(no subject)

Hey, before I get to the meat of the post, at one point one of you linked me to Myths Over Miami that first time, I think when I posted Never Leave A Trace. Put up your hand if it was you, would you?

In other news, rational thought is nice. Coherence is good too. Sudafed is hereby going on the list of things that are never more than twenty feet from my body, along with my cellphone, house keys, and sunblock. (I bought a little bottle for the sunblock, now it lives in my messenger bag next to the rubber-ducky Pez dispenser.)

I wanted to talk, yesterday, about the writing guide I posted, but didn't feel like I was up to the task. I'm pleased with the reaction to it and glad it seems to have been helpful for people, but I was fascinated by what most commenters zeroed in on, which was the brief discussion of identity versus vocation. I'm especially amused because that was a throwaway paragraph that wasn't even in the original draft; it's mostly there to link you to the Alex Haley essay, which I think writers should read.

But clearly the delineation between being a Writer and being someone who Writes was a concept which resonated, which is interesting to me.

I can understand why people choose, or feel compelled, to base their identity on their vocation, especially in the arts. If your sense of being (and possibly your livelihood) are both based on your ability to produce -- and your ability to produce consumable work -- then that puts an enormous pressure on you to keep moving, keep doing, and keep creating. There's nothing wrong with that; some people need it. That pressure can be a great inspiration, for some. And for a lucky few it is simply a pleasure.

But as with anything in art -- as I said in my introduction -- there is no one single way that works or everyone, and I think for those who don't have issues with motivating themselves (and those who choose not to try to depend on their art for their livelihood) it causes more problems than it solves. That pressure can make people insecure and defensive; it's a great stress on the mind, and it can cause people to feel competitive with fellow creatives instead of interactive. We try to protect the things that give us identity, to the point where sometimes we protect them right out of other peoples' view entirely.

I think a lot of people particularly in fandom must struggle with how to define themselves in relation to their creativity, for it to be the big focus of an essay with a lot of significant concepts in it. Maybe that's why some people are in fandom to start with.

I dunno, I have no real conclusions to present here, I just find it interesting and a little surprising that identity was what I got the most comments on.

(no subject)

I was supposed to go to Food Truck Tuesday this evening, but fate had other plans.

Actually before I even left work I realised that I have a fundamental issue with food trucks, namely that I don't like to eat standing up. I'm enough of a fumble-fingers when I have a proper plate and silverware. And then I fell asleep on the train and missed the stop anyway, so it's probably just as well.

I'm spending the evening doing research, mostly (at least until White Collar hits the torrent sites). I've decided to use Trace as a test case for more aggressive marketing than I've done in the past, so I'm digging into techniques for book publicity -- which, as firynze and I moan at each other about, isn't easy. Don't worry though guys, I'm not talking about the blog; after all, I already market the books here. You won't get spammed any more than you usually are by me.

It seems to me -- and please feel free to offer corrections here if I'm wrong -- that book publicity comes down to a few elements: marketing to bookstores, signings and readings, press releases, mailings, websites, and reviews. Some of these are not really an option for me; I'm focusing on press releases and reviews, because those seem the most feasible in my situation. I've got the Trace press release done up in rough; I'm not sure what I do with it once it's finished, but I'm working on it.

As for reviews -- well, I have a few copies of Nameless and CG left over from overestimating the signed copies orders, so I'm going to do a dry run with those. Mostly I'm pondering what kind of letter one sends to a reviewer -- I have no problem finding review blogs, but I'm torn between the more shiny publicity copy (open with a hook, keep the reader engaged) or the more formal cover-letter style ("I'm writing to inquire about the process for obtaining a review of my book..."). Suggestions and voices of experience welcome.

Do you think if I emailed Cory Doctorow and told him I'm the guy who wrote the Prufrock parody, he'd accept a copy of Trace for review? :D

(no subject)

It's Tuesday Night! And it's time for Sam's Three Things About White Collar where there was too much awesome to talk about the frustrating and bizarre voice-over "added dialogue" about the stupid museum thing OH MY GOD.

Ahem.

Spoilers for 3.04, ( The Dentist of Detroit )

3a. Bubblegum ice cream is disgusting. IJS.