Public Face: Who's it all about?

Recently I spend some time investigating some writers I'd never heard of for a friend who is handling the programming for a convention. Two websites and a few blogs later, I noticed a pattern of not-goodness. I'm keeping this super-generic because I don't want anyone assuming (wrongly or otherwise) that it's them. I don't want anyone to go hunting for a rock to crawl under. Nor would it be any fun if people assume I'm talking about them and get all defensive and decide that they're an exception for whatever reason.  I just want to offer some advice that hopefully everyone can use.

There are a lot of writers who blog about writing out there. Writers write, and writers obsess about how to write, when to write, why to write, who or what to write about, what music to write to, where to write, etc. I went in with that knowledge and expected that a writer's blog will involve writing on some level. So that's fine. It's natural for writers to obsess about writing on their blogs.

But.

Assuming that a writer blogs because they want to connect with their audience, it seems to me that it might be a good idea to make the blog about the audience. Impart useful information, write teasers, talk about cats [because the interwebs were created for cute cat pictures, instant information (right or wrong might not matter as much as getting it right away) and porn, as we all know] or whatevs. Get excited about the latest book coming out, or report on the awesome that's the convention, book signing, movie that came out, fab new writing haunt, etc. But I would suggest avoiding what these authors did, which was make it all about themselves. I don't mean, don't make it personal. Personal is fine. But there's a difference between sharing and narcissism. These websites seemed very narcissistic to me.

Most readers tolerate promotion so that they can find out the latest about the writer's new work. There's the work, which readers like to read about so they can snag the latest info about the story they love, and there's the author, who is the respected creator but not the focus of the reader's interest.

The posts had nothing to do with me as an interested party who wanted to know more about the author's work, and the author themselves. I didn't care about how hard it was to write the synopsis for the person's latest work, though I've been there and it does suck. Discussing an imagined slight of The Author's craft by some unwashed, unworthy fellow author or a critical reader or whoever–I wanted to bounce off the site but I was doing research, so I reluctantly read on. I do enjoy reading about stuff like that sometimes, but usually only if the author is a celebrity and is misbehaving. In other words, I read about that at their expense, usually through a third party. (See the Anne Rice example coming up shortly.) I also like to hear about famous authors being awesome, but again, through a third party.

I did actually want to know about the authors. And I found out plenty, though probably  not what the author intended. Reading between the lines, the authors sounded more interested in themselves as authors than they were their own work, or anything else going on in the world for that matter. They may be perfectly fine writers, but I'll never know because their web presence didn't inspire confidence in their writing. I'd expect that their books are in keeping with the level of self-awareness and insight into the wider world expressed in their blogs. Which is to say, they seemed to be using really tiny windows to look out at the world, and there were a lot of mirrors outside those windows.

I think an author-focused blog can work very well. Jay Lake famously blogs about his cancer journey. In fact, he's stated that he has more hits on his blog from others wanting information about his battle with cancer than his books. I think it's valuable to study how Jay talks about his cancer and how people respond, especially others who are facing cancer or have family with cancer. The information he gives helps people feel less alone, and prepares them for the things they'll have to face and decisions they'll have to make. This is valuable (and generous, and courageous.) I've also enjoyed author blogs when the authors discuss their trips to foreign countries, antics with their pets (again with the cats!) and stuff they've learned through research.

Contrast that to talking about how mean someone was when they offered unsolicited criticism of the author's work. If there was some insight, humor, something to entertain me, as a fellow crazy writing person I might have felt a connection. I've certainly had my share of weird, cruel and off-putting critiques. But as a reader, a potential buyer of the author's books, those posts turned me off more than anything. And, sadly, even as a writer sympathetic to the plight of other writers, my main reaction was to wonder if the author had a thick enough skin to survive in the business. That, and I had a flashback to Anne Rice's reaction to a bad review on Amazon. I still get a chuckle out of that. As entertained as I was by that whole debacle, it didn't endear me to Anne Rice, no matter how much I can sympathize with how hard it can be to deal with a bad review. She looked terribly unprofessional.

And these websites and blogs were just that. Unprofessional. It's not about the author. It's about the work.

And cute pictures of cats.

The Theme of Life

I've been reminded recently that I really ought to have a theme for my blog. I've resisted this because there are so many different facets to my life, and I'd really hate to stop blogging about some of those simply because they don't fit, or fit only awkwardly into my theme. What would my blog be without mention of The Barbie Lady (who has been shopping at our store a lot lately) or the goats or my long sessions of banging my head against the keyboard while trying to learn yet another skill that I have no business learning when I should be WRITING BOOKS & SHORT STORIES.

Speaking of skills, this house is once again putting me through homeowner school, as in it's schooling me. I don't think I'm actually getting an education, but I am developing a nice case of tennis elbow without actually picking up a racket.

My DH and I surfaced the porch. My sister, mother and I put together the new framework for the porch together, oh, about three years ago now. You see, the porch foundation collapsed so that it leaned to the right on the way in to the house, and then the stairs fell apart, and off to the side, part of the porch completely rotted through and our sitting window is currently supported by about 4" thick of crumbling wood. The 4" may be generous. Anyway, the idea was to rebuild the porch, jack the sitting window, put in a new support under said sitting window, and put siding to cover and protect the new support and continue that siding around the rebuilt porch for a beautiful and shiny new front face for our house. At the time I began this project, I figured it'd take the summer.

Three years after putting together the new framework and reinforced foundation for the porch, My DH and I cashed in about a million Home Depot gift cards we'd been saving up for this, pried up the temporary (ha) surfacing which will become the frame for my (someday) greenhouse (at this rate I might build it in about five years ....) and now we're walking on pressure-treated 2x6 boards instead of a mixture of juniper 2x4s (yes, you read that right, juniper! Smells so good!), pressboard and cinderblock. The dogs hardly know what to do with themselves without the dangerous gaps to fall into and with plenty of room for their food bowls. And, bonus, it's much harder for them to set up a dog block on the way to the door, forcing their owners to stop and pet them before they're allowed to pass. That's not a bonus for the dogs. Just me. And I almost always stop to pet them anyway, but usually only if I'm not balancing three arms worth of groceries in just my two.

Such times are of course when the dogs need love and affection the most. Because if I'm not carrying anything heavy or awkward, clearly I shouldn't be bothered.

I plan to put up the rails around the porch as soon as possible. I wonder if ASAP will be measured in days, weeks, months or years this time.

I guess my theme, if I have one, is how people do the best they can with the resources they have, and my premise is that even when things are tough and nothing works out the way you've planned, just the act of creating and working on problems and living is worth writing about. In the future I may change my mind. This might turn into a DIY blog, or a writing blog, or whatever. Until then, you can expect ongoing stories about pet spiders living in my kitchen window, escaped goats, crazy gardening, weird customers at the store, observations about the seasons, and all the other stuff I've written about over the years.

Coming up: Orycon 35, book releases from Wyrd Goat Press, vanishing websites, adventures with paint (I'm now the proud owner of a quart of flat interior lavender paint) and the great bulb planting of fall 2013. Unless something else more interesting comes up.

Back in the Chair Again

After a busy weekend, I plan on continuing my Ireland series here at Jestablog.  I'll also be making a DVD of our travels, plus I have OryCon things to do, so it'll be a busy Monday too.  

Alas, I'm 13 minutes into Monday, and facing the fact that I need to get a good night's sleep before I can start my day.  

Don't want to!  pout  Want to stay up all night and work.

Even though I'm eager to blog and get my projects done so I can have free and clear time to write, I can't let my sleep schedule get thrown off.  The dangers are that I'll either need naps or oversleep, or I'll go short on sleep and be so mushy in the head I'll write poorly or simply waste the day vegging, wondering why I'm so low energy.  It of course doesn't take rocket science to figure out why I'd be low energy, but mushy brains are slow that way.  Even if I did figure it out, what could I do?

As much as sleep sometimes feels like a waste of time, I do get some great story ideas from my dreams.  Besides, I've noticed that I write more and more slowly the more tired I am.  If I sleep well and wake up feeling rested and excited about the day, I write quickly and often more clearly.  

I can write any time of day.  I know there are folks that can't.  They have trouble waking up in the morning, or they feel too drained in the evening, or too sleepy after lunch ... I think in some ways if I had restrictions on when I could write, it might be easier to be consistent.  The more consistent I am about what time I sit down and write, the easier it is to make into a habit.  On the other hand, being able to write pretty much any time in any state means that it's easier to squeeze in some writing at oddball times, even when I'm on vacation or at a convention when the idea of keeping some sort of schedule or planning writing times is an exercise in frustration.  So, as always, being one kind of writer isn't an excuse not to write.  You just gotta, and the more often you write in accordance with what kind of writer you are, the more productive you'll be.  Just an observation.  And now, time to settle in for the night.  See y'all in the morning.

Yet another reason why I like Blogger, and birds

I tried a new feature on Blogger and I love it.  I'm pretty lazy, so given a chance to streamline things, including playtime, I take advantage of opportunity (provided it's easy.)  Hence auto deductions for most of our regular bills and writing first thing in the morning.

If you check out the sidebar you'll see the new blog list in action.  I especially like the blurbs feature.  I have some blogs on RSS that I check via email, but I like this Blogger feature better.  

Today I almost caught sight of the (assumed) lazuli bunting through the binocs several times.  This bird is beyond paranoid.  It's definitely a wham bam thank you ma'am type of birdfeeder visitor.  It zooms in, pecks, and leaves.  I despair of ever getting a pic of it, but maybe, eventually, I'll catch it sitting on a perch singing (apparently they do this periodically) and then I'll add it to the online collection.  

The mourning doves haunt the house constantly now.  I can't walk through my garden without flushing them.  They're ground feeders, and when they're disturbed they lay low and still in the hopes you won't notice them.  I imagine I've walked by plenty of times without flushing them and never known it, but several times a day I'll be minding my own business about the garden when the wild fluttering and rusty sounds erupt from the tall grass.  Once I've scared them off they perch nearby, watching me, and make mournful noises.  They may be trying to sound intimidating or at least aggravated, but instead they sound (as their name implies) like they're drowning in grief.  

Meanwhile our three hummingbirds have stepped up the warfare ever since some of their favorite flowers have begun blooming.  In a sane world, more resources available to a stable population=less conflict, but we're talking hummingbirds (and a not-very-sane world overall) here.  We've now become prime, highly desirable territory which means they're even more determined to harass each other and compete for everything.  They literally have a full acre of garden to divide, but they insist on perching within a few feet of each other and try to feed from the same plants or feeder at the same time instead of sneaking off and feeding while the others are distracted by the feeder or another region of the garden.  I guess this keeps their population fit.  I know I'd be a lot sleeker if I had to fight for my dinner.  

Hmm.  Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that.  It might give my DH ideas.

Let's Talk About People

If you haven't been over to Steve Barnes' blog lately you might take a peek, especially if you study human behavior, politics, or are simply interested in a good discussion.  One entry in particular generated 46 comments (at the time of this post.)  I went in for a swim as well as this one really resonated with me.  Steve gets me thinking about community, culture, and the complexities of managing real life on both a personal and macro-social scale.  

Steve also discusses health, writing, movies, all kinds of stuff.  It's definitely worth a few minutes of your time.  He steps on toes sometimes, but I feel that if there are too many things that become off limits because of fear of offending someone, there won't be room to explore.  There might not even be room to think.  As long as I feel secure that a person's intentions are good, I allow them the benefit of the doubt.  I think Steve has very good intentions.

I've been tagged in a blog game by Carissa of Writer in the Trenches fame.  I will discharge my duty to the average of my ability.

The rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you.
• Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.
• Post the rules on your blog.
• Share the seven (7) most famous or infamous people you have met. Or go with the original 7 weird things about yourself. Or with Sandra's change and list your 7 favorite writing websites. Lots of choices!
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.
• Include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

The only thing I'm iffy about is the tagging of the seven people.  I like games and all, but a lot of people don't like to be pestered with this sort of thing, and a large percentage of the people I know are this way.  I have some writing webpages on the sidebar, so I'll limit myself to pages I don't have in the side bar.

• Long Ridge Writers Group:  Most of the features on this page are free, including the chat room.  The stuff you pay for is legit and very worth it if you need help bringing your writing to a publishing level.  I know Mary Rosenblum and she's an amazing teacher.  She's also heavily published, disproving the theory that those who cannot do, teach.  I guess she could count as famous, too, sort of.  I don't have experience with the other instructors but I have a feeling they're also excellent.
• Preditors and Editors:  It tickles me that the appropriate title bugs the heck out of my husband because of the deliberate creative spelling.  A valuable resource.  Always, always check this page when marketing your work before you send it out.
• Agent Query:  Can you tell what I have on my brain?  The search function is particularly handy.  Double check agents at Preditors and Editors before you send out your work.
• 101 Reasons to Stop Writing:  I currently have one of their calendar pages as my desktop wallpaper.  It's Shakespeare with the following caption:  You will never be this good.  You're not even Titus Andronicus good, much less Hamlet good.  My twisted sense of the writing life meshes well with this page.
• At Last! Writer Beware Blogs:  A.C. Crispin and Victoria Strauss write about various scams aimed at writers.  Some people are despicable.  Read about them.  Sometimes the scammers discover mention of themselves on the page and attempt to defend their behavior.  That's even more fun.
• The Rejector:  He's a real superhero.  If I had to do his job, I think I'd go mad, mad I say, mad!  Thank goodness I'll only ever contribute to his problems.
• Viable Paradise:  I'm only putting this up to torture myself.  If anyone out there is trying to decide whether to burn a heap of money just to see the pretty colors or to just give it away to strangers, then hey, I'm a stranger ...  Someday, maybe, someday I'll be able to go.  And hey, New England.  Some place I never knew I wanted to see until I read about it.  

And now, I shall do some tagging.  Let's see if I get to seven:

• Coledust:  You've been tagged yet again.  It's good for you.  There are people checking your blog every day, hoping you'll post--I hope that encourages you rather than giving you a shiver of OMG leave me alone.  
• C.S. Cole:  You too are tagged twice.  You cannot resist the power of meme!
• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot:  I would have tagged his wife too but I think she wants to keep her blog quiet.  Not that a link here will give her a huge rush of traffic or anything, but you never know.
• The Story of Spaz:  I'm not sure my son will know how to play this game.  It'll be a learning opp, I guess.  I cringe to think what might come up if he wrote seven weird facts about himself.  I'm not sure I'm that brave.
• Chiron Training:  I doubt Rory will have the time even if he had the inclination, but you never know.  I know he doesn't care for this stuff, but on the other hand it's just me tagging him so he won't have to feel obligated.  He can just kiss me gently on the cheek and smile and I'll forget all about it.
• Life in the Land of the Rising Sun:  I can't even begin to guess which way he'll run with this.
• Interrupting Gelastic Jew:  The wonderful Snippy has  given me permission to inflict the game on her.  Yay!

Okay, that took much longer than I expected.  Don't have too  much fun out there, people.  Remember, safety first!

Relax

It seems I'm (hopefully temporarily) unable to post comments here. It might be the template making the comments window invisible, or some such, to my poor outdated Mac. I can see all that on other blogs, so it's just picking on me today for whatever reason.

It's an incredible, perfect day so naturally I'm working. It's a fasting day too so I decided to come home for lunch, hence my presence here. Driving home and back to work is one of those, well, I can't say it's a rare pleasure. But with warm wind rushing through the window, in control of a powerful machine that makes climbing the hill effortless and then zooming back down at speeds our ancestors couldn't even imagine except as flight on a magic carpet or a winged horse, listening to music and resting my legs during my work break has extra oomph. Plus, there's the walking around the garden part. That's always good. Waaaaaay better than sitting in a break room under flourescent lights smelling what everyone else is having for lunch, appetizing or not. How about this yucky comparison--it's like at work you have to hold it all in and then at home, finally, aaahhhhhhh, you can pee. Then life is good.

Then you can really relax.