Enough of youse lot are wondering what’s up with me not blogging every day that I am driven to offer an explanation for my blog silence of late. A brief explanation: travel, busy, knackered, bad sport karma.
I have many posts brewing or brewed. More on race, writing and publishing (here’s a few links to others. I’m especially loving the Writers Against Racism series on Amy Bowllan’s SLJ blog like this one with Ari of Reading in Color.); a complaint about Being Human (Why does the woman have to be a timid ghost? Wouldn’t it have been much more interesting if she was the werewolf or the vampire? Um, okay no need to write that post.); on re-reading Han Suyin’s A Mountain is Young; the long awaited stalker song post; a response to Sarah Rees Brennan’s wonderful essay on the way female characters get dumped on (hmmm, I think those last two posts may be connected); the art of writing dialogue, and many others.
Feel free to make requests for anything else you’d like me to blog about in the comments.
And for those who keep asking: both Liar and the paperback How To Ditch Your Fairy publish on 29 September. I.e. this very month! I happen to have two copies of HTDYF in its glorious paperback edition. So beautiful. Liar is also already a complete book with brand new dustjacket. I bet they will both start showing up in book shops around or even before the 29th.
I’d love to hear your recounting of the story of Liar’s book cover (the one with the girl on the front, that is, not the one with the red text). I read a third-party version of it somewhere which talked about how the publisher did a very poorly casted cover, which you then had to push back on.
I know that a lot of aspiring writers (myself included) have concerns about the degree of control or lack thereof that we’ll have about our final product, and it would be nice to hear at least one author’s story/tips for dealing with situations where the publisher has clearly not grokked the artistic intent of the work.
My posts on that subject are here and here. I strongly recommend you read the comments as well.
I’ve seen the whole first season of Being Human, and think the ghost’s character has a fascinating arc. There’s not much I can say without spoilers, but she gets more and more interesting as time goes on.
I actually think her story ends being more interesting than either the vampire’s or werewolf’s (though perhaps that might be because I’m not especially engaged by vampires and werewolves despite really liking the characters in the show).
Neile: People keep telling me that which is why I will persevere. But at the moment colour me deeply unimpressed.
I would love to hear more about how you write great dialogue. Dialogue is actually my favorite thing to write (I think …). That said, sometimes my characters go off on boring tangents. I know I need to keep the dialogue essential to the story, cut the drivel, all that. Sometimes I do okay. Other times I re-read what I’ve written and realize I’ve just transcribed a seriously stale conversation (one I wouldn’t care to be part of OR eavesdrop on :).
Well, since you asked…
I would love it if you could offer some encouragement for people who are trying to be writers but aren’t yet. I’m a teenage aspiring writer with several stories that only have a few pages to them and one 10-20 thousand word done during nanowrimo. But it seems like all the other aspiring writers my age have finished novels (or at least first drafts). I don’t want this to mean that I’ll never be a writer, that I’m not dedicated enough, etc., but I was wondering if you had an opinion on the subject.
I hate bad sport Karma. My baseball team is having a very bad year. Injuries, missing the base, dropping easy pop-ups, an unassisted triple play to end a game, made by the rival team no less. I could continue but its all too sad. My jersey magic didn’t work this year nor did the if I don’t watch this inning they will score trick.
I do plan on enjoying the U.S. Open. I wonder if Bud Collins will be back this year?
I agree with Neile. The ghost’s storyline is really interesting by the end, and she ended up being my favourite character. She also gets to kick some major ass in the last episode.
Thirding Tim and Neile. Annie becomes increasingly assertive and awesome as the series progresses.
And her character arc is most fascinating to me at least.
I hope they come out before the 29th! I’d love to read Liar before school starts! Though the fiasco with your cover introduced me to some wonderful authors and titles to tide me over. Coe Booth, Angela Johnson, here I come!
Honestly, I’m not into forced blogging. I like reading your posts when you have the time and inclination to make them, but I assume when people are quiet that they have their reasons, and I wouldn’t want you to think of this blog as a loathsome obligation. I’m looking forward to the stuff you say is currently brewing, though.
Julia: I feel zero obligation to blog. I just happen to love it more than any other kind of writing. Tis one of my very favourite things. I pride myself on blogging every day. Currently I’m deeply resentful of all the things that have gotten in the way of my doing so.
If every time you take a few days off you come back with such wonderful topics up your sleeve then feel free to take all the time off you want! I can’t wait to see your response to SRB’s ‘Ladies, Please!’.
I like when you blog about Sydney. Especially when you can haz PICTURES. Pretty pictures. 🙂
OOOOOO I see the HTDYF paperback cover changed a bit. I think I like it better. Not that I disliked the other one. I am just a HUGE NERD.