You may recall one of my earlier posts extolling the writing of a certain John DeVore (I write sophisticated reviews, clearly). Well, I decided that he and I should probably talk about writing, blogging and media and he kindly obliged to answer some of my questions!
DeVore has written for a plethora of different websites on many different subjects, hosted a talk radio show on Sirius Satellite Network, writes plays and makes regular TV appearances as the “sacrificial liberal” on Fox News’ late night talk show Red Eye. Currently he is the deputy editor of Premier.com, writes a weekly column called Mind of Man at The Frisky and gives relationship advice at Guy Speak. For more background information on DeVore you can check out his website here!
So let’s jump right to it.
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What is your favorite subject to write about?
DeVore: Well, look, I am a hack writer. A lot of people cringe when I say that, but you know, I’ve lived in New York for 14 years and that was incredibly important to me — to make a living as a writer. So the first thing I like to write the most is whatever pays. I do like plays and I make absolutely zero — I make negative money on that. But really, I’m a hack writer, I write for hire. And I tell a lot of young writers too, anyone that really loves to write really loves to write anything. You know, a writer writes. A writer wants to be read, a writer has a degree of vanity, he or she likes to see his or her byline…but write whatever. I’ve written some incredibly soulless stuff and I’ve written stuff that I’m very proud of.
I like to write for money and if I write for love then, you know…I do like plays. The theater and the internet are kind of similar in a way.
How so?
DeVore: They’re both live mediums. I mean, the web isn’t a dead page. A magazine was written in the past and web is now – it’s live and it’s throbbing and it’s breathing. Bloggers and playwrights both know what it’s like to write for a live audience and both know what it’s like to endure immediate praise or immediate scorn. Playwrights live to have their words spoken to a live audience and there’s no greater thrill than that audience laughing and there’s no greater pain than that audience sitting in stony silence or asleep.
How about your relationship writing? You’re not a psychologist, you’re just a guy who’s dated a lot of girls and they pay you to write about it?
DeVore: When I write about relationships, of course I’m not a therapist or a psychologist… Good relationship writing asks very basic moral questions. You know, what is right, what is wrong? And as a blogger my job is to try, and without being a dick – and granted there are plenty of dicks online – try to create conversation. A lot of my pieces start with an opinion and then I just sort of blabber from there. But you know, I want to start a conversation, that’s what makes blog writing blog writing. That’s what makes web writing web writing. I’m not trying to be the last word, I’m trying to be the first word. This week I make the statement that I don’t think two people of opposing political parties can fall in love. I don’t, but that doesn’t matter whether I’m right or wrong. You look at the comments and people are engaging. They say “No, I don’t agree with that,” “Yes, I agree with that.”
There was a debate at my university between Howard Dean and Fred Thompson moderated by Mark Steyn. A couple of my friends asked me, “Oh are you into American politics?” and I was like, “Well, I was, but not really,” and they asked why. The conclusion I came to was that there was just so much entertainment everywhere. The media and everyone had just turned everything into a joke, into a punchline. Everything was put up as entertainment value instead of informational value…
They call it the Information Age with the internet, but I’m looking at it as the entertainment age because that’s what gets the hits, that’s what gets the people reading. Do you think there is possibly too much entertainment?
DeVore: A lot of people criticize the media, but I’m in the media and we’re really not that smart. You know, there’s this idea that the media is this powerful pillar that dictates things to the people. The media has always been a marketplace….The media dictates nothing.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s tons of information out there. It is the Information Age. There’s an impressive amount of information out there for the taking. There’s a lot out there a generation ago most people wouldn’t have even had access to, but people don’t want that — they want showbiz. They want to feel hope or they want to feel anger. They want to feel, you know? And yes, I do contribute to the decline of western civilization.
[laughs] I’m not saying that!
No no no, it’s okay, it’s okay, Emily, I know what you’re getting around. I know what this is — this is a “gotcha” interview!
Yes, you found me out, I’m the next greatest journalist there ever was!
[laughs] You’re going to misquote me! John DeVore says, ‘I am the decline of western—’ actually that’d be a great quote.
Well, you write for pay, you write for whatever, but hey – if it’s good writing, it’s good writing no matter what it is.
Well, when I say I’m a hack writer that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it, I love it!
So what are five things you always look for or try to achieve with your writing? What do you try to go for to make your pieces good?
Be entertaining. Be compelling. You know, be concise. Respect the flow. Sometimes when you’re writing it takes a lot of effort to get started. It’s really tough to get into it, like jogging. I hurts until you reach a point where it doesn’t hurt. When you hit that point where it’s just flowing out of you and the music’s playing, that’s great, don’t fight that. And be very wary of over-editing the stuff that you’re writing when you’re in that flow. Don’t tell but show. Make people feel. If you can make a person feel something, that’s incredibly valuable. If you can make them feel, if you can make them cry, if you can make them laugh, if you make them horny, if you make them feel something, that’s a hell of a thing for a writer to be able to do.
Do you have any plans to write a book?
I’ve thought about that and I’ve talked to agents and editors, but right now in my life I am a blogger. It’s such a new thing, people just don’t get it. It was only ’95 that the browser as we know it was invented and back in 1999 I was in print magazines and I made the decision to jump online. People weren’t doing it, I was told I would destroy my career.
But you know, every writer has their romantic writer heroes. Like any friggin’ douchebag male wannabe writer in high school, I loved the Beats, I loved Kerouac. Cliche as hell, but I remember in ’99 asking myself, who was a writing hero of mine and would he have gone online? And I had to say ‘Yeah!’ That’s what it’s about, new ways of writing, new ways of communicating, new kinds of music, new social movements – he actually would have been online. So I kind of feel excited being part of the evolution of something that has never been before.
There are a lot of people who grew up being like, “I want to be a magazine writer.” But really at the end of the day, I want to be a writer. I want to make a living writing. And if that means…Well, bloggers don’t get any respect, that’s a pretty good bet. You know, but history’s shown groups of people who were pioneering something and got no respect.
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Man, it feels like forever since I’ve written an article. Maybe cause it has been forever. I think my last one was in October about amateur stand-up comedy, which I’m pretty proud of. Anyways, I just did an interview today for an article coming out in January – hopefully the first issue. It was really fun! That’s one of the things I like about being a student journalist, meeting really cool and talented people and sharing their stories. It’s awesome.
