July: Blogging A Lot Month (Updated)

I have decided to put this here voice recognition software to the test in the month of July by blogging every day.¹ Yes, I will blog every single day of July 2012.

Tell Me What To Blog

If there’s anything you would like me to blog about please let me know! The comments are below in the manner of most blogs.²

I’ve had a few suggestions on Twitter:

@SirTessa wants me to write a complete post without correcting any of the voice recognition software mistakes. I WILL DEFINITELY DO THAT.

@WanderinDreamr wants me to write about Australian slang “the rest of the world is confused by”. My problem with that is, well, how am I supposed to know? Australian slang does not confuse me. Though I do love many of the words that are unique to these fine shores so I may just write about my favourite ones.

@ben_rosenbaum suggested I blog tongue twisters on account of the voice recognition software. I am ignoring him.

@nalohopkinson wanted me to “opine on bubble skirts”. How could I resist writing a horrors & joys of fashion post? Oh, bubble skirt, I shall SO opine about you.

I also recently got into a discussion on twitter—inspired by this Jennifer Crusie post—about the extent to which an editor can rewrite their authors. I think NOT AT ALL. Turns out that people mean different things by “rewriting”. I spluttered about on twitter in a way that I think was mostly confusing. A post is in order to clarify my thoughts. @pmattessi requested that I “mention things like whether eds should be credited? And also your thoughts on Carver’s editor.” He comes from the tv side of the writing world, which operates very differently from novel writing. I suspect my post will be about the writer/editor relationship with a little touch of the thankless work of the copyeditor.

Another interesting discussion concerned the way English-speaking cultures are so full of hatred for children & teenagers and how that is not the case in places like Spain, Italy, and Thailand.³

Many years ago I promised a post about writing dialogue. If any of you still want such a post I may attempt to finish it. It’s just that it’s hard because I’m not really sure how I write dialogue. You know, other than I type it and make sure there are quote marks around it. (And sometimes I use italics if it’s dialogue that’s not being directly said.)

Is challenging voice recognition software the only reason for blogging every day of July?

Nope. I really miss blogging. Not blogging hardly at all for such a long time has left me with many pent up THOUGHTS and FEELINGS that do not fit on twitter. I miss sharing them with you. But mostly I miss the wonderful crew of commenters who once hung out here. I miss your wit and your wisdom and your snark and your sincerity and your sarcasm and your silliness. I am hoping some of you will return. Even though blogs are so beginning-of-this-century and everyone’s on twitter and tumblr these days. I don’t care. I’m an old-fashioned girl. I still love them.

Also my newest book, Team Human, written with Sarah Rees Brennan, will be published on 2 July in Australia and New Zealand and 3 July in Canada and the USA. This means I will be doing a fair number of interviews and the like about said book all over the internets. But while I love TH dearly and am very proud of it and over the moon with joy that the early responses to the book have been so positive the idea of talking about it non-stop for a month makes me feel a bit tired. This will be my online respite.

A Digression

It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it, that by the time a book is published and it’s time to publicise it we authors have spent so much time with the book that it’s the last thing in the world we want to talk about. When I’m really itching to talk about my books is during the drive towards the finish of the first draft—when I know I’m going to finish it and talking about it won’t jinx it and the book becomes the only thing in the world I want to talk about. And—most of all—during the first few rewrites when it has become the only thing in the world I can talk about.

Unfortunately that is when very few people have read it and they’re all bored with me asking them questions about what they thought of the world building or the main characters and whether they think I should get rid of the gilded-wings subplot or expand the diabolic-exploding-hairclip subplot. They are so over my book and, by extension me, in fact, that if I ring them they no longer pick up. And my emails to them start to bounce. Waaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!

Fortunately there’s Scott and my lovely agent Jill and my editor who are always happy to talk endlessly about my book during these times. Bless them!

In Conclusion

In July I will blog a lot.

Update: @Marrije has also requested via Twitter that I “do a post on How To Find The Good Food In Any City? Isn’t this your superpower? Can you teach us?”

@MalindaLo has requested: “I blog about twitter etiquette: the good, the bad, the ugly.”

Except weekends. Cause, come on, no one is on the intramanets on the weekend. Scientific fact. [↩]
I thought about having them above but my web designer said no. [↩]
And I’m sure in many other places I’ve not been to. [↩]

Posted by Justine at 22:37, 12 June 2012 under Bloggery/Internetty Stuff, Fashion, State of the World, Team Human, Whingeing, Writing life, Writing process | 19 Comments »

Comments

Andrew Nicholson Says:

Every day! Yes, she’s back! Wait, it’s only June I have to wait 18 days. Welcome back, we missed you.

June 13th, 2012 at 12:21 AM
Kaethe Says:

Things I’m always delighted to hear about: good books you’ve read; movies/TV shows you’ve enjoyed; delicious meals you’ve eaten.

I’m also curious about your fabulous boots, and what’s unexpected about living in two different countries, and what you’re working on now.

Oh, let’s face it. You may write about your favorite cute animals, least appealing vacation, or socks, and I am confident that I will enjoy reading it. But I also like knowing what published works I have to look forward to after Team Human.

June 13th, 2012 at 1:17 AM
Miriam Forster Says:

Hooray! I shall try to comment as much as I can.

And I would like a post on the co-writing process if you please. I’m curious as to how the mechanics of that work, who does what, etc.

Welcome back!

June 13th, 2012 at 2:45 AM
Marrije Says:

Oh hurray for blogging a lot! I’m looking forward to it, particularly the speech recognition and the aussie words ones. Yay!

June 13th, 2012 at 6:56 AM
Mike Says:

Yay! Now I’ll actually look forward to July, which I usually hate because it’s so hot.

June 13th, 2012 at 8:07 AM
John Barnes Says:

Maybe it’s just too many years of stage training, in which we forget the show the moment it’s struck, but I have a terrible memory for my own books once they’re turned in, and the memory fade is pretty fast. Half the time I wouldn’t be able to pass a comprehension quiz on release day. Makes me very shy about talking to fans; I’m afraid they’ll want to discuss things I don’t remember. (And it has happened more than once that I talked about something from a preliminary draft that the editor demanded be removed from the final draft, or that a fan referred to something I don’t remember at all and I unsuccessfully tried to fake it).

Really I should just hire a talented impostor, who would be much more convincing as me than I am.

June 13th, 2012 at 8:49 AM
7. Justine Says:

Thanks, all, for your most kind words. I shall do my best to write (speak) all these posts.

Kaethe: Here is the story of my boots.

Miriam Forster: We wrote a little bit about collaborating to write Team Human here. We’ve also done/are doing interviews all over in which we answer that question. I’ll add the links on my site at some point.

John Barnes: Oh, yes! I do embarrassing things like forget the names of characters. Fans will ask about some character and I’ll have no idea who they’re talking about. I also massively embarrassed myself at a feminist convention (Sirens) by complaining that menstruation is rarely talked about in YA books and how I meant to some day write the book that would remedy that. Several members of the audience pointed out I’d already done that in my last solo novel, Liar. Whoops!

June 13th, 2012 at 8:50 AM
lalibrarylady86 Says:

Please share pictures, too, although I’m not sure if voice recognition software handles that. Love to see pics of your garden and interesting foods on the other side of the world.

June 13th, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Keith Says:

“Another interesting discussion concerned the way English-speaking culture are so full of hatred for children & teenagers and how that is not the case in places like Spain, Italy, and Thailand.” Yes, what is it with this? Will be interested to hear your thoughts.

June 13th, 2012 at 11:25 AM
10. Justine Says:

lalibrarylady86: I’ll see what I can do. Though the best fruit is in summer, not winter.

June 13th, 2012 at 12:23 PM
Kaethe Says:

Ah, yes, I remember the story of your fabulous boots. What I was wondering was: do you still love them? Once broken-in did they lose their shiny luster in your heart?

And now that I’ve refreshed my memory: where do you get socks designed and labeled for left and right feet?

June 13th, 2012 at 11:21 PM
WrittenEmber Says:

Voice recognition software! I want to hear more about that. It sounds like an absolutely wonderful invention, but I’ve never had the opportunity to try it out and don’t know the truth of the matter.

Also, a second (or third?) vote for the topic of child/teen hating and your thoughts on such. Why does this happen? It makes no sense.

Whatever you choose to write about, I’m sure we’ll all enjoy reading it as much as you enjoy expressing it!

June 14th, 2012 at 1:28 PM
13. Justine Says:

Kaethe: I am appalled by your question. OF COURSE NOT. I love my boots more than I love anything else ever!

WrittenEmber: Thanks for the kind words.

There’ll be no new posts *about* voice recognition software. I’ve written a bunch already. The newest one is here. Spoiler: I do not love it.

June 14th, 2012 at 4:37 PM
Kaethe Says:

Oh, I’m so glad to hear that you still love your boots. That makes me very happy for some reason.

June 14th, 2012 at 11:11 PM
Heather Wallace Says:

I’d be interested to know about your pets (if any) and your garden plants (if any). Perhaps, also about Australian weather.

June 15th, 2012 at 12:39 PM
Joe Iriarte Says:

I’m looking forward to reading your new posts, and especially pleased that they’ll be during a time of year when I actually have time to follow blogs. I started following your blog fairly close to when you stopped posting regularly, so I don’t quite know if I number among your “crew of commenters,” but I definitely have gotten a lot from your posts and from some of the conversations in the comments.

June 18th, 2012 at 10:27 AM
17. Justine Says:

Heather Wallace: No pets. Click here for posts about my garden.

Joe Iriarte: Thank you!

June 19th, 2012 at 8:25 AM
Doret Says:

This is a nice surprise, looking forward to stopping by in July. Though no cheating and using your hands. If the voice recognition software, doesn’t get something right don’t fix it, it will probably be fun trying to decipher it.

June 28th, 2012 at 1:50 AM
19. Justine Says:

Doret: Thank you! You are always so considerate.

June 30th, 2012 at 2:19 PM

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Justine Larbalestier