Writers vs. their books [Archive] - Absolute Write Water Cooler

JoNightshade

07-11-2007, 06:35 AM

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 06:49 AM

On the inverse, I've met people exactly as exciting as their books. Like this author, who shall remain nameless, and has only written about the "Everyday" and spent the class telling us that you can add tension to your dialog by cutting out random chunks of it and leaving white space.

So instead of:

"Hello Mary."

"Hi George."

"What's for Lunch?"

"Freach Toast."

Now, using the teacher's method to add "tension" to the every day:

"Hello Marry."

"French Toast."

----------

Yeah...

I read some of her book and if you took the word pretentious and boring and slapped it together, then you'd get pretentoring. That and the fact that she started off class by saying, "Oh, I don't write plots. I write about...prose relations."

I was tempted to paraphrase Office Space: "Prose relations? What the <beep> does that mean!"*

*"PC Load letter? What the <beep> does that mean!"

pdr

07-11-2007, 07:01 AM

This is where my age shows.

The halo effect, where one applies all the nice traits and characteristics one likes to an actor or writer or other such person in a position to be hero worshipped is something you have to be aware of and grow out of.

Get used to the fact that 'name' authors are people exactly like everyone else. Do you seriously expect to like and admire every person in the world?

It should be a cardinal writer's rule, drummed into baby beginners by old hands, that you don't expect the writer of your favourite novel to be how you imagine.

When you meet such an author for the first time you will be disappointed. It's usual for the fan to wonder how this old codger/young fool/stupid twit could have written such a great book.

You'll grow out of it. You'd better because if you are a serious writer and you end up having to do the book tours and readings and talks to writers, you'll be able to greet the disappointed looks on your fans' faces with an understanding and disarming twinkle and won't fret over the 'meant to be heard' rude comments!

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 07:06 AM

Well, we'll put this theory to practice in a week, when I get to meet two of my all time favorite authors, Wen Spencer and Tamora Peirce.

I'll be sure to tell them that you said that I'll be disappointed. I doubt it though. Really, I just want to say: "Mrs. Spencer, you are one of the few writers I know who can make male leads so attractive I want to sleep with them*. And I'm straight! Will you sign Tinker for me?"

And then I'd say to Mrs. Pierce. "Mrs. Pierce, will you sign my copy of Lady Knight? It's my favorite of your books, becuase it's got the giant robots run off the souls of murdered children. And then in the end, the bad guy gets decapitated. A better ending, I think not!"

*If she asks, I'd go with Pony.

I want both authors to come away thinking: "What an odd person."

Also, even if the authors turn out to be completely normal people (which is nice, because I'm not, so It'll help keep the fan's hope alive), I'll still be stoked to meet them because they wrote some of my favoritist books of all time.

JoNightshade

07-11-2007, 07:08 AM

The halo effect, where one applies all the nice traits and characteristics one likes to an actor or writer or other such person in a position to be hero worshipped is something you have to be aware of and grow out of.

Get used to the fact that 'name' authors are people exactly like everyone else. Do you seriously expect to like and admire every person in the world?

Um... first of all, I wasn't saying that it was right or wrong to do this. I was just relating my experience. And I thought it might be interesting/funny to hear from others. I'm not bashing authors who aren't exciting. I'm just noting the discrepancy between the written work and the face-to-face person.

Also, I am no longer seventeen. I'm aware that famous people are "normal" people, and I know two or three.

Incidentally, one author I know is FAR more interesting (and bizarre) in person than you'd think from reading her books.

JoNightshade

07-11-2007, 07:10 AM

Oh, and I met Ray Bradbury. WHO WAS AWESOME. It was like listening to one of his books, but live. He's exactly the same in person as he is on the page.

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 07:11 AM

Neat. When I get famous, I'm going to walk backwards onto the stage and say:

"Thanks for listening. And that about wraps it up. And then I finished the book. I woke up in the middle of the night with a burning desire to write. After I was almost done."

Then smile.

JamieFord

07-11-2007, 07:27 AM

I heard Mark Childress read a couple times and he's hilarious. The guy could read the dictionary and it would be entertaining.

JEMcGee

07-11-2007, 07:30 AM

I haven't really met authors, but having met many people on line before I met them in person, they don't seem that different than the personality in written form... it's just filtered in a different way. Sometimes people are more animated and sometimes they are much less - but they are the same people.

This is interesting though; while I love musing on the stories, I find it a challenge to actually read Tolkien's novels. BUT, when I read Tolkien's letters I was completely taken with him... And loved the stories even more.

Something similar happened when I read "Theo" - Van Gogh's letters to his brother. I thought his work was good, until I got to know him through his letters, and then I fell in love with the way he saw the world.

JoNightshade

07-11-2007, 07:30 AM

Oh, I just remembered, I saw... Art Speigelman, author of Maus. He chain smoked rabidly the entire presentation (they had to get special permission for him to do this before he would agree to speak in the auditorium) and was kind of aloof. He was also pretty depressing, which is... not really surprising, if you've read his work.

Madican

07-11-2007, 07:31 AM

And then I'd say to Mrs. Pierce. "Mrs. Pierce, will you sign my copy of Lady Knight? It's my favorite of your books, becuase it's got the giant robots run off the souls of murdered children. And then in the end, the bad guy gets decapitated. A better ending, I think not!"

That sounds so odd, bizarre, and so much like...you.

Where can I get a copy? :D

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 07:35 AM

At a book store, I think. But it's the fourth book in a series about a girl who becomes a knight. Good stuff, good stuff. Some people say it's too chick oriented for guys to like, but I say, "It's got giant robots, run off the souls of murdered children!"

Madican

07-11-2007, 07:40 AM

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 07:43 AM

Kay.

Dancre

07-11-2007, 08:02 AM

Once upon a time I went to an Antiquarian Booksellers convention in San Francisco. I was about 17 and I was THRILLED because Larry McMurtry would be speaking. I had just read Lonesome Dove and I thought, "This is going to be great... to see the man who wrote a book like that, in person!"

Most BORING GUY EVER. Granted, he said he was sick that day, but he just about put the entire audience to sleep. I couldn't believe it... how could THIS guy have written one of the most exciting books I had ever read?

Anyone else have any similar experiences? How are writers' personalities different from the books they write, in your view?

My first novel I wrote was a spy novel involving terrorists, a pastor, an ex-CIA hitman, an evil Senator and a professor from Afganistan who was pushed into terrorism. Now my idea of a good time? Sitting in my recliner watching either HGTV or the Foodnetwork or dancing with my church dance troupe. Talk about a different personality!!!

kim

ClaudiaGray

07-11-2007, 08:03 AM

Do NOT hand those authors a chapter of your manuscript unless by some miracle they ask for it. It tends to look more amateurish than bold, and most writers I've heard talk about this phenomenon are put off by it.

It's different, IMHO, if you meet somebody in a different context -- say, a writing workshop.

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 08:22 AM

Actually, Alpha IS a writing workshop. It's just, we're expected to bring several ideas to the place and hash them out over the week long period of the workshop.

And I've decided against bringing it in, as we're supposed to work on new works. But I hope to impress them with my story ideas and how I can write them out. How many of the people will have stories about people without hair? I doubt many of them will.

Note: My story idea actually has a lot more than just people without hair, but I'm too lazy to sum it up right now. And, shall I say, wrong topic?

Madican

07-11-2007, 08:27 AM

Where can I find more information about Alpha? Sounds like something I'd be interested in doing next year.

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 08:32 AM

I'd check the Alpha webpage (http://alpha.spellcaster.org/)

Failing that, you could google it...

But it's sweet. I just wish I had applied last year, as last year it had my favorite author ever: Harry Turtledove.

But this year, it has TWO authors who are right below him. So I suppose that makes up for not dropping to my knees and thanking him for sparing Vanai's life in his "Into the Darkness" series. She lives! Hurra.

Though, I only just found out now: 20 people out of the entire country ever get in.

I'm glad I didn't know that till now...or else I might have not tried getting in. But...wow, I got in! And, there are going to be about 16 girls VS the 4 boys. Plenty of chances, huh?

Once it's done, I'll be sure to post on this thread and tell you my real reactions.

Mud Dauber

07-11-2007, 08:47 AM

Once upon a time I went to an Antiquarian Booksellers convention in San Francisco. I was about 17 and I was THRILLED because Larry McMurtry would be speaking. I had just read Lonesome Dove and I thought, "This is going to be great... to see the man who wrote a book like that, in person!"

Most BORING GUY EVER. Granted, he said he was sick that day, but he just about put the entire audience to sleep. I couldn't believe it... how could THIS guy have written one of the most exciting books I had ever read?

Anyone else have any similar experiences? How are writers' personalities different from the books they write, in your view?

This is my greatest fear, since I am not a public speaking kind of gal. I would be the author that someone like you would walk away from meeting me or hearing me talk and you would say, "Huh. So that's her." LOL (I know, I know... I gotta get published first!;) )

To answer your question though, I've never had that experience with authors, but there have been a handful of favorite comedic TV actors who I always thought were hilarious in their acting, but really boring in an interview situation, so I know what you mean.

Akuma

07-11-2007, 08:48 AM

Well, after reading the Bible I thought God would be an uptight guy, dishing out divine punishment like it was candy.

But he was actually pretty chill--likes Hawaiian shirts, drinks beer and watches Nickelodeon. Although you don't want to be around when he burps.

Wait. God didn't really technically actually write the Bible, did he?

My less than mediocre joke has failed.

swvaughn

07-11-2007, 08:51 AM

Okay, then! I don't want to give people the impression that there's a huge disparity between me and what I write (there is, but I've always wanted to be cool. I'm just not.)

So when I am in public, I will wear lots of black and denim, carry a blade and/or a gun, fucking swear all the time, and randomly punch people in the face and/or jab them with needles. I will also kidnap their sisters. :D

(Please note that this is a joke. Here is a grain of salt: . )

For some reason, knowing that Ray Bradbury is exactly like his books makes me absurdly happy. And I hear calliope music...

Will Lavender

07-11-2007, 09:05 AM

Zoombie, pick the best chapter (in your opinion) from your book, edit the hell out of it until it's perfect and pristine, then give it to those authors. Make sure they have your name (or pen name) and e-mail address. If they like it, and ask for more, then you just made powerful friends. Nothing helps a writer along the road to publishing like saying that already published writers like the story.

Wouldn't do this.

Authors normally won't accept manuscripts that aren't sent along by another author's editor or agent. A polite person may actually take the MS, but it likely won't be read.

Madican

07-11-2007, 09:08 AM

20 people, eh?

Sounds like a challenge. See you there next year, Zoombie. ;)

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 09:40 AM

If I get in next year. I know I can, cuase there are returning Alpha students I've been chatting with. They're, amazingly, normal people. Well...as normal as a writer can be. I was expecting them to eat laser beams and fly through sheer force of will...

Kaytie

07-11-2007, 10:08 AM

To the OP - To me, there's a difference between what a person is really like and how they are like in front of an audience, especially when it comes to authors. It's entirely possible that the author you mentioned is exciting when you get to know him, but the persona you saw from the audience is the one he's most comfortable with when asked to "perform."

I've noticed a huge difference between artists who are expected to perform and artists who are expected to produce. Writers and painters and sculptors and the like are not practicing daily to interact with an audience the way actors and musicians are...and so the end result is a less polished experience for everyone.

Zoombie

07-11-2007, 10:10 AM

I practice every day for preforming before an audience. But that might be becuase I am so devilishly vain.

JoNightshade

07-11-2007, 10:13 AM

BlueTexas

07-11-2007, 11:13 AM

To the OP - To me, there's a difference between what a person is really like and how they are like in front of an audience, especially when it comes to authors. It's entirely possible that the author you mentioned is exciting when you get to know him, but the persona you saw from the audience is the one he's most comfortable with when asked to "perform."

This is absolutely true. I've done my share of public speaking, and I am not the same person you'd meet at a coffee shop when I'm in front of a group of people. I can't be. When speaking, I have to act like I know something and you should believe me. I have to pretend I'm not terrified and really do know the answers to the questions you will hammer me with as soon as I step down. And I have to smile at the yammering idiot in the front row who will not shut up while I'm speaking when all I really want to do is drag her butt up there and let her do it.

That is so not the real me.

Manderley

07-11-2007, 01:08 PM

I once attended a weekend seminar with the Icelandic writer Einar Mar Gudmundsson, who wrote the excellent Angels of the Universe (recommended!). He was all right, but it was a lecture, so naturally I didn't get much sense of who he was as a person.

I have also spent an evening with the Norwegian writer Tom Egeland at a dinner party. He wrote the book that's been labeled the Norwegian version of the Da Vinci Code (except it's better and was published two years previous to DVC). Mr Egeland was a soft spoken, chilled out man, both funny and interesting, happy both to talk about literature and language with the unpublished and about more surreal stuff further into the night (and the bottles). Nice fella.

Willowmound

07-11-2007, 02:28 PM

He wrote the book that's been labeled the Norwegian version of the Da Vinci Code

*Pukes and shudders simultaniously*

On a happier note, I once met Neil Gaiman. However, at the time, I didn't realise how famous he was. My flatmates were reading his Sandman comics, and he was making an appearance at one of our local bars.

So we went, and I sat and listened to him read from a novel in progress, and all I remember thinking was, "how can this man be reading from his friggin' WIP?"

Then we got drunk.

I still haven't read one of his books.

aadams73

07-11-2007, 02:48 PM

Shadow_Ferret

07-11-2007, 05:23 PM

I've never met a writer in my life. Or an actor. Or musician. Or any other celebrity. I just don't care. I enjoy their works, but I've never had any desire to meet them. And I've never understood why anyone would want to. They're just people.

gerrydodge

07-11-2007, 06:00 PM

I went to a reading once where Louise Erdrich and Richard Ford were reading from their newest novels. Afterward, they casually talked to people in the audience--admittedly a small venue. I didn't approach either of them, but observing them was a nice treat. They were both incredibly gracious and seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly.

Dave.C.Robinson

07-11-2007, 06:25 PM

I've met a few at various conventions and other settings over the years. It's interesting to see how close or different they are to what you think they should be.

scarletpeaches

07-11-2007, 06:26 PM

Zoombie, pick the best chapter (in your opinion) from your book, edit the hell out of it until it's perfect and pristine, then give it to those authors. Make sure they have your name (or pen name) and e-mail address. If they like it, and ask for more, then you just made powerful friends. Nothing helps a writer along the road to publishing like saying that already published writers like the story.

Never, never, never do this. No writer worth their salt would accept a manuscript from a newbie in case of future allegations of plagiarism.

Besides, published authors are the bottom of the food chain. How could they possibly help you? Agents and publishers have all the power to further my career; I couldn't give a toss what already-published writers think of my book.

Ab_Normal

07-11-2007, 08:54 PM

I'd check the Alpha webpage (http://alpha.spellcaster.org/)
<snippage>
Once it's done, I'll be sure to post on this thread and tell you my real reactions.
I have *so* got to tell my kiddo about Alpha for next year. Then sell a kidney so she can go if she's selected... ;) Congratulations on getting in!

Norma

JoniBGoode

07-11-2007, 09:07 PM

I've had that experience a few times. I think it just boils down to, some writers are people who are better at expressing themselves on paper, rather than verbally.

Would we really want it any other way??

This is my greatest fear, since I am not a public speaking kind of gal. I would be the author that someone like you would walk away from meeting me or hearing me talk and you would say, "Huh. So that's her." LOL (I know, I know... I gotta get published first!;) )

I used to be in sales, so I can be witty and charming on demand, if I really try. However, I really SUCK at reading my own work aloud to an audience. It just seems incredibly artificial to me. In writing classes, the instructor would sometimes tell me, "Okay, now read it again, and this time make it sound like you like what you're reading."

Manderley

07-12-2007, 01:35 PM

*Pukes and shudders simultaniously*

Hehe, sorry to inflict such grief on you. If it makes you feel any better, their similarities are strictly in the topic, not the execution. Although weirdly enough, both books features an albino...

CoriSCapnSkip

07-12-2007, 01:59 PM

Walt Morey, for some reason, didn't remind me much of the heroes of his books but a lot of some of the villains.

My college English teacher and advisor used to tell this story all the time. When he was young, perhaps in college, he and his friend took Katherine Anne Porter for a drink. They thought it would be cool, but "once she had a few drinks, for someone known for economy of words, she talked like her tongue was hinged at both ends." He often said he regretted buying Katherine Anne Porter that drink!

Ray Bradbury and Barbee Oliver Carleton: the most wonderful, warm, friendly people to meet, and both with great voices which exactly match their written words. Some of my best experiences with people ever! :D

Willowmound

07-12-2007, 03:47 PM

Hehe, sorry to inflict such grief on you. If it makes you feel any better, their similarities are strictly in the topic, not the execution. Although weirdly enough, both books features an albino...

Hrm, yes.

The shudder was for Dan Brown.

The puke was for "the Norwegian version of..." anything. It is very provincial.

Spiny Norman

07-12-2007, 05:54 PM

Bad experience with lutefisk?

Or is that Swedish?

Willowmound

07-12-2007, 05:57 PM

No that's Norwegian.

I like lutefisk.

I don't like the provincial attitude. It's embarassing.

Inkdaub

07-13-2007, 01:55 PM

I met Robin Hobb and she was sortof frumpy/nerdy/irritated with the whole deal. She signed all my books, though. I don't have any of the signed books anymore though as I'm not really an autograph sort. I met Marjane Satrapi and she was very cool and wordly seeming, charming and clever. I also met the guy whop wrote Permanent Midnight and he was very hyper.

Soccer Mom

07-13-2007, 09:46 PM

*Pukes and shudders simultaniously*

On a happier note, I once met Neil Gaiman. However, at the time, I didn't realise how famous he was. My flatmates were reading his Sandman comics, and he was making an appearance at one of our local bars.

So we went, and I sat and listened to him read from a novel in progress, and all I remember thinking was, "how can this man be reading from his friggin' WIP?"

Then we got drunk.

I still haven't read one of his books.

You must change this immediately! I recommend American Gods.

Hillary

07-14-2007, 02:53 AM

I've met a few authors, and heard my mother talk about quite a few more, but I've never heard them speak publicly, which is odd, I suppose. (Oh, unless you count my pompous professors at NYU and BU who wrote the textbooks we used for class, then I got to hear them speak a LOT about their work, and I wanted to set both book and professor ablaze, equally.)

I got a little nervous meeting Jacquelyn Mitchard the first time because I kept thinking "Oh God, they've made her books into movies!" but she is entirely charming.

Anne LeClaire is also really cool, and every other Monday she engages in the practice of silence. Her first non-fiction work "Silence" comes out in 2008 and will discuss her 15 years with the practice. I think it's fascinating. She is allowed to communicate non-verbally, but she doesn't talk at all. I think it's just brilliant.

My mother was speaking in New York not so very long ago, and she hung out with Dave Barry, the keynote speaker that night. I'm viciously jealous, especially when I heard he's incredibly funny and engaging in real life.

So far, no bad experiences. Oh, actually, my friend's mum was a nurse and cared for Dr. Seuss. She said he was a complete dink. Interesting, that.

IrishScribbler

07-14-2007, 05:02 AM

I met Jasper Fforde a couple of years ago when he was on tour for The Big Over Easy.

To be honest with you, I wasn't expecting someone as charismatic as he was. I expected someone a bit more (forgive me) nerdy and introspective. Perhaps that's because of how I myself am. When I'm in writing mode, I'm inside myself because that's where the world I'm putting on paper is. Mr. Fforde was engaging and funny and after speaking with him briefly as he scribbled his name in my book, I admire him even more.

Penguin Queen

07-14-2007, 05:08 AM

I used to love love love Penelope Lively's books eer since I was introduced to "Moon Tiger" at an impressionable age.
Then, years later, I saw her read at a bookshop in Berlin. She had the most colourless upper-middle-class voice and gereal bearing. Posh and boring. terrible. I went off her the moment I heard her speak. (When I went back to her books later, I saw lots of stuff in there that I suddenly didnt find so attractive any more either, so it might not just have been voice and appearance.)

But Ive been very wary since about going to see authors read whose work I really, really like; lest their physical apparance turn me off.

batgirl

07-14-2007, 10:59 AM

Dave Duncan came to our university SF club's social night. He was completely pleasant, low-key, down-to-earth. Not an ounce of ego to be seen. Really nice guy. I wondered if it was because he'd come to writing late in life.

I chatted briefly with Tim Powers at a local convention (I was covering my husband's dealer table) and he was pleasant too, though more energetic & wound - if I could imagine a young and cheerful Jack Nicholson (which I can't, actually) that would be Tim Powers. If I see him again I'm supposed to buy him a drink and ask him questions about how he researches.

Barbara Hambly was part of a one-day writing workshop in Vancouver, and perhaps because of that I saw more of her 'teacher' side. Excellent lecturer, speaks clearly and concisely.

Surprising perhaps is that none of them disappointed me. I didn't get a disconnect between the books and the writer. Not to say that if you'd done a police lineup sort of thing I would have matched writer with book with any sort of success! But I kind of wish I had some funny anecdotes.
Okay, well, I didn't expect Cory Doctorow to look like someone who'd played football in university. Or wouldn't have, if I'd thought about it.
And Charlaine Harris's author photo throws me a bit.

-Barbara

Alan Yee

07-14-2007, 11:10 AM

WriterInChains

07-14-2007, 12:03 PM

I've been incredibly lucky & met a bunch of wonderful authors. Portland's rep as a Book Town is spot on.

I was lucky enough to meet Chuck Palahniuk when it was still possible for him to do a small reading in a small indie bookshop. About 20 people were there, it was awesome. He read from Lullaby, & the short that inspired it, and spent a lot of time taking questions & just chatting with us. I talked with him last year at the WW Con for a few moments (while he signed a book for me) & he's still the same real, nice guy. No surprise to me, but I've heard that's not what people expect. :Shrug:

I've met some authors who're pretentious (or just plain jerks) and seem to go out of their way to marginalize any genre other than their own (not to mention subject matter they don't feel is "important" enough, but I'll resist the urge to name-drop), or act put-out when asked to sign a book, but they're in the minority. Most of the authors I've been lucky enough to meet are cool people who'd be fun to hang out with -- and they don't seem to care [much?] that I only have a couple shorts to my credit.

aruna

07-14-2007, 01:15 PM

Most people who meet me in real life would not be tempted to read anything written by me, and in fact might be surprised to hear that I was a novelist. I am definitely the most boring person alive.

As a child I was so shy I would not even open my mouth in front of strangers, and a little of that carried over into adult life. I cannot carry on a conversation with strangers; I stutter and say foolish things and I am just hopeless at small talk, I never know what to say. I retreat into myself and feel like an earthworm. (With friends, though, I can have long and deep and close conversations.)

But I think that my introversion and my ability to tell stories are in an inverse relationship to each other. The deeper I retreat into myself, the more I can find a sort of source for storytelling,. the more lively my inner life. I remember when I was living in a country house far away from anywhere, and never going out. A friend of mine warned me of dying from boredom and said I need to get out more. How silly! I just happened to be writing my first novel and there was not one thing boring about my life - it was the most exciting period ever!

In our world there is a bias towards extroverts - people love bubbly, outgoing personalities; they want to be orally and visually entertained, and that tended to make things worse as far as my shyness was concerned; I knew I was boring and so I shut up all the more. But that only made me better at writing! Because in writing I am not at all shy. I pack everything into written expression instead of oral.

I always felt that I was an observer of life more than a participant. Which doesn't mean to say I need to retreat from life: I am terribly curious and always loved to travel, though not so much lately. But in travelling I was never in the limelight, always on the outskirts observing, absorbing, not doing the talking but all the listening.

I believe that is the key to my writing ability - though of course each writer is different. But that is how I personally function.

I realize that these days a successful writer needs to be a savvy media person and I have worked hard to come out and be the kind of radiant, witty, charismatic person readers might expect, and I am much better these days. But preferably I would just live in an ivory tower to write, having first absorbed all the experience I need to draw from. At the moment I am giving a series of workshops and I am better and better from week to week, so that it is actually a great pleasure now. But it wasn't easy; I really had to get over myself.

T

I've noticed a huge difference between artists who are expected to perform and artists who are expected to produce. Writers and painters and sculptors and the like are not practicing daily to interact with an audience the way actors and musicians are...and so the end result is a less polished experience for everyone.

Exactly.

The moral of this tale is: just because a person is quiet and boring on the outside, doesn't mean they are that way on the inside as well. A person's inner life can be extremely rich, without this showing through to others.

Or: don't judge a book by its cover!

Anthony Ravenscroft

07-14-2007, 08:56 PM

I spent a weekend following Harlan Ellison around. He taught us a lot about celebrity appearances. For instance, if you simply walk up, say "hi & thanks" & make to stroll away, it might turn into something faaaaar longer, & certainly entertaining or even enlightening. But it's a risk to intrude in "private time" (off to lunch, say).

Really, I find that it's tough to schedule "being witty & entertaining" for myself, & I certainly don't expect it to always be wunnerful when someone's been doing it for months or years or decades -- it's gotta get old once in a while.

sidebar: I've also turned "crabbiness" to my advantage. I walked into a panel I was on, & with the very first question dropped my glasses to the table & rubbed my eyes, all the while asking God why I was cursed with that question. (To be fair, it really was like Most-Asked Question #3, & it was far too early in the morning.) Just as the audience was getting uncomfortable, I put the glasses back on, & answered my questioner as though it was just her & me chatting.

Danger Jane

07-14-2007, 09:35 PM

I met Tamora Pierce when I was thirteen. She was awesome but I was a quiet little loser so in retrospect I probably could have enjoyed it a lot more if I had not still been a loser at thirteen.

Luckily now I've discovered that by doing something more foolish than anyone else will dare (for instance, doing an interpretive dance to a poem I have to recite in front of the class...) I don't get nervous.

So when I become a fabulous author and meet my readers they're just going to be all wtf, she's so dumb.

amber_grosjean

07-15-2007, 02:34 PM

I've only met one author when I was younger. I was about 11 or 12 because I remember thinking this was so cool me wanting to be a writer and meeting one for the first time. I believe her name was Judy Blume, the children's author. I know her last name was Blume or Bloom, one of the two. Its been 20 years now so my memory isn't all that great. Just meeting a real author was exciting enough and I got to speak with her after she was finished speaking to our class. For me, it was great and she was great.

I think when you meet an author, you take from it what you want, unconsciencly, I mean. Ok, I know i just spelled that word wrong lol. If you really like that author, it doesn't matter if she or he was boring because he was sick or smoked too much. If you idolize them, great. Someone will be doing that for you too. Always remember how you want them to percieve you and try to be that person. Maybe that was what they did and just chose wrong for you but right for someone else. You never know.

Inkdaub

07-18-2007, 11:14 AM

At least a few times in the past few months, some of the major SF/F writers who live in the Pacific Northwest had some booksignings at the University Bookstore in Seattle. Unfortunately, I couldn't go because it was toward the end of the school year and I needed to study for finals. *mumblegrumble* Hopefully I'll make it one of these days.

This is exactly how I met Robin Hobb. She lives in Tacoma.

One night at work I had a great conversation with Eric Bogosian. He was a cool guy. We talked about Star Wars and comics and a little about News Radio.

Willowmound

07-18-2007, 06:04 PM

Once in my very early teens, some woman writer came to talk to my class at school in small-town Norway. I had never heard of her, and still don't know her name, but she must have had some success as I remember her telling us about the many languages her books had been translated into.

She was so utterly uncool, so small, plump and drab, and her books so mindnumbingly dull-sounding, that when she enquired of us whether we'd thought about writing ourselves, I sat very quickly and very hard on both hands.

They all knew I wrote. Teacher would frequently read my stories out loud. But any who ventured a look in my direction just then was met with a determined glare of death. In no way was I to be associated with this...thing...up by the blackboard.

And they didn't say a word.

And I was very grateful.

I still am.

...Because writing should be cool, man! :e2headban

aruna

07-18-2007, 06:14 PM

She was so utterly uncool, so small, plump and drab, and her books so mindnumbingly dull-sounding, that when she enquired of us whether we'd thought about writing ourselves, I sat very quickly and very hard on both hands.

Sorry, but I take her side!
You just never know. She might have put all her coolness into the most riveting stories you ever read and her characters, so there was nothing left over for her... and not everyone can describe a book in an exciting way.

Writers come in all shapes and sizes. Writing is an art ideally suited to introverts, and the "cool" performers are not necessarily the best writers. Drab on the outside does not always mean drab on the inside!

Willowmound

07-18-2007, 06:19 PM

Well I'm cool all over.

Especially when I was fourteen.

aruna

07-18-2007, 06:27 PM

Well I'm cool all over.

Especially when I was fourteen.

Not so cool deep down, if you dismiss someone for superficial non-coolness!

(Speaking as someone who definitely was NOT cool, but went on to have the most adventurous and crazy life than all those cool kids put together! Yes, you'd have despised me too...)

Willowmound

07-18-2007, 06:28 PM

Oh bleh. Were you never fourteen?

aruna

07-18-2007, 06:31 PM

Yes. And I was NOT cool. I was fat and awkward and full of insecurity and the cool kids all laughed at me and made me feel worse. So I have great sympathy for the uncool.

Willowmound

07-18-2007, 06:42 PM

And issues still, I gather.

Still, no need to poo-poo my mildly humourous childhood anecdote.

LeeFlower

07-18-2007, 08:33 PM

I respect that some authors aren't very brilliant public speakers, and I'm ok with that. I can forgive someone for being a poor speaker as long as they make a sincere effort to treat their fans with respect. If you're going to be pissy in public and act like your publisher is forcing you to go mingle with unwashed masses unworthy of your time, stay home for God's sake. You're probably doing your carreer more harm than good.

One of the reasons that I respect Neil Gaiman so much, besides the fact that he's a very good writer, is that he's unfailingly nice to fans--even when he's been signing books for hours and he's clearly about to drop. He might not have the energy to act as if the person on the other side of the table means as much to him as he does to them, but he's always polite. I think that's very classy of him.

and since we're all telling stories:

Tamara Peirce is pretty awesome-- I met her at Balticon a few years back. I was a freaking brat though, so I sincerely hope she doesn't remember me (I know she doesn't. I wasn't even a brat to her; I was a brat to another fan (kept interrupting her/cutting her off and didn't even realize until later). But that just makes me feel even worse about having done it, because I'd feel like crap if someone had done that to me in the presence of an author I loved).

John Scalzi was in town for a book signing in May. It was almost wierd how nice, friendly, and charming he was. I didn't expect him to be an asshole or anything, but I thought he'd be scarrier (I think it's because he looks all serious in his author photo). I feel a lot more confident leaving comments on his blog now that I've met him.

JoNightshade

07-18-2007, 10:44 PM

(Speaking as someone who definitely was NOT cool, but went on to have the most adventurous and crazy life than all those cool kids put together! Yes, you'd have despised me too...)

Isn't it great to be able to look back and see how far you've come? Even though I'm not a wildly famous author yet I still take satisfaction in knowing that my life has turned out to be amazingly interesting while all those "cool kids" are now working dead end jobs back in my home town. Even though I was shy I went for it and here I am! I still might not be a thrilling conversationalist, but it's not a big loss as far as I'm concerned. :)

aruna

07-18-2007, 10:58 PM

Isn't it great to be able to look back and see how far you've come? Even though I'm not a wildly famous author yet I still take satisfaction in knowing that my life has turned out to be amazingly interesting while all those "cool kids" are now working dead end jobs back in my home town.

but went on to have the most adventurous and crazy life than all those cool kids put together! Yes, you'd have despised me too...

ooops! Just saw the terrible grammatical flaws in that sentence,. But you know what I was trying to say, right?

My great moment came when I returned after 30 years and found out the young man who had made an utter fool of me, and whom I had adored so much I allowed it to happen, had turned into a paunchy, boring, bald old fart leering after young girls who would never even look at him, living in the same old house and doing much the same old work, while I looked ten years younger than my age, had travelled the world, and had a couple of books published, and was really, really cool ... THAT revenge was very sweet! (even though I am still very shy about public speaking.)

leenakincaid

07-19-2007, 04:06 AM

Writers versus their books?
Oh dear. I write dark and controversial content. Murder, suicide, consensual sex with minors (it's so complicated that I spent one paragraph on it. Short), homosexuality (some people don't accept it), sexual paraphelias, teen pregnancy, gangs, drug use by minors, alcohol use by minors, minors smoking, and teacher-student relationships (illegal). Yes, that is what I write. I, however, am squeaky clean legally and a naturally happy, optimistic person.
...and boring.
Me vs. my manuscripts: the MSs are a hell of a lot more exciting than I am!

Dave.C.Robinson

07-19-2007, 04:41 AM

I'm nowhere near as destructive as might appear from my books. My first one has a death count in the thousands, my second has a death count in the billions. It's space opera and includes the destruction of two inhabited planets, so the death toll is on the high side.

joetrain

07-19-2007, 04:47 AM

i consider myself a happy and generally optimistic person, maybe even funny. i write fiction that is always flirting with hopelessness and mostly devoid of humor. i want to write in more humor. i love the stuff. but i can't seem to work it in naturally.

JohnDavidPaxton

07-19-2007, 05:00 AM

I went to a Bruce Campbell book signing and it changed my life.

That's...a pretty funny statement to read but it's earnest and true all the same. He came to my small down of Albuquerque and put on a hell of a show. It lasted over an hour before he signed every copy he could get his mitts on. He made the audience laugh. He told stories. He read from his boo in an excited, energetic way. And I thought "My God I want to do this."

Even to this day,when things get tough I think to myself "it's going to be so wonderful when I can stand in front of an audience and laugh and read from my book.

A friend of mine told me recently that I would grow to hate it. That I'd be at a point that I'm 36 hours without sleep and I'm just trying to enjoy my lunch when someone comes up to me and asks me to sign something.

Honestly? I can't think of a greater slice of heaven.

Zoombie

07-30-2007, 11:43 PM

Kay, I just met FOUR authors at this Alpha doohicky, and this is a story about writers V their writing, and so...here it goes.

Charles Coleman Finlay: He writes weird stuff. His first story, Footnotes, was written entirely in footnotes...very odd. But, in person, he reminded me of Wash from Firefly. He even looks a bit like Wash. He was a great lecturer and we had a jolly good time.

Cathrine Asaro: She writes hard sci-fi/romance novels and it shows (in a good way). Half of her lectures were on world building and character relationships, and a few sentences on how to not write a sex scene. She used the Star Trek episode "Devil in the Dark" as an example of good and bad worldbuilding. She was fun to talk to and a real nice person.

Tamora Peirce: For someone who writes YA...she sure swears a lot. Tammy (she refused to be called anything else) is a compact woman who is really tough and no nonsense. Friendly, but tough. As a lecturer, she spends most of her time talking about her own books. It's great...if you've read them. If you haven't, the lecture goes over your head. She also had a hilarious story about the first time she found out what "slash" was. She ran to her husband, with the printed out document and shouted, "TIM! LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY CHARACTERS! LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE!!!!"

Wen Spencer: Wendy is...er...a little obese. She's really nice, but her lectures are kind of rambling and she was rather tired the two days as she had only just finished sending off a novel, which is exhausting as I could see.

So, all in all, the authors were all very nice people and I learned a lot, becuase (unlike some of my fellow Alphans), I had actually read most of Tammy's books.

Well, I'm really burned out after ten days, wherein I read 4 books, wrote 29,000 words and critiqued 5 stories...I'm going to play video games for a week.

If you are a young author and want to sign up to Alpha, you should start writing your story now. It needs to be 6,000 words and you can be anywhere from 15-19.

It really is one of the best experiences of my life. I met so many ultra talented young authors, and we all became great freinds. AND you don't have to be from America, as we had two New Zelander's (Issac and his sister Kiwi) show up. They were really nice. But Alpha needs more guys, as the current ratio of girls to guys is 16 girls to 4 guys, including me.

Well, I'm going to play video games for a week.