Written from the Road

You know what I wonder about authors on tour?¹

I wonder if they ever get sick of talking about themselves.

I mean, I know that authors are frequently the world’s most self-obsessed human beings, but even so gabbing about yourself all day long gets really really old. I think that’s why I like the Q & A sections of my events best. Because I get to hear what other people are thinking.

I had a wonderful event at a middle school in Seattle today. Small and intimate with about 15 girls and I was able to ask them questions and hear about their writing processes. It was my favourite part of the whole day.²

So because I am sick of myself I’d like youse lot to tell me something cool about yourselves.

Thank you!

Sleep now for tomorrow I must be up at the crack of dawn.

You don’t wonder? Well, I’m going to tell you anyways. So there. [↩]
And today’s was a day when I got to meet Q, who is my favourite women’s basketball blogger. So it was a very good day. [↩]

Posted by Justine at 1:16, 20 October 2009 under Book tour, Writing life | 31 Comments »

Comments

Megan Says:

Something cool about me?

I don’t know about cool – I’m really a massive nerd – but I have an awesome t-shirt that says, “I’M A NOUN!”

That’s cool right?

October 20th, 2009 at 2:10 am
Mel Says:

I’m doing a course where we learn how to make websites, shoot decent video, draw, make digital images in 3D, and animations. It is awesome.

Though there can be a lot of homework. Some of which I should be doing right now…

October 20th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Lena Says:

Umm, something cool about me…ive lived in Dubai for the last fourteen years (was born there, which is practically unheard of sine I’m American, not Arab) and am applying to an art boarding school high school in America?

October 20th, 2009 at 2:48 am
Dan Goodman Says:

Much of my thinking isn’t in words, but in kinesthetic-tactile diagrams; sometimes in four or five dimensions (though I can only feel three at a time.)

October 20th, 2009 at 3:15 am
the other Q Says:

My lower eyelashes are almost as long as my uppers, but the lower ones are half blonde so you can’t tell unless I put mascara on them.

October 20th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Erin Says:

Something cool about me?

Well I have natural green coloured eyes, but in my left eye, I have a brown spot.

<3

October 20th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Malissa Says:

@Megan, I have Unshelved’s T-shirt that looks like a college one but says “Library” in block letters =) Up with nerdy clothes!

@the other Q, I have two webbed toes on each foot! Not sure if that’s weird or cool!

Malissa
@LibraryBlondie

October 20th, 2009 at 10:04 am
8. Justine Says:

Malissa: Weird is cool.

October 20th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Shveta Thakrar Says:

I have a Master’s in German (and can speak fluently). This gave me a chance to study the Romantics and their fantastical texts, which occasionally incorporate bits of Hindu folklore. (Yay, ’cause I love the Indian fey!)

October 20th, 2009 at 10:41 am
King Rat Says:

Cool things about me:

1) Every few months I hold Pie Night for everyone who wants to come to enjoy PIE. No cake. No cookies. Just PIE. The most recent was Saturday (photos). Next will be December or January.

2) I’m starting my 5th year mentoring high school students. I don’t know if I’m doing any actual good, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

3) I can lick my nose. It’s more gross than cool, but the reactions I get are cool.

October 20th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Saints and Spinners Says:

I started playing guitar when I was 33, after years of thinking I wasn’t musical. I love the guitar.

October 20th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
wandering-dreamer Says:

Um, I learned to crochet last night? And this now means I can crochet, knit, sew, kinda know how to weave, and will possibly learn how to spin thread soon? I think that’s kinda cool…

October 20th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
cyborgsuzy Says:

Me and my dog got 6th place at our first ever agility trail on Sunday.

October 20th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Autumn Says:

I got my first spinning wheel a month ago, and I’m producing some decent yarn. And this weekend I knitted up the very first swatches from my handspun. There are some very poor pictures up on my blog if anyone’s interested.

October 20th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Laurel Says:

Something cool not about me, the BBC has just started a short series on design and culture in the 1920s and 1930s, if you’re still researching the period. It’s called Glamour’s Golden Age. I haven’t seen it yet, I have to torrent it as I’m outside the UK, but it sounds interesting.

October 20th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Allison Says:

Something cool that HAPPENED to me: Maureen Johnson replied to my @reply last night!

Something cool ABOUT me: I read novels instead of doing my homework. Kind of cool, because I love to read, but kind of not cool, because I want to actually graduate from college

Something NOT COOL: My library doesn’t have ANY of your books! NONE! But I live in a relatively small city, so the library is somewhat lacking…

October 20th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Harry Connolly Says:

The only cool thing about me is that I just had a book published, from Del Rey. It’s my first.

And I live in Seattle, but I couldn’t attend the reading last night for a bunch of very minor personal reasons.

October 20th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Rebekah Says:

Because of my magnet program, I get to do (minor) research in cognitive neurobiology at the local research university. So that’s pretty awesome

October 20th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Sabrina Says:

Hmm, well, I don’t know if anyone else will thinks it’s cool, but I thought it was pretty keen that I convinced a professor who was completely unfamiliar with fantasy (and sci fi) to be the advisor for my Master’s Thesis. Of the other two committee members, only one liked sci fi, but neither read or studied fantasy/UF. (The non-sf/f professors actually seemed to enjoy my thesis more than the sci fi professor.)

In fact, there is no fantasy person at all on staff at my university, which is sad, but in my graduating class, half of the creative writing people wrote fantasy.

October 20th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Caitlin Says:

I read Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem to about 12 4 year old kids and I’m wearing hot pink knee socks today. So, glad I got a chance to meet you again — I’m halfway through Flygirl — so good — thanks for the recommendation.

October 20th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Jessica Says:

I tend to be horrendous at making myself sound interesting, which is a shame because I really *am* fascinating and cool and all those things.

Okay, something random, although I don’t know if it’s cool: My hair is blonde naturally, but it doesn’t hold dye very well. I loooove to dye my hair crazy colors, so I bleach it to damage it! So I am both a natural blond and a bottle blond.

October 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Malissa Says:

@Jessica

My hair is the exact same way. I was red for a while but it was so much trouble to keep the color that I just gave up and went back to natural. The color just *drains* out of it.

October 20th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Shalonda Says:

Being a basketball fan, you’ll appreciate this one.

Funny thing that happened to me: Today I stopped a student who was screaming down the hallway. In the middle of my request that he lower his voice level, he stares at me and says, “You look like Candace Parker!” (I totally don’t, but would love it if I did).

Needless to say, even 12 year olds know that flattery will get you far. I let him continue on his merry way and I stood at my doorway greeting the other students with a good morning!

October 20th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Mary Elizabeth S. Says:

Well, one unusual thing about me is that I keep pet mice. They’re wonderful, really, people underestimate them. They rarely bite, they won’t jump out of your hands (their depth perception is quite good, although they are near sighted), and they are active during the day as well as at night.

Really smart, too; you can even train them! Look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txq_BogA1NM

Hmm … those are all cool things about mice, not about me. Oh well. That’s okay. The meecers need them some love.

October 20th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Ariel Cooke Says:

Something cool about me: I can walk into a yard sale or a thrift shop and immediately spot the most valuable things being resold. It’s like I see a silvery halo around the Coach bag or the entire set of Fiestaware for $10 or whatever and I can’t miss it. I think I must have a thrift shopping fairy.

October 20th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Benjamin Solah Says:

Something cool? I’m asking people to sponsor me for NaNoWriMo this year as I attempt 50,000 words, and I’m raising money for the same-sex marriage campaign in Australia.

October 20th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
capt. cockatiel Says:

Mmmmm, cool thing: I’m part of the youth advisory board at a writing nonprofit in Seattle.

Just wanted to say thank you, Justine, for writing a note to my teacher. (: Other half of my project turns out to be a 3D representation of the night, which should be… interesting.

Other time when it begins to get weird talking about yourself: college interviews. O_O Everything you say sounds like “Hello, I am going to brag to you about my life now.”

October 20th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Rhiannon Hart Says:

I got an agent recently Hopefully soon I’ll be able to join the ranks of writers who talk about themselves.

Look at that! I’m doing it already.

October 21st, 2009 at 2:23 am
Zoe Says:

I have a massive herd of sheepy curls on my head that gets so big it sometimes requires a zoning permit. Also, being bi-racial, I love that, on the cover of Liar, I get to see (FINALLY) someone who Looks Like Me in Popular Culture. Now mebbe I can stop shouting, “But why can’t the little black boy ride the dragon? Why can’t the little Asian girl find a mythical sea creature egg?!!” at movie screens and go back to contentedly watching whilst holding a lollipop stick in the gap between my front teeth. (Look Ma! No hands!) So thanks

October 21st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Rachel Says:

Cool things about me: I don’t really have any. I can read and walk… that’s like my only special talent…

October 21st, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Patrick Shepherd Says:

Don’t know about cool, but satisfying, yes. After 35 years of working at it, I finally qualified for and joined the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association). Of course, I then promptly proceeded to bowl absolutely terribly in my first PBA regional tournament.

October 21st, 2009 at 6:35 pm