Writerly Wednesday

In keeping with my recent theme…

1. “Like the Video? I Wrote The Book” by Tim Kreider

I didn’t care for the opening, but the last 4 paragraphs really hit it home.

If you’re a writer, you hang all kinds of adolescent hopes on the release of your book: that it will prove you to be a serious person, retroactively validate all those years of what might’ve looked to uninformed observers like indolence and drink. Your enemies will gnash their teeth, your exes will all be sorry and at last the long-awaited literary groupies will flock. You’ll see someone on the subway reading your book, and your real life will finally begin. But now that that long-anticipated day is almost here, after all that work and longing and postponed reward, I find myself unexpectedly missing the hard part, the boring part, the long slog to get here.

2. “Make Good Art” by Neil Gaiman

You. Must. Watch this.

Highlights: finding your voice, the 3 rules of freelancing, making art for money vs. making art for yourself, inventing your own rules, pretending to be wise.


9 responses to “Writerly Wednesday”

  1. Joelle Wilson Avatar

    “If you don’t know it’s impossible it’s easier to do.”

  2. Anthony Lee Collins Avatar

    I will comment on the first piece on my own blog, because I reacted to an entirely different part than you did, and I don’t want to write a comment that’s longer than your post. But I will say that I have no sympathy for his having to make a book trailer. If Thomas Pynchon (who is never photographed and who never does any kinds of appearances or interviews) can do a book trailer, so can this guy. :-) (Though I bet his isn’t as cool as this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjWKPdDk0_U.)

    I tried to watch the Gaiman video, but it locked up a few times after the part about the advantages of not knowing the rules (which I agree with). Then I gave up. I’ll try again some other time. (I have a lot frustration level with videos.)

  3. Anthony Lee Collins Avatar

    Here’s the post (and “lot” in the last sentence of my previous post should be “low” :-) ). http://u-town.com/collins/?p=3287

  4. Trisha Avatar

    Excellent speech.

  5. Julia Avatar

    Brilliant video. I would like to send it to my niece. How do I do that?

  6. Martin White Avatar

    I loved the Gaiman video. I’ve only read one of his books (American Gods)which I loved and now I’m wondering why I haven’t read any more…

  7. Kristan Avatar

    Julia-
    I think all you can do is email her the link.

  8. Meghan Ward Avatar

    Thanks so much for both of these! I tweeted that Gaiman video, but never actually watched it. And the Times article looks great. I thought ht was going to say release day was a let down. It has to be after all the grand expectations, right?

  9. Kristan Avatar

    Haha, hopefully we’ll find out. ;)