Goals Update:
Books read: 43
Words on WIP: 10,250
Submissions: 1
outstanding
Attending book events
is a relatively recent thing for me. I didn’t start going to conventions as an
attendee until my mid-twenties, and last year was my first time going to a show
as a vendor. I’d never been to a book signing.
Some of this is a
result of where I live. My city might be big for Alabama, but it’s not exactly
a giant metropolis. Book tours don’t frequently stop in my town, and I frankly
haven’t had a whole lot in the way of time to travel for something like a book
tour.
But, this past week, a
perfect opportunity arose.
I managed to make it to
the Nashville stop of the “Belles and Brujas” Tour. The tour is for a couple of
books that came out this year: THE BELLES by Dhionelle Clayton which came out
in February and BRUJA BORN by Zoraida Cordova which came out this month.
Throughout the tour, other authors have joined as guests. For the Nashville
stop, the guests included Julie Murphy (author of, among other books, RAMONA
BLUE which just barely missed my top five reads for 2017) and V.E. Schwab,
who’s got a long list of works that includes the book THIS SAVAGE SONG,
which I’ve mentioned here several times. (SEVERAL times.)
Going to this event was a huge deal for me.
These authors’ books have been some of the most captivating recent reads. And I
got the chance to listen to them talk. To meet them in person.
Obviously, one of the
benefits of going to this event was the swag.
 |
| Swaaaaaaag |
I got some books signed
and got some book-themed goodies. I’ve worn the RAMONA BLUE pin, like, every
day since I got it. And there’s something really cool about flipping open your
favorite book and seeing a message from its author to you, personally.
But what I really got
from this event—the most important swag I came home with—was a spark.
The book signing was
the last part of the night. Most of the event was a panel discussion with the
four authors. (If you’re interested in the content of the panel itself, Zoraida
Cordova has—or at least had—video of the whole thing on her Instagram:
@zoraidasolo.)
Listening to authors
talk about their work and why they do it is always fascinating. Everyone’s
process and reasons are different, and, since our work is shaped by our
contexts, getting insight to where different people are provides fresh
perspective to the words on the page.
One of the most
interesting questions that the authors took on during the panel was the
question of with whom or what their work is in dialogue. All four authors
talked about using their writing as a way of negotiating their own identities
and of making sure that the things that they couldn’t find in books as kids are
there for young readers now. They spoke about addressing problematic and
frustrating trends in the industry, breaking the patterns to show how a
different type of character or arc or archetype can carry a story and be
meaningful to readers.
All of the questions
were answered with thought and care, but this one, I think, brought out the
most passion. It was so wonderful to see authors who clearly care so much about
their work and its readers—and society in general.
Being around authors
and readers talking about their work and the dialogues surrounding it lit a
fire in my belly.
As was said during the
panel, so much of writing makes an island out of you. The work can be so
lonely. And, for me, I get so in my head. I love creating worlds and stories,
but my desire for perfection can start to pull me to pieces. Being around other
people who know the struggles, who care about their work, who have sat in front
of a page and just wanted to tear their hair out, helps me feel a little more
grounded.
I got to spend a couple
minutes talking to V.E. Schwab (and managed not to cry/pass out/throw up—good
job, me) about the struggles I’ve gone through with my space opera. When I told
her how much I appreciated the fact that she is open about the tumultuous
relationship she has with her own work, she said that part of the reason she
shares the struggles is because, when she started in the industry, there was no
transparency. That glossing over of the struggles, she said, can make people
feel like there’s a gulf of talent between them and the folks who have “made
it” when that’s not the reality.
I know that—have known that.
So many factors play into a person getting an agent, getting a book deal,
getting sales. Market demands. Agent preferences. Social climate. The phase of
the freaking moon.
But when it’s just you
and a screen or a page, it’s easy to forget that. To think that the reason that
your work still only lives on your flash drive or in your notebook is because
of you—because there’s some problem with you or your work or both.
Being around other
people who write and other people who care about books, hearing writers you
respect voicing some of the same insecurities that you experience makes the
whole thing less lonely.
I’ve been struggling to
get words on the page this year. Part of it was the whole
holding-four-jobs-at-once thing, but part of it was that I was feeling lost. I
had so many false starts. So many things about the book I love so much weren’t
working (and, to be fair, a lot of them still aren’t, but I’ve at least
convinced myself that it’s okay to let the thing breathe for a while).
I left the event Tuesday
night feeling buoyant. I felt hopeful. And, most importantly, I wanted to
write.
It’s still
slow-going—it usually is for me—but I’m making progress. I hit 10,000 words on
the WIP. I jotted down some skeletons for a couple of new short projects. I even
think I can go back to CANUS in a while and make it shine.
The tour event was the
refresher I needed. I’m back. I’m ready.
