How Writers Build the Brand
In this era when most writers are expected to do everything but run the printing presses, self-promotion is so accepted that we hardly give it a second thought. And yet, whenever I have a new book about to come out, I have to shake the unpleasant sensation that there is something unseemly about my own clamor for attention. Peddling my work like a Viagra salesman still feels at odds with the high calling of literature.
In such moments of doubt, I look to history for reassurance. It’s always comforting to be reminded that literary whoring — I mean, self-marketing — has been practiced by the greats.
Writers have always been huckers, shills, and sell-outs.
The Weight of a Good Notebook
It pains me to be the kind of person who uses sickly back-slashed phrases like “weekly planner/diary,” but I suppose there’s no getting around the fact that I’m a notebook person — specifically a lined, college-ruled, unnumbered pages kind of notebook person. And with one notable exception, I’m probably not too different from the other notebook snobs that you’ve known and mocked over the years. My trouble is that I can never bring myself to write in my notebooks.
Scrivener
The world’s best book writing application (at least in my view) is finally being updated after years and years of only minute changes. Scrivener 2.0 looks pretty awesome, and the designers have blog posts up explaining (in longform philosophy-style) what will and won’t be in the new version. I can’t wait.
William Gibson on social engagement
As you publish your new novel, are you noticing a difference in the business since your last book?
I’ve noticed two things. One is that I’m able to observe via Twitter the global launch of the book. I’m able to simultaneously see for the first time that the English language editions, which have been exported from England into Europe and Australia, are released a week and a half before they’re released to the rest of the world. I kind of vaguely knew before but didn’t think about. The other thing is the number of Twitter users asking me questions that I’m usually woefully unable to answer about formats and editions.
It sounds like you’re generally experiencing a greater level of fan engagement.
I am. It’s much more direct and much more pleasant than I would have expected it to be.
Harsh advice for writer’s block
Writer’s block is something most people never experience. It’s a unique problem. You have a job to do, but for whatever reason you just can’t. How well would that fare in the real world, where people expect daily results and a hard work ethic 100% of the time? You can’t complain of banker’s block. You can’t get time off for plumber’s block. You may feel uninspired at your job, but you have to do it. This sort of mindset wouldn’t be the worst thing to bring over to your writing.
Writing whenever you feel like sugar and rainbows is like going to the gym whenever you feel like going to the gym. You’ll end up doing it once and then letting it sit until the next new year. Writing is in fact a lot like going to the gym. Nobody’s putting a gun to your head or threatening to yank your salary if you don’t finish your novel (well, your first novel, anyway), and nobody’s forcing you to hit the weights. The best gym people I know set a harsh schedule and stick to it. They write it in their calendar and they let nothing get in the way. It’s funny, all the best writers do the same. They pick a time of day to write, lock themselves away for that period, and wouldn’t you know it they write a lot of books.
Treat your writing like your gym schedule. It’s important to you. It makes you a better person. So you’re going to make time for it, and you’re going to keep that time, whether you feel like going or not.
Sad Sack Purchases Screenwriting Software
Via the Onion:
“I’m excited,” said the 36-year-old sad sack, who bought the popular program Final Draft 8 at Best Buy during his work lunch break. “I figured that if I’m going to give screenwriting a try, I should have the right software.”Norgren, whose script ideas were literally too sad to print here, said he likes films with smart dialogue and characters who overcome obstacles, such as Finding Forrester, A Beautiful Mind, and Juno.
“I want to write movies like that,” he said, crushing—just absolutely crushing—the group of assembled reporters. “And with this software I don’t have to worry about all the little technical stuff and can just focus on the story. I think my one idea about a guy who [approx. 30 words omitted because, really, it would ruin your day] could be pretty good.”
In laymen’s terms: be an interesting person, not a sad guy with good software. Nobody cares about that guy.
And now for some opposite advice
A couple days ago I wrote a blog post called “Don’t Try” about Charles Bukowski’s writing style, and how we can try to muster up philosophies on what genius writers leave behind, I now bring to you evidence that perhaps we shouldn’t do that.
Slate has a piece describing every word the late David Foster Wallace circled in his dictionary. While I have to admit that is a nice selection of words, it doesn’t actually teach us anything besides “David Foster Wallace thought these words were interesting.” It doesn’t teach us that being really close to your dictionary will yield more impressive work, and it doesn’t teach us that knowing how other writers work will improve our own flow. There’s there absolute antithesis of “Don’t Try”: anybody who scourges words circled in dictionaries by dead authors are trying way, way too hard.
Content is King
In the age of right now, content is everything. The iPad might be awesome, but take away its internet connectivity and only play with what came on the device, and it starts looking pretty lousy pretty quickly. The same is true with every blog, every book, and every piece of art. Content is everything.
I came across this blog post yesterday and had to share it with everyone. It’s basically an ad for web copywriters, or, people who will edit your blog or something. I don’t know. What I do know is that the post itself could definitely use a second look:
Content is king, but if the king looks like a toad, no one will know he?s royalty.On the one hand, your blog theme might be drop-dead gorgeous. But if your writing isn?t compelling, readers won?t stick around to read it.Even worse, your writing might be fantastic … but if your design doesn?t stop [.]
blogcrastination (bl?g-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn) — the deferment of writing a blog post to a later time; often a mechanism for coping with anxiety.If you’ve been a blogger for long, you know how ugly blogcrastination can be.It disrupts your goals, stifles your spirit, and makes you second guess your decisions. It can take you from writing a post [.]
I think we can all agree where the irony here is, right? Not only do these two paragraphs make little to no sense, the little sense they do make is an argument for paying these people to make your work more sensible and free of errors. Yikes.
I’m actually of the opinion that your blog likely doesn’t need a paid editor. Make a big enough mistake, and people will point it out (much like I’m doing here for these fellas). What your blog needs to succeed is authenticity, consistency, and a pulse. All three are equally important.
Don’t Try
Bukowski’s a funny author. Generally he’s considered really great, but the man had some curious philosophies on life. The majority of his books are filled with drunken and disorderly characters who care little for societal norms. And while this makes for intense reading, it can be confusing when trying to figure out, well, what it all means. It’s especially curious when you look at what’s written on the man’s tombstone: “Don’t Try.” Why is that particular epithet written?
The answer can be found in an interview archived on Bukowski’s website:
Linda: See those big volumes of books? [Points to bookshelf] They’re called Who’s Who In America. It’s everybody, artists, scientists, whatever. So he was in there and they asked him to do a little thing about the books he’s written and duh, duh, duh, duh, duh. At the very end they say, is there anything you wanna say, you know, what is your philosophy of life, and some people would write a huge long thing. A dissertation, and some people would just go on and on. And Hank just put, “Don’t Try.” Now, for you, what do you think that means?
Watt: Well for me it always meant like be natural.
Linda: Yeah, yeah.
Watt: Not like…being lazy!
Linda: Yeah, I get so many different ideas from people that don’t understand what that means. Well, “Don’t Try? Just be a slacker? lay back?” And I’m no! Don’t try, do. Because if you’re spending your time trying something, you’re not doing it…”DON’T TRY.”
The problem with this assessment of “Don’t try” is that they’re adding in another word: “Don’t try, do.” Adding “do” to the advice makes it all sound a bit like Yoda, and I’m not a fan of that reading. I like to think of it as saying, “If you’re trying, you’re not doing it right.” In all seriousness, Bukowski would probably hate a blog like this one that tries to help people write. Any writing “help” would be considered pornography, likely, or at best some kind of band-aid to a fake problem. “Don’t Try” is then sort of the antithetical to any digestive writing advice: Just write. Just do whatever it is you’re doing. Don’t stop to think about the process or the theory or any of that, because it can get in the way. Which can be incredibly wise if you find yourself in the weeds. Clear up, move on, and stop thinking about ways to be a better writer and just write until you get better.
Or maybe it means something entirely different, or nothing at all.
