Posts Tagged "teaching"
Monday Muse: Party Favors
I’ve talked before about what a privilege it was to work with Elizabeth Law on my novel, but it certainly bears mentioning again. Her editorial guidance was always gentle but pointed, and somehow she always managed to ask just the right questions. I’m so excited (and nervous!) to be embarking on a second book project together shortly! Elizabeth gave a lovely toast at the party, and then read a short selection from family. And for those writers who are shy about readings (like me!), I must say: this is a fabulous, if heady, alternative. I should really hire her out for all my public appearances.
Something else I’ve mentioned before in my blog is how rewarding it’s been to teach writing. I know that there are writers out there who prefer to focus solely on their own work when they’re deep in the throes of a project, and I can certainly appreciate that sentiment. But to me, the opportunity to workshop with students is the opportunity to think more objectively about structure and craft, unencumbered by proximity to my own work-in-progress. My students are astonishingly motivated (churning out some 20 pages a week!), and eager to talk shop. Wednesday nights, for me, are a chance to get outside of my own head, which is vitally refreshing.
My students are always the first to celebrate each others’ successes, which probably explains why so many of them came out to toast family. Here’s a shot of a few of us at the start of the evening:
Classes and critique groups are a great way to maintain accountability and momentum with one’s writing, as my students will attest. In my opinion, a supportive collective of motivate, creative colleagues can be one of the very best muses a writer can have.
Thursday: Readers’ Roundup – Amanda Hocking, Sweet Valley redux, & an upcoming event!
Bookish goings-on and such.
*If you’ve been following the legendary self-publishing success of Amanda Hocking, you probably won’t be surprised to read about her monster book deal with St. Martin’s of last week. Details here. (WARNING: You might not want to read this unless you’re feeling REALLY confident about your own earning potential as a writer….)
Chasing Ray’s Colleen Mondoor has a thoughtful post up raising what are sure to be the bigger questions about Hocking’s deal, and what this does (or doesn’t) mean for the self-published author in the digital age. Though I can see quite clearly that e-book deals can (and will) be lucrative for a certain type of author – namely, those who write very commercial fiction, most likely serialized, who develop passionate, rabid fan bases – I don’t know that Hocking’s model is applicable to any old writer out there. I don’t begrudge Hocking her mondo-deal because, hey, live the dream, sister!, but I do see Mondoor’s point that a ridonk advance to one author means fewer smaller advances to other, more unproven (aka less-hyped) writers.
That’s a problem, no?
Fact is, to me, anything (including any book deal) that indicates that readers are jazzed about books is a-ok by me. But I do find myself frustrated by these ever-more-jaw-dropping mega deals being reported that essentially tell me what I’m going to LOVE in the upcoming season. Big books have always existed, and likewise, so has buzz. But buzz is different than hype, in that buzz is usually generated by legitimate enthusiasm, whereas hype is fanfare. By throwing wads and wads of cash at a book, a publisher is telling me, YOU WILL CARE ABOUT THIS. I mean, maybe I will. But being dared to, to the tune of zillions of dollars, makes me feel all itchy and twitchy inside.
How could any book possibly live up to that claim?
Give me a good sleeper hit, one that takes a few months to build a fiercely loyal following, and I’m there. I don’t want to get psyched about something just because someone in a corner office told me to.
(*Side note: Colleen also wonders if Hocking’s e-book fans are going to be willing to pay full price for her books rather than the reduced e-book rate they’ve grown to expect. We’ll see!)
*Oh! But there are other writers out there, too – including moi! I’m going to be presenting a workshop to a group of major-talented high school writers as part of this Long Island English Scholars Program on Friday! That’s tomorrow! We’re talking about breaking rules in our narrative form. Though I’ve been teaching grown-ups about young adult writing for almost three years now (there’s still room to sign up for the April session, by the way!), I have very little experience with working with actual, honest-to-goodness young adults. I can’t decide if I’m more nervous, or more excited. Bit of both, it would seem.
*Double Oh! Tonight is the release party for Sweet Valley Confidential. I. CANNOT. WAIT. Were you Team Elizabeth, or Team Jessica?
*Last but not least, the Children’s Choice Book Awards finalists were announced last week. Congrats, finalists!