it happened…and who had opinions about it all.
About John Scalzi
John Scalzi is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hugo Award-winning Redshirts, the Old Man’s War series of books, The Dispatcher and many other works. He lives in Ohio with his family.
471 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2017
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277 people want to read
About the author
John Scalzi
186 books28.6k followersJohn Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 27, 2018
I have several of John Scalzi's books, so I'm used to his snappy, snarky style. This book (published by the small specialty press Subterranean, and a thick, lovely book it is) pulls from several years of Scalzi's blog posts, on his site Whatever. I've been following the blog for quite some time, so I'm sure I've read all these before. But seeing them in one place, and arranged by subject, just reinforces that John Scalzi is a writer with a lot to say, about his craft, his peers, and other topics such as politics.
His writing style does take a bit of getting used to, especially when he really lets loose. As he himself says, "The failure mode of clever is asshole," and on a couple of occasions I've seen him veer perilously close to that line. Thankfully, he mostly avoids that here, and imparts some solid advice on living the writing life. I especially appreciated the practical advice about money, and managing your time, and protecting your intellectual property. There's plenty of books about the craft of writing, but few that wander into the real-life weeds as some of these pieces do.
All in all, this is a good offering from a successful, working writer. Stephen King's On Writing still leads this particular pack (at least as far as I'm concerned), but this book isn't too far behind.
His writing style does take a bit of getting used to, especially when he really lets loose. As he himself says, "The failure mode of clever is asshole," and on a couple of occasions I've seen him veer perilously close to that line. Thankfully, he mostly avoids that here, and imparts some solid advice on living the writing life. I especially appreciated the practical advice about money, and managing your time, and protecting your intellectual property. There's plenty of books about the craft of writing, but few that wander into the real-life weeds as some of these pieces do.
All in all, this is a good offering from a successful, working writer. Stephen King's On Writing still leads this particular pack (at least as far as I'm concerned), but this book isn't too far behind.
January 11, 2020
Most of the pieces in this book I read when he originally published them on his blog, but it’s so nice having them at the ready whenever I want to take a peek or need some writerly inspiration. Well-written and thought out, there’s nothing in here that will shock or offend anybody, as is sometimes the case with some of his other blogging. It isn’t a how-to guide, a you should do this or you should do that book, but if you are or want to be a writer it does serve as an important reality check on many, many facets of writing.
December 12, 2019
Uma das melhores coletâneas de ensaios que eu já li. Na mesma vibe das do Gaiman e do Pratchett, mas com mais conselhos práticos sobre escrita e conduta nerd não babaca e progressista de maneira geral.
June 14, 2018
This book is a selection of Scalzi's blog posts over the years. As an unusual and informative look at the business of writing it can't be beat. He lays it out; all the ins and outs of publishing and the business thereof. I think I learned more from this book than from the other half dozen books on writing I've read lately.
I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to make a living as a writer.
I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to make a living as a writer.
October 5, 2021
A collection of articles from the 'Whatever' website where John Scalzi discusses life as a writer.
Pithy, sensible and self deprecating, Scalzi's non fiction essays are an enjoyable read.
Pithy, sensible and self deprecating, Scalzi's non fiction essays are an enjoyable read.
December 20, 2017
John Scalzi's Don't Live for Your Obituary is a collection of essays--blog entries really--formed into the loose structure of a book. If you're familiar with his Whatever blog, you'll probably recognize a lot of material. I'm not going to go into a lot of details on individual pieces. Scalzi is a great writer, and he, um, knows how to write.
The real question is: should you buy this book?
If you consider yourself a rabid Scalzi fan, then you've probably already bought the special edition of the book and made a place for it on your shrine next to your scrap of Hawaiian print fabric and your complete archive of John Scalzi film reviews from the Fresno Bee.
*slowly backs away*
The book is a treasure for writers. Scalzi has a strong background in financial advice, and he applies that advice to writing as a career. Yes, he makes way, WAY more than most writers will ever make, but he got there by starting with a strong understanding of money. In particular, he teaches the good lesson of valuing your work, and that's something early-career writers absolutely need to hear.
This book also collects quite a few essays regarding the publishing industry. As a writer it's fascinating to see how all the various gears fit together (or don't) in publishing. That stuff will always be interesting to me, and Don't Live for Your Obituary does a fantastic job of shining a light on those dark corners we don't normally get to see and oh my god it's dusty back there when was the last time anyone cleaned?
*ahem*
Part of the book is about various interactions with other authors and famous people. It's fine. If you're into that kind of thing, these stories are just as entertaining as you'd expect Scalzi's stories to be. It's not my thing, but if it's yours, then I think you'll be happy.
Full review here: https://anthonyeichenlaub.com/book-re...
I read a free copy of Don't Live for Your Obituary from NetGalley.
The real question is: should you buy this book?
If you consider yourself a rabid Scalzi fan, then you've probably already bought the special edition of the book and made a place for it on your shrine next to your scrap of Hawaiian print fabric and your complete archive of John Scalzi film reviews from the Fresno Bee.
*slowly backs away*
The book is a treasure for writers. Scalzi has a strong background in financial advice, and he applies that advice to writing as a career. Yes, he makes way, WAY more than most writers will ever make, but he got there by starting with a strong understanding of money. In particular, he teaches the good lesson of valuing your work, and that's something early-career writers absolutely need to hear.
This book also collects quite a few essays regarding the publishing industry. As a writer it's fascinating to see how all the various gears fit together (or don't) in publishing. That stuff will always be interesting to me, and Don't Live for Your Obituary does a fantastic job of shining a light on those dark corners we don't normally get to see and oh my god it's dusty back there when was the last time anyone cleaned?
*ahem*
Part of the book is about various interactions with other authors and famous people. It's fine. If you're into that kind of thing, these stories are just as entertaining as you'd expect Scalzi's stories to be. It's not my thing, but if it's yours, then I think you'll be happy.
Full review here: https://anthonyeichenlaub.com/book-re...
I read a free copy of Don't Live for Your Obituary from NetGalley.
May 31, 2018
This is a collection of previously published essays from the years 2008-2017. If you enjoy his blog Whatever, you will enjoy this culling of his work. It is heavy on advice to writers, would-be writers, and their fans. I enjoy reading Scalzi's blog, but 469 pages is a lot to take at one time!
An example of much-needed advice to writers is his discussion of diversity of characters v. appropriation—“the former says ‘I as a writer acknowledges there’s more to the world than me and people like me and I will strive to represent as best I can,’ and the latter says ‘The imaginary version of people I’m not like, that I’ve created in my head, is just as valid as the lived experience of the actual people I claim to be representing in my writing’” (182).
An example of helpful references: “The writers’ organization to which I belong, SFWA, sponsors the Web site Writer Beware, which offers some of the basics about avoiding scams and bad contracts” (206).
I'm always fond of writers sharing their favorite authors and works. Among Scalzi's favorites are: Ursula Le Guin, Always Coming Home; Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising Sequence; Sheri S. Tepper, Grass; China Mieville, Perdidi Street Station; Neil Stephenson, Snow Crush (“the best first chapter in all of science fiction”); Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love; Mark Helprin, Winter’s Tale (“one of the most gorgeously written books in the English Language"); J.L. Austin, How to do Things With Words
Something a lot of writes have experienced is the difficulty translating ideas in our head to paper. Scalzi suggests: “People often note that ideas and thoughts which seem deep and meaningful inside their head seem banal or pointless when they’re written out, but allow me to suggest the problem is not that these ideas were reduced when they were translated into words; instead, they were revealed. Your brain lies to you about the awesomeness of your thoughts” (461).
An example of much-needed advice to writers is his discussion of diversity of characters v. appropriation—“the former says ‘I as a writer acknowledges there’s more to the world than me and people like me and I will strive to represent as best I can,’ and the latter says ‘The imaginary version of people I’m not like, that I’ve created in my head, is just as valid as the lived experience of the actual people I claim to be representing in my writing’” (182).
An example of helpful references: “The writers’ organization to which I belong, SFWA, sponsors the Web site Writer Beware, which offers some of the basics about avoiding scams and bad contracts” (206).
I'm always fond of writers sharing their favorite authors and works. Among Scalzi's favorites are: Ursula Le Guin, Always Coming Home; Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising Sequence; Sheri S. Tepper, Grass; China Mieville, Perdidi Street Station; Neil Stephenson, Snow Crush (“the best first chapter in all of science fiction”); Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love; Mark Helprin, Winter’s Tale (“one of the most gorgeously written books in the English Language"); J.L. Austin, How to do Things With Words
Something a lot of writes have experienced is the difficulty translating ideas in our head to paper. Scalzi suggests: “People often note that ideas and thoughts which seem deep and meaningful inside their head seem banal or pointless when they’re written out, but allow me to suggest the problem is not that these ideas were reduced when they were translated into words; instead, they were revealed. Your brain lies to you about the awesomeness of your thoughts” (461).
January 7, 2018
Reading John Scalzi is both a fun aberration from life and a thought-provoking pleasure wrapped in humour.
Don’t Live for Your Obituary is a collection of his posts about writing for the past ten years. As someone who hasn’t been reading his (20+ year!) blog consistently, I didn’t mind that he wanted to compile some posts together and sell it as a book.
It is refreshing to hear the voice of someone who has been in the writing field offering solid advice, rather than those who have seen success after a few years and claim their own guru status. It's also enjoyable to read his potshots against elitism in writing while admitting his own shortcomings (and successes).
I often found myself captured by the arguments he was making and forget to highlight key passages that stuck out at me. Not that this should ever be an issue for a reader, mind you.
Could you imagine?
“Hey, Scalzi. Do you think you could ease up on your prose so it’s not so compelling? I need a break now and then. Thanks.”
Anyway, this book will appeal to anybody who wants the veil of writing lifted for them. For those who are starting, many of these chapters will be helpful in discerning the long road ahead.
And yes… and with great gratitude… Scalzi is one of the very few people who will admit luck has a huge part in success.
For those who have been in it for a while, it’s a refreshing and honest take on what another professional is doing.
Not every chapter will appeal to a reader and even I admit to skimming over a few of them. Perhaps at another point when I’m feeling particularly passionate about the subject will I return to pore over the fine details.
In any case, I look forward to his next ten years of writing.
Don’t Live for Your Obituary is a collection of his posts about writing for the past ten years. As someone who hasn’t been reading his (20+ year!) blog consistently, I didn’t mind that he wanted to compile some posts together and sell it as a book.
It is refreshing to hear the voice of someone who has been in the writing field offering solid advice, rather than those who have seen success after a few years and claim their own guru status. It's also enjoyable to read his potshots against elitism in writing while admitting his own shortcomings (and successes).
I often found myself captured by the arguments he was making and forget to highlight key passages that stuck out at me. Not that this should ever be an issue for a reader, mind you.
Could you imagine?
“Hey, Scalzi. Do you think you could ease up on your prose so it’s not so compelling? I need a break now and then. Thanks.”
Anyway, this book will appeal to anybody who wants the veil of writing lifted for them. For those who are starting, many of these chapters will be helpful in discerning the long road ahead.
And yes… and with great gratitude… Scalzi is one of the very few people who will admit luck has a huge part in success.
For those who have been in it for a while, it’s a refreshing and honest take on what another professional is doing.
Not every chapter will appeal to a reader and even I admit to skimming over a few of them. Perhaps at another point when I’m feeling particularly passionate about the subject will I return to pore over the fine details.
In any case, I look forward to his next ten years of writing.
July 5, 2018
I'm definitely rounding up somewhat.
My favorite thing about this book is the cover, which grabbed me at once. The various entertaining aspects of it led me to miss the subtitle, so I came to the book expecting it to cover a wider variety of subjects (as Scalzi's source blog Whatever does). But I'm generally interested in reading about the actual subject matter, writing and publishing, and I enjoy Scalzi's writing no matter what the subject, so I'm not too peeved with myself for my carelessness. Heck, I'd love to see other focused collections of posts. Scalzi writing about his pets? What a great gift item for dog/cat lovers! (Seriously, he should do this.)
I've been reading Whatever on and off for about the second half of the period covered here (2008-2017). That meant I had already read some of the posts included, and found some but not all of those worth reading again. There were plenty I hadn't read, and I enjoyed most of those. I wouldn't say I learned a great deal that I'll remember and use in my own authorial career, but that's partly because I've already seen much of the advice here, and partly due to my mediocre memory. I enjoyed his accounts of how various episodes of his career occurred and his posts about other authors, those he's met and those whose work he admires.
I also follow Scalzi on Twitter, and would say that while some of these collected posts are as blunt (and NSFW, vocabulary-wise) as his strongest Twitter posts, on the whole the tone is a bit mellower and more accepting of a larger percentage of humanity. His sense of humor may be a little less prominently featured, so for that, head over to Twitter or buy his novels.
My favorite thing about this book is the cover, which grabbed me at once. The various entertaining aspects of it led me to miss the subtitle, so I came to the book expecting it to cover a wider variety of subjects (as Scalzi's source blog Whatever does). But I'm generally interested in reading about the actual subject matter, writing and publishing, and I enjoy Scalzi's writing no matter what the subject, so I'm not too peeved with myself for my carelessness. Heck, I'd love to see other focused collections of posts. Scalzi writing about his pets? What a great gift item for dog/cat lovers! (Seriously, he should do this.)
I've been reading Whatever on and off for about the second half of the period covered here (2008-2017). That meant I had already read some of the posts included, and found some but not all of those worth reading again. There were plenty I hadn't read, and I enjoyed most of those. I wouldn't say I learned a great deal that I'll remember and use in my own authorial career, but that's partly because I've already seen much of the advice here, and partly due to my mediocre memory. I enjoyed his accounts of how various episodes of his career occurred and his posts about other authors, those he's met and those whose work he admires.
I also follow Scalzi on Twitter, and would say that while some of these collected posts are as blunt (and NSFW, vocabulary-wise) as his strongest Twitter posts, on the whole the tone is a bit mellower and more accepting of a larger percentage of humanity. His sense of humor may be a little less prominently featured, so for that, head over to Twitter or buy his novels.
October 28, 2017
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is most valuable to aspiring writers. Most of the content, as you might expect from the title, involves Scalzi sharing advice on writing based on his own experiences over the years. He covers a wide range of topics, from time management, the business/financial side of things, and relationships with other writers. He also discusses various controversies in the SF genre and common questions people have for writers. Of course, all of this is done in his trademark honest, quippy style. It's relatable, and funny, and it makes a book of advice and commentary much more interesting to read than perhaps the average book of advice for writers. This is not a particularly detailed book of advice; if you want something exhaustive in its minutiae, you'll want to look elsewhere. This is Scalzi sharing about his life as a writer, I think hoping to be entertaining and helpful and encouraging. I enjoyed this, and I think others will too.
The content of this book is taken from his blog posts from the last 10 years. If you're a frequent visitor to his blog, I imagine some of this might be familiar.
This book is most valuable to aspiring writers. Most of the content, as you might expect from the title, involves Scalzi sharing advice on writing based on his own experiences over the years. He covers a wide range of topics, from time management, the business/financial side of things, and relationships with other writers. He also discusses various controversies in the SF genre and common questions people have for writers. Of course, all of this is done in his trademark honest, quippy style. It's relatable, and funny, and it makes a book of advice and commentary much more interesting to read than perhaps the average book of advice for writers. This is not a particularly detailed book of advice; if you want something exhaustive in its minutiae, you'll want to look elsewhere. This is Scalzi sharing about his life as a writer, I think hoping to be entertaining and helpful and encouraging. I enjoyed this, and I think others will too.
The content of this book is taken from his blog posts from the last 10 years. If you're a frequent visitor to his blog, I imagine some of this might be familiar.
July 13, 2018
Are you an artist? Do you write, sing, paint or play music to make a living? Do you think you want to make money from your art? I suggest that you at least read the first 100 pages of this book. John Scalzi is an artist who makes his living by artistically expressing himself as a writer. The first 100 or so pages of this book applies to anyone in the arts who wants live off their work. His advice constitutes the course you never got in Art school or Music school. The course on contracts, and general financial advice that will help you earn a living as an artist.
The remainder of the book focuses on how a writer in particular should view their field of endeavor. The essays and ensuing advice may not be directly applicable to the painter, or jazz player but it remains useful. This book is a grouping of his essays from his blog posts. It written in a casual and sometimes snarky style that is essence of writing style.
John Scalzi is commercial writer and corporate consultant who decided to earn a living as a science fiction writer. He is most famous for his book the The Old Man's War. This current book is the distillation of his experiences in the publishing and writing worlds.His advice and observations are universally applicable to working artists in every field.
March 29, 2018
Tengo que repetirme mentalmente mil veces: no compres un libro porque hayas leído una recomendación por ahí, incluso de un sitio de confianza. Anota el libro y lo piensas unos días.
He de repetirme eso hasta la saciedad, porque este es otro de esos libros que te prometen que es una gran obra y luego resulta que meh.
John Scalzi, escritor de ciencia ficción, recopila las mejores entradas de su blog en forma de libro, y este es el resultado.
En el libro se habla de todo un poco: de publicación, de premios y concursos, de gente que le escribe, de la opinión del autor sobre muchas cosas…
Y es aburrido, pero aburrido a más no poder. Además, está tan centrado dentro de los medios y las noticias de Estados Unidos, que la mayoría de cosas que comenta ni te van ni te vienen. Incluso la famosa polémica con los Hugo de hace unos años queda reflejada de forma anodina y casi incomprensible en este libro.
Por lo tanto, si no eres un fan del autor, o si no estás al día con las noticias triviales sobre la ciencia ficción en Estados Unidos, este libro no es para ti. Ni para mi.
He de repetirme eso hasta la saciedad, porque este es otro de esos libros que te prometen que es una gran obra y luego resulta que meh.
John Scalzi, escritor de ciencia ficción, recopila las mejores entradas de su blog en forma de libro, y este es el resultado.
En el libro se habla de todo un poco: de publicación, de premios y concursos, de gente que le escribe, de la opinión del autor sobre muchas cosas…
Y es aburrido, pero aburrido a más no poder. Además, está tan centrado dentro de los medios y las noticias de Estados Unidos, que la mayoría de cosas que comenta ni te van ni te vienen. Incluso la famosa polémica con los Hugo de hace unos años queda reflejada de forma anodina y casi incomprensible en este libro.
Por lo tanto, si no eres un fan del autor, o si no estás al día con las noticias triviales sobre la ciencia ficción en Estados Unidos, este libro no es para ti. Ni para mi.
June 25, 2018
I've been reading this book a little at a time over the breakfast table. It's a compilation of blogs Mr Scalzi wrote over several years, on the topics of writing, the publishing industry, SciFi fandom, economics for writers, and a number of other things. He is an entertaining writer, even when addressing serious topics. His advice on finances would be good advice for any individual who is a freelancer, regardless of profession. His comments on the SF community are from the viewpoint of an author who is also a fan, as well as a former president of Science Fiction Writers of America. This enables him to look at these topics from multiple perspectives. I have enjoyed reading this, even though I am not a professional writer. I am a life-long SF fan, and love these glimpses into the world of the creators of this stuff that I enjoy so much. Recommended.
March 6, 2024
This book wasn't what I wanted it to be, which was frustrating. But then it is a collection of blog posts, so maybe I shouldn't have expected much. I was hoping there'd be some content in here about writing and how to go about it, rather than what got to be a pretty repetitive note of "I'm a commercially successful author and I deserve to be successful because I'm good." I mean I'm happy for the guy that he's doing well, and I've enjoyed some of his books. I even think this repetition is fine in the context of a daily blog. It's just that when you throw together a compilation of posts on this theme, it starts to sound insufferably smug. It felt as if the publishers wanted a book about writing, but then instead of Scalzi actually writing one, they scoured his blog looking for the closest things to writing advice they could find and decided it was good enough.
November 25, 2017
An expansive memoir taken from John Scalzi's blog, which spans a number of years. This is a useful guide for writers who are less interested in the touchy-feely aspects of writing, such as inspiration, and more interested in the business side of writing. Scalzi has many actionable, useful tips about things like establishing a will or not quitting your day job or putting aside money for taxes. He talks about the unglamorous things that really do make a big difference in the lives of writers. I would recommend this book to working writers, writers to-be, or anyone that wants an inside look at what the writing life really looks like. Thank you to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for providing an ARC.
January 12, 2021
This book is a series of blog posts taken from John Scalzi's website 'Whatever' between the years of 2008 and 2017.
First and foremost, I bought this book when it was released as an ebook through Subterranean Press (probably in 2017 or 2018) and only just got around to reading it. But I'm pretty sure I paid around $3 for it, so when I write this review, there's a consideration of how cheap it was in there.
While Scalzi spends plenty of time warning everyone about what an arsehole he is, I didn't really see a lot of it in this collection. What Scalzi did for me, as a copywriter and dabbling fiction writer, was show me what confidence CAN look like for a writer. The internet is the kind of place where it doesn't really pay to have strong opinions sometimes, but John Scalzi shows that it's okay to stand your ground and be disliked by some people, so long as you feel you're doing the right thing. Obviously that has some problematic potential, but it's also about not being bullied from doing the right thing just because people criticise you. He also has a lot to say about writers being paid, and paid fairly, for the work that they do, whether it involves putting words on the page or not.
This book is going to fit into my regular 'build me up' rotation: books I read when I'm feeling like there's no hope. If you're feeling disheartened as a writer, I would recommend forking out the few dollars for the ebook version of this (note: I see on Amazon that this is 6.50 on Kindle. I still think that I would have been very happy with this book at that price).
First and foremost, I bought this book when it was released as an ebook through Subterranean Press (probably in 2017 or 2018) and only just got around to reading it. But I'm pretty sure I paid around $3 for it, so when I write this review, there's a consideration of how cheap it was in there.
While Scalzi spends plenty of time warning everyone about what an arsehole he is, I didn't really see a lot of it in this collection. What Scalzi did for me, as a copywriter and dabbling fiction writer, was show me what confidence CAN look like for a writer. The internet is the kind of place where it doesn't really pay to have strong opinions sometimes, but John Scalzi shows that it's okay to stand your ground and be disliked by some people, so long as you feel you're doing the right thing. Obviously that has some problematic potential, but it's also about not being bullied from doing the right thing just because people criticise you. He also has a lot to say about writers being paid, and paid fairly, for the work that they do, whether it involves putting words on the page or not.
This book is going to fit into my regular 'build me up' rotation: books I read when I'm feeling like there's no hope. If you're feeling disheartened as a writer, I would recommend forking out the few dollars for the ebook version of this (note: I see on Amazon that this is 6.50 on Kindle. I still think that I would have been very happy with this book at that price).
March 26, 2018
A bit more of a grab bag than I would have liked. I was very interested in the pieces about his approach to craft and finances, but much of the gossip-rant-opinion pieces fell flat for me. If I were a huge fan of his books, then I might feel differently, but I don't know his work. The tone of the cover made me think it would be more humorous or witty than it was, so that was a bit of a let-down, too.
June 17, 2021
2021 Bingo - Non fiction (h)
A very fast read, this is selections from Scalzi's blog, of which I was aware, but haven't been a regular reader. A few of the blog posts stood out to me as being good advice, or where I thought Scalzi's point of view was very clear, refreshing, and direct. But more of them didn't stand out to me one way or another, and I found myself skimming through many.
I saw this compared to Stephen King's On Writing, and I can't really agree with that comparison beyond some surface similarities. A more apt comparison might be the Writing Excuses podcast - particularly episodes that focus on the business or work/life realities of writing, with a few entries that touch on craft.
A very fast read, this is selections from Scalzi's blog, of which I was aware, but haven't been a regular reader. A few of the blog posts stood out to me as being good advice, or where I thought Scalzi's point of view was very clear, refreshing, and direct. But more of them didn't stand out to me one way or another, and I found myself skimming through many.
I saw this compared to Stephen King's On Writing, and I can't really agree with that comparison beyond some surface similarities. A more apt comparison might be the Writing Excuses podcast - particularly episodes that focus on the business or work/life realities of writing, with a few entries that touch on craft.
August 31, 2018
A solid read from Scalzi, from his blog WHATEVER, all focusing on the art/business/craft of writing. If you enjoy reading about that world, and don't know much (or even do know much), it's a fun read.
Scalzi writes directly and entertainingly about the subjects he focuses on, so the words flow well.
Scalzi writes directly and entertainingly about the subjects he focuses on, so the words flow well.
January 13, 2018
A wonderful peak into the life of a writer
Scalzi is a well know sci-fi writer. But I found him via his blog and Twitter. I would recommend this book to anyone who interested in what the life of a writer is in the 21st century.
Scalzi is a well know sci-fi writer. But I found him via his blog and Twitter. I would recommend this book to anyone who interested in what the life of a writer is in the 21st century.
September 5, 2018
Mr. Scalzi is a funny man.
I really enjoyed this, and most of it deserves four stars, but there were too many repeating parts about online assholes and publishing business specifics for my taste.
Would have liked it more if it had been 100 pages shorter, but well worth a read.
I really enjoyed this, and most of it deserves four stars, but there were too many repeating parts about online assholes and publishing business specifics for my taste.
Would have liked it more if it had been 100 pages shorter, but well worth a read.
October 9, 2018
Love the snark and found the pieces about finance quite helpful. Tended to go on (predictably) a little too much about insider baseball type of writing topics but overall an enjoyable read best taken in doses.
November 6, 2017
Nice selection of writing and writing tips that I, as an author, found very helpful. Enjoyable read, and recommended for just about anyone.
May 6, 2018
Good but most of this can be found on his blog.
May 22, 2018
3.5 stars
May 26, 2020
If You Like John Scalzi...
If you like Scalzi's other volume of collected posts, then you'll like this one. It's witty and insightful at times, funny and sharp at others.
If you like Scalzi's other volume of collected posts, then you'll like this one. It's witty and insightful at times, funny and sharp at others.
June 12, 2020
Read what I have to say about the book on my blog here: https://maryewarner.com/2020/06/12/fr...
April 4, 2021
A solid collection of Scalzi's non-fiction essays on writing. If you enjoy his blog (where all this material comes from) you'll enjoy this collection, but it's not really groundbreaking.
December 27, 2017
Considering that this book was written by John Scalzi, I’m honestly not surprised that I liked it. I’ve been following Scalzi since I read his book, Old Man’s War, in 2015. I was late to the series, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it. So, I was excited when I first learned that he would be releasing a book on writing, mostly comprised of posts that have appeared on his blog between 2008 and 2017.
I liked Don’t Live For Your Obituary partly because I don’t have to go back through all of Scalzi’s blog posts to find the ones included in the book, and he has a lot of insightful commentary on his experience as a published author and on publishing in general. This book covered a myriad of topics. There was one topic I particularly liked and that was the focus on the business side of publishing—including taxes, money, and day jobs—which is something I often look for in writing books but never usually get.
Don’t Live For Your Obituary is a good book to read if you’re thinking about getting involved in anything publishing related, or are just looking for something interesting to read. It doesn’t sugarcoat or feed into lofty expectations, and often focuses on the reality of publishing. So, if you’re a fan of Scalzi then I recommend this book. And, if you’ve read the vast majority of the blog posts on his blog, Whatever, then, I still recommend Don’t Live For Your Obituary.
Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided Subterranean Press via Netgalley for this review.
Review First Posted Here
I liked Don’t Live For Your Obituary partly because I don’t have to go back through all of Scalzi’s blog posts to find the ones included in the book, and he has a lot of insightful commentary on his experience as a published author and on publishing in general. This book covered a myriad of topics. There was one topic I particularly liked and that was the focus on the business side of publishing—including taxes, money, and day jobs—which is something I often look for in writing books but never usually get.
Don’t Live For Your Obituary is a good book to read if you’re thinking about getting involved in anything publishing related, or are just looking for something interesting to read. It doesn’t sugarcoat or feed into lofty expectations, and often focuses on the reality of publishing. So, if you’re a fan of Scalzi then I recommend this book. And, if you’ve read the vast majority of the blog posts on his blog, Whatever, then, I still recommend Don’t Live For Your Obituary.
Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided Subterranean Press via Netgalley for this review.
Review First Posted Here
January 2, 2018
It happens, from time to time, that I read from Scalzi's blog, so some of this entries were not unknown to me, but mostly were. Things I appreciated more were the discussions about being a writer, ebooks, publishers and so on, but I found also very interesting the thing he wrote about some fellow writer, where I learned about a Duran Duran book written by Neil Gaiman and the clear difference between Douglas Adams and Scalzi himself, in his own opinion anyway. Interesting way to explore the world of science fiction from a different point of view.
Mi era capitato in passato di leggere il blog di Scalzi, ma la maggior parte di questo libro che raccoglie i post del blog mi era sconosciuto.La parte che piú mi ha interessato è quella in cui l'autore discetta di libri, ebook e case editrici, ma le entries piú interessanti sono quelle che mi hanno permesso di scoprire che nei primi anni '80 Neil Gaiman scrisse una fanzine sui Duran Duran e quali sono le differenze fondamentali tra Douglas Adams e lo stesso Scalzi, secondo lui. Questo libro non é per tutti, ma per chi ama la fantascienza é un punto di vista diverso sull'argomento.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
Mi era capitato in passato di leggere il blog di Scalzi, ma la maggior parte di questo libro che raccoglie i post del blog mi era sconosciuto.La parte che piú mi ha interessato è quella in cui l'autore discetta di libri, ebook e case editrici, ma le entries piú interessanti sono quelle che mi hanno permesso di scoprire che nei primi anni '80 Neil Gaiman scrisse una fanzine sui Duran Duran e quali sono le differenze fondamentali tra Douglas Adams e lo stesso Scalzi, secondo lui. Questo libro non é per tutti, ma per chi ama la fantascienza é un punto di vista diverso sull'argomento.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
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