I had such a fabulous experience yesterday speaking to a group of 7th and 8th graders who attend Cosgriff, a Catholic school here in Salt Lake City. Anyway, they'd all read LOSER'S GUIDE and were full of great questions about the book. (Side note here--author visits are just so much more effective when students have been prepped beforehand. This isn't just ego-driven-by-a-desire-to-sell-books talking here, but teachers shouldn't invite authors to speak to a class cold. It's so much more beneficial for the students if they've actually read something by said writer beforehand.)
Anyway. One of the kids asked which authors I admire most. Normally I would have rattled off names like M. E. Kerr and Madeleine L'Engle, who were important influences on me. But instead I said "Anybody who can finish writing a book, whether they publish it or not."
Writing a novel is hard. And if you've done it, you should congratulate yourself. My hat's off to you.
Oh lord yes to the "read the book ahead of time" school visit strategy.
ReplyDeleteAnd oh lord yes writing a book is hard.
Missed TKE party last night. Shopped out, needed rest!
I have never had the experience of talking to a group who had actually read my book. I can imagine it would be awesome and much easier than the school visits I have done.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Yes. Finishing a book=very very EXTREMELY hard.
THe end.
Yes! And each time doesn't get any easier. I speak from my very limited experience, of course :-)
ReplyDeleteI think I can see a light at the end of the tunnel...
That WOULD be so much easier to talk to a group that HAS read the book. Cool for you :-)
PS Your column on your dad and Twilight was a hoot.