Twilight Lexicon Discussion Forums

I really don't think that the music album comparison is fair. The songs on an album are a collection of works, and so finishing the album wouldn't be quite the emotional ordeal after such a leak. You're finishing OTHER things that are going to be put together with the thing that leaked. The thing that leaked is already done, so if you're not in an emotional state to finish it, it doesn't really matter. It's done.

Now if you were in the middle of writing a symphony or opera, and it was still pretty rough around the edges in your own estimation, and you were really looking forward to the big reveal and the emotional impact your masterpiece would have, and then suddenly the bit that you had already written was EVERYWHERE (whether you gave the the copy that was leaked to a trusted person or not) and people were humming it and discussing it . . . Well you might feel that the wind was let out of your sails and find it difficult to continue, and absolutely impossible to continue with the same level of enthusiasm and passion.

I personally want her to have that enthusiasm and passion back before she attempts to finish her masterpiece. I think demanding that she just suck it up and finish it *before* she's in that place is inviting a flat and disappointing ending to something that should be glorious.

It may be true that other authors could do this, but Stephenie isn't really like other authors and that may just be why people are drawn so much to her work. Maybe encouraging her to be more like those other authors who can spit out new work without truly feeling it would be a mistake - smothering her unique ability to capture us all in an emotional whirlwind.

i think it's horrible, just like everyone else
but i'm not sure how some people can stop themselves from reading it
it draws me in
i'm not sure how she can stop writing it too
since edward and bella seem to be a big part of her mind
you'd think it'd be nagging at her to stay mad

Li'lBit wrote:It may be true that other authors could do this, but Stephenie isn't really like other authors and that may just be why people are drawn so much to her work. Maybe encouraging her to be more like those other authors who can spit out new work without truly feeling it would be a mistake - smothering her unique ability to capture us all in an emotional whirlwind.

I cannot agree more. Every author, musician, or artist is going to have a different way of working. Just because one author can pump out work in a business-like way, doesn't mean that another author can do that. Stephenie has her way of doing things and it was her way that produced these wonderful books we have already. If we ask her to change her style or method of working, it will affect the product as well. The book won't feel the same as the others. So I'd rather wait for the book and have it on Stephenie's terms.

I also believe that she is thinking of her fans by putting the book on hold. Sure, she is doing it for herself too, but she doesn't want to give us a book that she feels will be inadequate. She wants to give us her best quality work, not something forced. I doubt that she meant for her statement to be taken as a threat. She was extremely upset when she wrote it and things written under such strong emotion can come off harsher than intended. I think it was a very generous thing to do for her fans, letting us know personally what was going on instead of hiding it or passing it off onto her publisher.

At this point, she probably doesn't know what to do. She hasn't had time to process all her emotions and come to any sort of decision. I think that once she's had some time to step back from the situation and evaluate everything, she'll let us know something more definite.

My point here was that it is a threat, for lack of a better phrase. Midnight Sun is "indefinitely on hold". I don't pretend to know for a fact that SM will or will not publish the remainder of the book, but placing the novel "on hold" is the nice way of saying we might never see it come to fruition.

I understand. I just think "threat" is the wrong word, because that's really not what it is. It's not like she's telling her fans she'll punish them if they do or don't do something. She isn't, as far as I can tell, placing any responsibility for this on her fans. She isn't saying, "If you had just been better fans, I would have finished the book" or "You need to prove that you are worthy of this book." She is stating a fact, that she is, as of right now, no longer working on the book. It's not meant to make us feel bad or guilty; it's just a statement of a sad, disappointing fact. Whether or not she takes care of the people responsible for the leak may not affect the way she now feels about the manuscript and her desire to work on it. I think there's some confusion between two things here: there's the aspect of punitive measures, that someone needs to be held responsible for the leak, and the aspect of Stephenie's desire to write the book. I personally don't believe those two aspects are necessarily related--I don't believe her not writing is in any way meant to be a punitive measure, even if it feels like one, and I don't believe that punishing someone will make her feel better about writing Midnight Sun right now. I just hope that the fans support--even though she isn't asking for it--will help her to feel better and get her back to a place where she can complete the novel.

ETA: I do agree that Stephenie could have been a bit more sensitive in her original note, realizing that many fans who had done nothing wrong or who had even refused to read the partial draft out of loyalty were about to be very disappointed, in some cases even devastated. The "matter of fact" tone to her entry, while I think not about guilt, was also not about sympathy or understanding for her fans on this particular issue.

Okay, people please refrain from belittleing my arguments with one sentance comenting on my summery it's rather insulting. i would have responded sooner but : a) i am trying to convince my friends that i am not suffering from some strange strane of OCD, which the have called TOD, i would call it TOP (Twilight Obsessive Paradice)

and b) i wanted to see how things would play out.

now if you must respond to this i would like you to aask yourself these questions -

Have you ever written a book? do you know the loving dedication that goes into each word of each line of each page of each chapter? do you know the amount of trust it takes to alow some one to read the unedited depths of your mind - which is what you read when you read a first pesron struggle? have you ever writen a character not knowing there future, knowing that you ate like a god to their fate, that life or death is entirly your desision and yet you feel no controle over the events?

and also have you ever noticed the effect music has on your writing how the mood changes with each song or band?

Now consider something with much more effect, and a subtler one, your life - every little thing - the weather, your mood and your emotions.

perhaps if the plot wasn't already dictated she'd be able to carry on. it wouldn't matter so much if everyone was killed off. if jasper wnt behind Edwards back and killed Bella and the book turned to Edwards Betrayed rage as he hunted Jasper down, forsed to kill both Jasper and Alice; Edwards greif at doing so, killing the people he loved.

and this answers another question 'why doesn't she just sue the person'? she hasn't even told us who it was who betrayed her, she's protecting them from our rage. because nomatter how much they hurt her she still loves them, it was still a close friend, maybe even family.

it is wrong to attack Stephanie, and it cant help her to get over the betrayal. this is just the sort of time that someone would NEED the 'best fans in the world'.

now i'll leave it at that because it seems that i have gotten over my writers block.

I think we each have the right to our own opinion.
This is where we share them..and no opinion is right, or wrong, it's just how we feel about this particular subject.

Nobody is trying to force you to swallow anyone else's point of view, or to make you change your mind, but along the same line there is hardly any need to come here and sound so angry because some readers happen to think differently than you do about this.

Nobody here is standing in Stephenie's shoes, not even you...no two people are going to react the very same way to the same situation, and that's just a fact of life. Although we UNDERSTAND some of what she is feeling, we are still allowed to think, and say that getting "over it" and "fighting back" is better than letting yourself drown in depression resulting in the death of a guaranteed successful project.

Saying this doesn't make me any less of a "loyal fan" than any other reader that thinks differently than I do. What makes me a fan is the fact I buy and read her books. I recommend them to other people also, and I look forward to whatever else she is working on. Being a fan however doesn't mean I have to blindly go and agree with everything she says or does...its not a brainwashing!

Im very sad about the indefinate hold on MS and the leak. I have yet the read the 12 chapters (and there are many parts of twilight I am so anxious to see from Edwards pov, specially as I am reading it again now) and I dont think I will read the chapters. Hopefully SM will see how much her fans want this book and finish when she is in a better frame of mind. I think Edward wants his story to be told so im going to hang out for the book.

Ok, I ready to be like, killed, but here it goes. SM is acting like a total child. A baby. A COMPLETE whine. She compared herself to a musical artist, who have there music stolen all the time (and Im sure we are all theives) well, guess what? They still make music, knowing people will steal it. Their albums gets leaked, they release it. They do shows still, take pics with fans, bust their a** for us, and she has the nerve to compare herself to them?? Thats not fair. Your not as dedicated as them Stephanie, your fans are sticking by you. You need to stick by us. I love these books. They are more than entertainment, its a hobbie and a fantasy, almost a LIFESTYLE!

My bf and I were talking about it and he (who is a twilight reader, and, ew, likes jacob more???) that its like a child with a big tantrum. Don't punish me for what somebody else did. I buy all her books, go to her book signings, host parties to get people to buy those books, right articles for the school newspaper for the same reason (Its called how to be Edward Cullen), and I DIDNT READ THE LEAKED COPY! But, I am not appreciated enough to read the book they I have been holding my breath for forever? I really hope she grows up. Because I really like her (regradless of all the damn rules at signings!!! Grrr!)