Once in a while, you can actually reach them, get them to understand your points, if not agree. And some of them are actually trying to understand, but can't get around the catch-phrases they're used to.
Like the concept, "an author should get to control what happens to her characters! Obviously!"--you have to gently lead into the idea that they can't stop parodies, and those can be vicious, and they can't stop selective quoting and biased analysis that might lead people to boycott the book--so what they're fighting for is the right to prevent certain types of manipulation of the characters.
And so on. It gets complicated pretty fast. And some of them, you never will convince of anything... but it really does help to think of it as writing for a sympathetic audience who's honestly confused or undecided.
Like a trial--the lawyer asks the questions, but it's the jury that needs to be convinced.
no subject
Like the concept, "an author should get to control what happens to her characters! Obviously!"--you have to gently lead into the idea that they can't stop parodies, and those can be vicious, and they can't stop selective quoting and biased analysis that might lead people to boycott the book--so what they're fighting for is the right to prevent certain types of manipulation of the characters.
And so on. It gets complicated pretty fast. And some of them, you never will convince of anything... but it really does help to think of it as writing for a sympathetic audience who's honestly confused or undecided.
Like a trial--the lawyer asks the questions, but it's the jury that needs to be convinced.