The common people as Authors?

Question

It seems odd that somehow most of us here perhaps have not invented anything,nor done any mass murdering in order to get to press no we and our families who deserve their works printed cant
simply because they are common tales even if they are unique to
some,even if they include things though obscure never the less apart of history.
No unfortunate for most of us and our Families we cant walk into a bookstore and expect to read about us or them.
We must suffer mass murders memoirs,sexual perverts memoires,and the like.
In pondering this my query here is WHY?

Answer 1

It's true that getting noticed and getting published is a b-itch... but everyone's story is interesting if it's written well. It's not the content---it's how the story is told.

But you ARE right that more sensational topics sell more books.

Answer 2

The reason is that the stuff we do is not exceptional. We may do may small good deeds, but at the end of the day most of what we do is what everyone else does and by that very token it is not exceptional.

When buying a book, I'm sure that all but a tiny percentage would prefer to read about something really out of the ordinary rather than the mundane. However, the books written by mass murderers, perverts etc... is just one end of the exceptional spectrum (a thing that I've just made up!). There just as many books out there that tall tales of exceptionally good or brave people.

If you think that you've got a story to tell, try writing it. But whilst you're doing so, always bear in mind: would you want to read this story if you didn't know who wrote it?

Answer 3

Well, first of all, writing is a craft. It is often an art, but first it is a craft. And as your own question makes clear, most "common" people are not interested in taking the time and effort required to learn to write well.

But you've asked two questions in one here. Not only about whether common folk can write and publish, but whether if they did, anyone would want to read them. Now as it happens, common folk are often in books, if you think about it. They are the characters who, being thrust into a situation not of their own making, want nothing more than to get it resolved and get home to their own fireside. And rightly so.

But if there's no problem to take Mr. Common away from his hearth, there's also no story. So go ahead and write about Joe Average, but put him in not-so-average situations, or there's no story. No one will want to read it.

And while you're at it, make Joe Average act heroically in those extreme circumstances, because I believe that is true. I believe that, especially in America, Mr. Joe Average is capable of heroism, but fortunately is seldom called upon to exercise it. Look at how people react to a natural or unnatural (9/11/01) disaster: they do what is needed with good heart and vast energy, and slap each other on the back and are proud of one another when the fire is out or the mud slide successfully sandbagged. I live in a redwood forest, and I know how good people are when they need to be.

Answer 4

When was the last time YOU had an urge to spend $20 and invest 3 nights of your life reading the (auto)biography of a person who did absolutely NOTHING special?
Would you like to read a 500 page book about me, or perhaps my neighbor to the left, or possibly my neighbor to the right? I can assure you, those books would bore you to tears by page 20. Unless they were written by an exceptional author. And exceptional authors write books about unremarkable people all the time. They're just novels, not biographies.

Answer 5

Pity your prose bites. Otherwise you'd have a point.