I LOVE Diane Keaton's office set from the movie, "Something's Gotta Give." To me, this salt-buffed, soothing Hampton beach house is the perfect place the character, playwright Erica Barry, can hunker down and type her heart out. You can't see it in this picture but the window looks out to gorgeous sand dunes along the chilly Eastern seaboard. Like Erica, I like to be alone when I write but that doesn't mean that connecting with other "scribblerians" isn't appealing to me. The writer's networking sites seemed like a great place to share ideas and learn from others who share a love for the written word, especially those that have experience getting published. I frequently visit the websites of my favorite authors, including Chris Bohjalian, author of Skeletons At The Feast and Secrets of Eden. It lends a deeper appreciation of his work to know that he lives in an old house in Vermont that came with a noose hanging from the attic rafters ...which he kept. Only a writer can appreciate how terrific that is! I really like reading about what things a particular author surrounds him/herself with and what motivates their writing style. What kind of chair does he sit in when he writes? What does she gaze at when she's trying to think of just the right phrase? Another favorite is the thriller writing duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, who are responsible for penning the mysterious Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast character featured in Cabinet of Curiosities and others. It's interesting to see which author contributes the various components that make up their fascinating novels. Can they stand alone? Which one is fact-driven and which one adds that creepy (((shudder))) quality that I can't get enough of? And why can't I wait until their next book comes out (Fever Dream, May 11, 2010)? I've never contacted either of them as a fan but I have been known to send a strongly worded letter or two to people I've never met IF I felt moved enough BUT never tinged with that stalker vibe. Too icky. (Whew!) Most author's websites have a contact link either to the publisher, their agent or, sometimes to the authors themselves. Authonomy is an interesting project. Getting published based on readers' votes eliminates the subjectivity of an editor in a publishing house and gives the power back to the people, so to speak. I don't think it will ever completely circumvent the middle man but, depending on the various proclivities of the voters, it may add another bias to what's getting out there. Still, I think it's an interesting concept. Me, I dream of sitting at a beach house window and writing, like in the movie. And it wouldn't hurt if Keanu Reeves stopped in once in awhile either.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Publishing Evolution #84 Writer's Gilt
I LOVE Diane Keaton's office set from the movie, "Something's Gotta Give." To me, this salt-buffed, soothing Hampton beach house is the perfect place the character, playwright Erica Barry, can hunker down and type her heart out. You can't see it in this picture but the window looks out to gorgeous sand dunes along the chilly Eastern seaboard. Like Erica, I like to be alone when I write but that doesn't mean that connecting with other "scribblerians" isn't appealing to me. The writer's networking sites seemed like a great place to share ideas and learn from others who share a love for the written word, especially those that have experience getting published. I frequently visit the websites of my favorite authors, including Chris Bohjalian, author of Skeletons At The Feast and Secrets of Eden. It lends a deeper appreciation of his work to know that he lives in an old house in Vermont that came with a noose hanging from the attic rafters ...which he kept. Only a writer can appreciate how terrific that is! I really like reading about what things a particular author surrounds him/herself with and what motivates their writing style. What kind of chair does he sit in when he writes? What does she gaze at when she's trying to think of just the right phrase? Another favorite is the thriller writing duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, who are responsible for penning the mysterious Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast character featured in Cabinet of Curiosities and others. It's interesting to see which author contributes the various components that make up their fascinating novels. Can they stand alone? Which one is fact-driven and which one adds that creepy (((shudder))) quality that I can't get enough of? And why can't I wait until their next book comes out (Fever Dream, May 11, 2010)? I've never contacted either of them as a fan but I have been known to send a strongly worded letter or two to people I've never met IF I felt moved enough BUT never tinged with that stalker vibe. Too icky. (Whew!) Most author's websites have a contact link either to the publisher, their agent or, sometimes to the authors themselves. Authonomy is an interesting project. Getting published based on readers' votes eliminates the subjectivity of an editor in a publishing house and gives the power back to the people, so to speak. I don't think it will ever completely circumvent the middle man but, depending on the various proclivities of the voters, it may add another bias to what's getting out there. Still, I think it's an interesting concept. Me, I dream of sitting at a beach house window and writing, like in the movie. And it wouldn't hurt if Keanu Reeves stopped in once in awhile either.
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