I do a lot of talking on this thing sometimes.
But tonight I sat down at the computer and couldn’t think of anything to talk about. I’ve said my piece about worldbuilding for the moment, I put out Nine Flash Nine, I don’t have any appearances or conventions to spruik and there’s not much I can say about Raven’s Blood right now than that I’m busily writing it.
So I thought it might be interesting to turn things around for once and ask you guys a few questions – about this site, about what you’re doing, about whether I still look dead sexy despite turning 42 in a couple of weeks.
No need to answer that one. I know I look good, as this recent photo will attend.
But my slightly-sunburned features aside, here are a few things I’m wondering about. This would be a great time for any of y’all to leave a comment or two, ‘cos lord knows I don’t get enough people weighing in on things after I’ve left one of my usual walls o’ text.
What kind of posts on here have you found interesting?
Little self-aggrandizing, I know, but it’d be good to know what entries have really clicked with people. I know the Oxford comma and costs-of-publishing posts got a lot of feedback. Were there others that maybe flew under the radar?
What sort of thing would you like me to write about in future?
Sort of the same question as before, but in the other direction. Are there topics worth revisiting? Should I write more about grammar, or put up more flash fiction? Are there new topics that you cannot wait to read me dropping some ‘wisdom’ (ahem) upon?
What’s happening with your own writing?
Okay, enough about me. What have you been doing? What can you share with the class? Have any of you been working through my 2013 to do list?
What’s your opinion of book trailers?
Does anyone watch these? Are they useful? What do they need to include to make you want to read the book? I’m kinda dubious on them, but people make ’em and watch ’em, so I should probably think about ’em some more.
Do you use any book/library social media sites?
I’m on Goodreads, which I use a wee bit as a writer (including my experiment with ads) but probably more as a reader, and even then I only use bits of it. What about you? Goodreads? LibraryThing? Something else? Do you find those sites useful, and if so, how?
Have you tried reading ebooks on different devices?
I have a Kindle (although not a sexy PaperWhite) and I like reading on it just fine, but occasionally I wonder whether a Nook or a tablet would provide a superior experience. Have any of you done the comparison? What did you find?
Where do you go for book reviews?
I really don’t know where to look for reviews these days – there are so many sites and so many voices that it’s hard to know who to listen do. So where do you go? Who do you rely on? Do you bother with reviews at all?
What books are you excited about right now?
There’s gotta be something lighting a fire in your head right now, either because you’ve just started it and it’s great or because you know it’s coming and you can’t freakin’ wait for it to arrive. So what’s it called, and why is it awesome?
Drop me a line, peoples. Throw them answers out there and get me to work.
5 replies on “So what’s up with you?”
‘morning.
I’m one of those terrible people who occasionally comes to your blog if I see your tweet at the time. So I’m not a ‘regular’. I’ve appreciated the honesty in your posts though, as some writers keep their cards close to their chest – you’ll only hear about the successes.
My own writing, as you know, is going slower than I’d like. I hit 10k words on the story I’m working on, and will struggle to make my target by the end of March. I need to be writing twice as much as I have been. But hey, I just killed off my main character, which is sorely needed in a zombie detective novel.
Book trailers – terrible. Usually poorly done, which just turns me off full stop.
Book/library social media sites – Nope.
ebook readers – No, I’m still stuck in print. I venture into ebooks very rarely, if necessary, via the kindle app on my iPad.
Book reviews – amazon only, generally if I’m considering buying/reading. Sometimes I’ll google for newspaper reviews.
Excited – I’m not really – is that sad? I’ve got a big pile of unread books to get through, but I’m spending my free time writing, not reading. I haven’t read a book since early January. My next read will probably be The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.
What kind of posts on here have you found interesting?
I suppose I like it when your posts have a thesis that they explore in a structured way. Sometimes you have a strong thesis but you ramble a little off topic and conclude with a cat picture, other times it’s just a random assemblage of thoughts, but when you have a strong idea that is explored in a coherent manner I always feel satisfied.
What sort of thing would you like me to write about in future?
I suppose since my main interaction with you is while roleplaying, which is a sort of freestyle, open storytelling within a structure, and so many of your posts about long-form writing runs counter to that style, I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on the interaction of the two different storytelling types, where there is crossover and where there is not.
What’s happening with your own writing?
Ah, what’s the 2013 to-do list again?
What’s your opinion of book trailers?
I have only watched a few but I find them a bit confusing. I suppose they make sense but I’d rather read a summary or a review or something.
Do you use any book/library social media sites?
I have been trying to get more into Goodreads. I think it’s a great idea and I’ve been using it for the reviews, but wonder if the scores mean anything at all- they all seem to wash out between 3-4 stars.
Have you tried reading ebooks on different devices?
I use the kindle app, which allows me to switch between my iPhone, my iPad, and my desktop, with page syncing across each. I very frequently read a paper copy of the same book (which does not have page-syncing!) but on my most recent reading endeavour (Middlemarch) I have moved to completely digital, because it lets me read in the dark.
Where do you go for book reviews?
I used to mainly rely on amazon but now largely rely on Goodreads.
What books are you excited about right now?
I’m really keen to get a biography of David Bowie but it’s difficult to determine which is the ‘best’.
I suppose I like it when your posts have a thesis that they explore in a structured way.
Those are my favourite posts too! But they’re also the ones that take the most time and work – often several days worth of compiling and sorting out ideas before finishing the post.
Which doesn’t mean they should be rarities. It just means I need to organise my time and ideas better.
Hmm. Maybe a post on time management…
I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on the interaction of the two different storytelling types, where there is crossover and where there is not.
That… that is a pretty good idea. Hmm.
* What kind of posts on here have you found interesting?
Anything that offers an insight into the writing process (particularly the thought process going into the world building of Raven’s Blood).
* What’s happening with your own writing?
I’m puttering along – still struggling for sheer output needed on the novel. Occasionally I have flashes where new exciting ideas and writing happens. Have recently had some activity on some short stories.
* Do you use any book/library social media sites?
Presently only Goodreads, though not with any significant amount of use.
* Have you tried reading ebooks on different devices?
Only one – a Kobo app on my dodgy Android phone. Only onto my second book.
* Where do you go for book reviews?
I rarely do. I’ll hunt down books through word of mouth, favourite authors or simply going into a bookshop.
* What books are you excited about right now?
Gun Machine, by Warren Ellis is the next book I’m looking forward to reading. Otherwise I recently read Red Country, by Joe Abercrombie, which was an excellent mash up of western and fantasy.
Nichole read Gun Machine in Shanghai and enjoyed it, but we left it behind in the hotel’s library. Must get myself a copy.