I mentioned on Cherie's LJ that I don't much care for writer-as-character stories either, but later it occurred to me that this premise isn't so much my problem: It's the cliches. Or as she put it, the authors who go, "Look! I'm an author who writes about an author! That's never been done before, hain't it?"

I don't mind a book about a writer if it's not a book about a writer who whines Writing is haaaaaaaarrrrd, but rather, for instance, uses a writer's imagination to see things / events in a somewhat different way than he might otherwise. Just like I wouldn't want to read about a professor who whines Academic politics is haaaaaaaarrrrd, but might use her special training to put a new spin on what she's doing in the book.

Does that make any sense?