If writers reach immortality through our books, then what might readers remember most about you?
Does that image match what your family and friends will remember?
How might it differ?
12 thoughts on “Reader Friday: Immortality”
Interesting question. Our book club read Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish and a variation on that question came up in discussion as everyone shared ideas about who would orchestrate their “traveling funeral”, where it would be, and who would attend.
I’m sure my readers would have a totally different impression of who I am than family and friends. After all, I write fiction.
Sounds like a fun book club, Terry. 🙂
I’m sure readers would have a skewed impression of all fiction writers, but it’s fun to imagine what that image might look like.
My family & friends would bring the non-fiction side of me to the immortality fiction table of readers but only I know how to navigate the bridge between. I would hazard a guess that knowing where I end & the storytelling begins would not be as interesting to readers. (Although my family & friends “get” my humor & often chuckle about hearing “my voice” in their heads when they read my books.)
I would hope that the story would earn the immortality for reasons only readers would know, if I’m that blessed. I’m only the messenger scribe.
Interesting question, girlfriend.
You’re already that blessed, Jordan, at least to this reader. All your stories have stuck with me, and that’s a testament to your writing. I’m sure I’m not alone in my thinking, either. Beyond your memorial books, your kind heart, generosity, and optimism is something I will always remember about you. xoxo
Haha. Our “voices” speak the same language. 😉
Omg. Thanks, Sue. I feel the same about you. I hope we meet one day. Hugs from Texas.
Me too! Hugs from NH. xoxo
My books have already faded into obscurity, and I’ve come to terms with that. My writing legacy will be my students and the growth of ebooks in the early 2000’s. My personal legacy will be my siblings’ kids and how I’ve touched/warped them.
If readers actually found my books again, I hope what they remember is from one of my favorite reviews. “Marilynn Byerly can wring emotion out of words the way most people wring water out of a sponge. Something so simple as a change of subject in a conversation reduced me to tears, the tip of an unseen iceberg of conflicts and desires that resonated to heroic archetypes. The characters are all realistically drawn, and the world building is a masterpiece of pragmatic cynicism wed to hopeful optimism.” –SF ROMANCE
Such a lovely testament to your writing, Marilynn.
“Warped them” Hahahahaha!
My poor not-a-nerd sister grew up with an older sister who watched original STAR TREK and read weird books about hobbits and star systems. What did I do when she had kids? I got them to watch TREK and gave them LORD OF THE RINGS. Evil laugh. Evil laugh!
???
I don’t know what they’ll ACTUALLY remember most about me, but what I’d like to be remembered for is that my book(s) were good enough to read more than once.
I know how giddy it makes me when I find a book that’s worth reading more than once (I can count on one hand the number of times it has happened) and I can think of nothing cooler than producing a book that someone would read twice (or more times).
Good question. Once I achieve immortality, I can die happy.
Which I suppose means I’d like to be remembered for snappy comebacks. But if they remember my more intense action scenes and the peculiar situations and twists, that’d be okay, too.
If writers reach immortality through our books, then what might readers remember most about you?
Interesting question. Our book club read Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish and a variation on that question came up in discussion as everyone shared ideas about who would orchestrate their “traveling funeral”, where it would be, and who would attend.
I’m sure my readers would have a totally different impression of who I am than family and friends. After all, I write fiction.
Sounds like a fun book club, Terry. 🙂
I’m sure readers would have a skewed impression of all fiction writers, but it’s fun to imagine what that image might look like.
My family & friends would bring the non-fiction side of me to the immortality fiction table of readers but only I know how to navigate the bridge between. I would hazard a guess that knowing where I end & the storytelling begins would not be as interesting to readers. (Although my family & friends “get” my humor & often chuckle about hearing “my voice” in their heads when they read my books.)
I would hope that the story would earn the immortality for reasons only readers would know, if I’m that blessed. I’m only the messenger scribe.
Interesting question, girlfriend.
You’re already that blessed, Jordan, at least to this reader. All your stories have stuck with me, and that’s a testament to your writing. I’m sure I’m not alone in my thinking, either. Beyond your memorial books, your kind heart, generosity, and optimism is something I will always remember about you. xoxo
Haha. Our “voices” speak the same language. 😉
Omg. Thanks, Sue. I feel the same about you. I hope we meet one day. Hugs from Texas.
Me too! Hugs from NH. xoxo
My books have already faded into obscurity, and I’ve come to terms with that. My writing legacy will be my students and the growth of ebooks in the early 2000’s. My personal legacy will be my siblings’ kids and how I’ve touched/warped them.
If readers actually found my books again, I hope what they remember is from one of my favorite reviews. “Marilynn Byerly can wring emotion out of words the way most people wring water out of a sponge. Something so simple as a change of subject in a conversation reduced me to tears, the tip of an unseen iceberg of conflicts and desires that resonated to heroic archetypes. The characters are all realistically drawn, and the world building is a masterpiece of pragmatic cynicism wed to hopeful optimism.” –SF ROMANCE
Such a lovely testament to your writing, Marilynn.
“Warped them” Hahahahaha!
My poor not-a-nerd sister grew up with an older sister who watched original STAR TREK and read weird books about hobbits and star systems. What did I do when she had kids? I got them to watch TREK and gave them LORD OF THE RINGS. Evil laugh. Evil laugh!
???
I don’t know what they’ll ACTUALLY remember most about me, but what I’d like to be remembered for is that my book(s) were good enough to read more than once.
I know how giddy it makes me when I find a book that’s worth reading more than once (I can count on one hand the number of times it has happened) and I can think of nothing cooler than producing a book that someone would read twice (or more times).
Good question. Once I achieve immortality, I can die happy.
Which I suppose means I’d like to be remembered for snappy comebacks. But if they remember my more intense action scenes and the peculiar situations and twists, that’d be okay, too.