tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post3866471131692534517..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Blog hiatus, Day Four, Question FourJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-5345980381370108032018-07-07T13:13:06.743-04:002018-07-07T13:13:06.743-04:00All the authors I've met have been committed t...All the authors I've met have been committed to being who they are—no matter what kind of person they are. I think that honesty is what draws readers to their work.Sherin Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534766663397123868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-14179292774738896602018-07-07T00:40:04.417-04:002018-07-07T00:40:04.417-04:00I've met a few - every single one of them as n...I've met a few - every single one of them as nice as can be.Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63250419276846616592018-07-05T12:37:53.829-04:002018-07-05T12:37:53.829-04:00Back in the nineties, I was writing in a cafe when...Back in the nineties, I was writing in a cafe when a gentleman walked up and asked if I was a writer.<br /><br />"I'm aspiring to be." I said. <br /><br />"No man, you got to own it!" He said. <br /><br />"All right, I'm a writer." <br /><br />He asked what kind of writing I did, and I said most of what I wrote turned out to be plays.<br /><br />"I write plays too." He said.<br /><br />I could tell he wanted to talk so I invited him to sit down, and he did. I said, "My name is Danny." and put out my hand.<br /><br />He shook with me and said, "My name's August."<br /><br />Bells started going off in my head. Holy Cats! Did Pulitzer prize winning playwright August Wilson just sit down across from me? Yes he did.<br /><br />He chatted with me for about an hour. He was sitting over in the smoking section working on his latest play, King Hedley II. I was a little embarrassed that I wasn't completely familiar with all his plays, but he didn't seem to mind. <br /><br />He told me when he first started out how he kept submitting his first play to the Eugene O'Neil play competition but kept getting rejected. Then he had a conversation with himself. He asked himself how he was ever going to get accepted? He was writing the best he could. He answered himself saying he would need to write better than his best.<br /><br />"How do I write better than my best? He asked.<br /><br />"You can write less than your best, right?"<br /><br />"I guess."<br /><br />"Then you can write better than your best."<br /><br />Mr. Wilson said he did just that. The next year his first play, Jitney, was accepted and he won.<br /><br />He also told me that when he writes, he tells himself that he is sitting down in Eugene O'Neil's chair. Or Chekov's chair, or even Shakespeare's chair. That inspires him to write better than his best.<br /><br />We finished up our conversation and he went back to his booth in the smoking section. I wondered who's chair he was sitting in that day.<br /><br />When I sit down to write, sometimes I tell myself I'm sitting in August's chair. I haven't quite caught the knack of writing better than my best, but I'll get there some day.<br /><br />Who's chair do you sit in when you write?<br /><br />Danny Walterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15540036793921620747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82011185402480666482018-07-05T00:30:59.823-04:002018-07-05T00:30:59.823-04:00Thanks to being in Oz and being an active voluntee...Thanks to being in Oz and being an active volunteer for RWAust, I've been fortunate enough to meet and get to know hundreds (scarily that's literal) of authors. Quite a lot are now friends.<br /><br />I've learnt that successful authors are like you and me, they just never gave up.AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26290121952900387992018-07-04T23:42:58.191-04:002018-07-04T23:42:58.191-04:00Back when I was a freshman at Frankfurt American H...Back when I was a freshman at Frankfurt American High School in Germany (and just beginning to fill my spiral notebooks with stories), one of my friends, Todd Peterson, had his father Michael come to speak to our English class. It was the fall of 1990. Michael Peterson wrote thrillers, but I'd never heard of the man (I wasn't much into thrillers at the tender age of fourteen), but I was so in awe of being able to hear a real author speak to our class. I wanted so desperately to be a writer, and sitting in that library, I hung on his every word. I remember him being kind and gracious. He told us a couple of touching stories (one in particular about Sylvester Stallone), and encouraged us to write and follow our dreams, to not be afraid of failure. I felt like he was speaking directly to me. I've never forgotten it.<br /><br />Fast forward to two weeks ago. I'm dealing with a bad case of insomnia and decide to see what I can binge on Netflix. The first thing that pops up is a trailer for "The Staircase." I'm sitting there with my jaw on the floor, watching Michael Peterson on trial for the murder of his second wife. Images of Todd rolled by, and I had to double check my Facebook to make sure I wasn't confused. Was this the same Todd? Was his father really on trial for this? Turns out I wasn't confused. You could've bowled me over with a whisper I was so shocked.<br /><br />It took time, but I finally made it through all the episodes. If you haven't seen them, I encourage you to do it. It's a very powerful look inside our broken criminal justice system. And it's a very sad story of how it can destroy a person's life. <br />Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02288010060936146108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-33145813782624211452018-07-04T22:54:57.029-04:002018-07-04T22:54:57.029-04:00Janet Leopold - your comment made me smile. My mom...Janet Leopold - your comment made me smile. My mom had an eighth grade education and did not do much reading. I read voraciously and mispronounced lots of words. In Junior High we had to take a speech class. One assignment was to interview someone in a career. I chose a psychologist. One of my interview questions was, "Did you read Sigmund Freud." I pronounced it feud. In a way it was accurate for it fit Freud's theories, but I'm grateful the therapist didn't laugh at me.Heather Marstenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17442467779057850945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10560757485737012952018-07-04T21:59:19.860-04:002018-07-04T21:59:19.860-04:00I met George Saunders through my creative writing ...I met George Saunders through my creative writing teacher in college. I remember thinking he was really down to earth and funny, and this one line from him: never judge someone who pronounces a word wrong. It means they learned it reading. Jeannettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00104848515612506410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80225107487548244322018-07-04T20:38:36.768-04:002018-07-04T20:38:36.768-04:00For nigh onto twenty five years ( November will be...For nigh onto twenty five years ( November will be that anniversary), the St. Pete Times has hosted the Times festival of Reading. It is a marvelous thing that I have visited a few times.<br /><br />I have met a few authors there and bought drinks for some of them. Most notable among them are Mike Connelly and Dennis LeHane. My take is that they are people just like the rest of use. They usually try to help and are often very happy to be treated like people, not clay footed gods.<br /><br />Do that and you will get more mileage from meeting them, if the situation allows. Play nicely.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27451591377185222292018-07-04T17:16:09.866-04:002018-07-04T17:16:09.866-04:00Honestly, I’m cursed today! Dratted not drafted. Honestly, I’m cursed today! Dratted not drafted. Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08941043145591116608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22114683486843993192018-07-04T17:15:15.774-04:002018-07-04T17:15:15.774-04:00Drafted autocorrect.
How not to meet a famous aut...Drafted autocorrect. <br />How not to meet a famous author. <br />Neil Gaiman on Big Bang Theory. <br /><br />https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Biu8Ycz3X0M<br />Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08941043145591116608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22964115710282748922018-07-04T17:08:18.055-04:002018-07-04T17:08:18.055-04:00Ooh, yes, BrendaLynn, I squeed at that episode for...Ooh, yes, <b>BrendaLynn</b>, I squeed at that episode for sure. Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50531590814005592092018-07-04T17:03:10.665-04:002018-07-04T17:03:10.665-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08941043145591116608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-13369785339589108412018-07-04T16:25:41.116-04:002018-07-04T16:25:41.116-04:00I am loving everyone's stories! I've met J...I am loving everyone's stories! I've met Jonathan Maberry too, and he is simply delightful.<br /><br />Every time I meet an author, I feel like I get a tip that helps me grow as a writer. Sandra Cisneros taught me how to write like no one is listening, and to get rid of my internal censor. Laini Taylor taught me that there are no wasted words. <br /><br />But one of my most unforgettable experiences was meeting Neil Gaiman. I had a copy of GOOD OMENS, already signed by Terry Pratchett, and awaiting Mr. Gaiman's signature. A few years before, I hadn't been able to see Mr. Pratchett in person because my former library wouldn't let me take the time off (even though I'd had ample vacation built up), so I got my signed copy online. Missing the opportunity to see him, though, inserted a thorn in my craw that I couldn't quite dislodge.<br /><br />As I approached the Mr. Gaiman's table, years later, I explained this story to him--and with a wry grin, he said, "<i>Damn</i> them." Thorn in craw officially removed.<br /><br />What I learned from Mr. Gaiman is when life seems upside down, it will, inevitably right itself again--even if it's in a way you don't expect. Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50188661860855107172018-07-04T15:50:00.263-04:002018-07-04T15:50:00.263-04:00I'm heading to my first writer conference in a...I'm heading to my first writer conference in a couple of weeks, and am looking forward to finding out if the authors I "know" online are the same people in person.Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38157350880038609712018-07-04T15:35:55.199-04:002018-07-04T15:35:55.199-04:00Luckiest thing that ever happened to me was being ...Luckiest thing that ever happened to me was being involved in a reading program that, for several years, brought authors to the community college where I worked. I love and adore Rick Bragg, Jonathan Safran Foer, Ruta Sepetys, Jamie Ford, and many others who gave of themselves to benefit students who needed to hear their words of encouragement. After a long day of meeting with groups and classes, every author sat late into the night autographing books and chatting, undaunted by the long line of people that wrapped around the auditorium. I guess my take-away is that I got to see who those authors really were by the way they treated the students. It was amazing and inspiring.charlogohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10957923321941792556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31962240355341432252018-07-04T14:28:22.420-04:002018-07-04T14:28:22.420-04:00Sam, that sounds fantastic! I envy you. Please tel...Sam, that sounds fantastic! I envy you. Please tell Jonathan hello for me next time you see him.CynthiaMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12175917641033760408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-92050960107188278572018-07-04T14:26:04.668-04:002018-07-04T14:26:04.668-04:00I've met many authors over the years through r...I've met many authors over the years through running events at a venue I ran, and because I love going to book signings at my local bookstore when I can. But I think the one I remember the most, and the one that has always meant the most to me was when I was about five I met Tomi De Paula at a bookstore in Washington DC. I still have the two books he signed for me: The Clown of God and Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs....Kate Larkindalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06202347563426692610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85356644044225619352018-07-04T14:07:38.180-04:002018-07-04T14:07:38.180-04:00Only in my elementary schools. I've always *w...Only in my elementary schools. I've always *wished* I could meet C.S. Lewis, though. <br /><br />Like S.P.Bowers, I am sadly afflicted with severe star-struckitis. I'm sure I'll face my affliction some day. Maybe at an SCBWI conference! <br /><br /><b>Janet,</b> if we ever meet at a future conference (when you start repping YA), how about a crisp high five?Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10622926299748405142018-07-04T13:40:58.666-04:002018-07-04T13:40:58.666-04:00"too" not "to""too" not "to"Barbara Etlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07190731838738606727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85123014233022658482018-07-04T13:37:50.575-04:002018-07-04T13:37:50.575-04:00Apparently Margaret Atwood was my nature and canoe...Apparently Margaret Atwood was my nature and canoeing instructor at camp when I was about nine, but I don't remember her from that. I've heard her speak. I sold her a writing journal when I worked at a pen and stationery store. (She used my surname for one of her characters in Life Before Man.) I learned that she's got a dry sense of humour and likes plain, lined notebooks.<br /><br />I interviewed James Houston for a profile that became a cover story in enRoute magazine. I learned a lot from him, but I think the most important thing was that it's never to late to become a writer. He had no thought of writing until he was in his mid 40s. And it's good to take chances on new things and meet new people. One of those random meetings was the right editor at the right time who saw his potential and encouraged him to write. He wrote about 50 books, illustrating several of them, and won many awards.Barbara Etlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07190731838738606727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-42851422648806475742018-07-04T13:32:13.315-04:002018-07-04T13:32:13.315-04:00Last summer I met Anne Serling at a con, and I got...Last summer I met Anne Serling at a con, and I got a copy of her book "As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling". She was very kind and gracious and I haven't read the book yet because apparently that's who I am as a person right now.<br /><br />I've also met Libby Cudmore (she wrote the mystery novel The Big Rewind), Shannon Delaney (She wrote the Thirteen to Life YA series), Alice Lichtenstein (Genius of the World was her first book), Tori Curtis (her first book is Eelgrass), and me! I've met me! :D<br /><br />My takeaways from those meetings (some of my list I know better than others) are that writers are people too. Which I'm not saying to be flip, but rather, to observe that the writers I've met aren't always talking about writing (even if sometimes you'd really like to actually).Jennifer R. Donohuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363886899308588391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-33415498596768350492018-07-04T13:13:20.352-04:002018-07-04T13:13:20.352-04:00I once met the wonderful Deborah Underwood, author...I once met the wonderful Deborah Underwood, author of Here Comes Easter Cat and The Quiet Book. But when I met her, I was so worried that I'd mess up, so I failed to mention her own titles. Talk about awkward! Takeaway: if I'm worried I'll mess up on the titles preface it with something like conference frazzledness and go ahead and try to talk about the author's work!JEN Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11223454346963493011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50672999518764243522018-07-04T12:46:54.330-04:002018-07-04T12:46:54.330-04:00I stumbled across a lovely satire and was an insta...I stumbled across a lovely satire and was an instant fan of the author's.<br /><br />The next year, I got to meet him. He had just the wicked grin that you would expect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55630846539386598462018-07-04T11:31:28.233-04:002018-07-04T11:31:28.233-04:00I've known Sara Gruen before she was Sara Grue...I've known Sara Gruen before she was Sara Gruen (if ya know what I mean). She originally contacted me about writing a blurb for her first book. And then she became a champion of our work here at the sanctuary.<br /><br />Rick Bragg, I've met him several times. He used to frequent the bar were I worked in my early 20's. Years later, he and I were both featured authors at a book festival in Nashville, TN. (His session drew a bigger crowd than mine). We chatted for about a half hour about the good ol' days on Anna Maria Island. <br /><br />I attend a lot of author events/signings, so I have met numerous writers. Some of these meetings were simply them signing their book to me and me thanking them. Many have become real life friends.<br /><br />Donna Everhart<br />Susan Pogorzelski<br />Anna Blake<br />Janis Kearney<br />Dr. Nick Trout<br />Brenda McClain<br />Jessica Keener<br />Brian Panowich<br />Mike Lupica<br />Cara Achterberg<br />Daren Wang<br />Joshilyn Jackson<br /><br />There's more, but I'll stop now. I'm looking at my shelf of signed books from writerly friends or authors I've simply met at an event. It's a long list. My take-away? They're human. Melanie Sue Bowleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11820711791019410116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38160848207205948252018-07-04T11:00:04.545-04:002018-07-04T11:00:04.545-04:00I met Chuck Wendig twice last year.
The first ti...I met Chuck Wendig twice last year. <br /><br />The first time, I had no idea who he was... he looked like some writer struggling like the rest of us. But when he got up to give the keynote at the local conference, I was blown away by his humor and personality. <br />Afterwards, we chatted while he signed my book. He's down to earth, a great guy with no pretenses. <br /><br />A few months later I saw him again at a huge national conference and he recognized me (I have awfully big hair) and was kind enough to take photos with me. I started following his blog and buying more of his writing books (Damn Fine Story is an excellent book on craft). <br /><br />I feel like I *know* someone in the business. But more importantly, he showed me how a successful author should act and engage with his readers. A class act. Kristin Owenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11424772733105959246noreply@blogger.com