novelist, failed writer, schmo
This video is based on my interview for The Rumpus with the fabulous Thaisa Frank. She said a lot of incredible things about the writing process during our conversation, but there was one particular thing about the “failure of the intended story” that really knocked me out. Let me know what you think…
Related Links:
You can find a list of all my videos here. And you can subscribe to my second-rate blog either by email or RSS.
In this first episode, I (pretend to) talk with Elizabeth McCracken about the challenge of writing when you’re not obsessed with your project.
Related Links:
To view all my videos, go to my main video page.
Consider subscribing to my second-rate blog either by email or RSS.
It’s been a tough month. A tough month with very little writing. A month of reading at bookstores around the west coast and doing interviews and doing a not-so-great job at publicizing the release of my novel. It is amazing how consuming even doing a bad job of publicizing a book can be. I can tell you that I’m not a natural at publicity. Follow my lame Facebook author page to get an idea. (I’m admittedly better at Twitter, but if you follow me on Twitter, you’ll learn more about my drinking and parenting problems than any book news.) Even though there have been plenty of moments this month when I want to hide in my attic and never confront humanity again, there have been some fabulous moments too, like when someone grabs me after a reading and says, “I made my husband read your book. He never reads fiction. But he loved this book… even the weird parts.” Those moments are worth a hundred hide-from-humanity moments (which gives you an idea of how many hide-from-humanity moments I’ve had lately)……
While I get my head on straight with how to proceed after this book tour, I wanted to share the video I used while on my book tour. I billed it as a “MAKING OF… VIDEO” for my book. It was my experiment at finding a fresh way to talk about a book while still keeping the audience entertained. It attempts to address one of the biggest questions I get about my book: What the hell is true and what is fiction? It also addresses another question I get a lot: How the hell did you piece this thing together? (I guess a lot of my questions have the word “hell” in them…)
Consider subscribing to my second-rate blog either by email or RSS. Or, to hell with my blog, just check out my book. Or, to hell with it all, never come back again.
I’ve had trouble knowing how to talk about my novel, especially outside of my immediate literary community. The thing is that it’s a story that readers from many realms could enjoy (which is what I tell myself while quietly weeping at night thinking about that reviewer who hated my book). But there are caveats. Caveats that I honestly had no great way to talk through. Until Kristen Forbes did it for me. In this post on her blog, she shares how she talks to her mother about my book:
“Let me just warn you,” I said to my mom after she professed a desire to not only read Yuvi Zalkow’s book A BRILLIANT NOVEL IN THE WORKS, but also to attend his reading at Powell’s… And then I brushed on some of the more risque elements of the book, things like ass cutting and spanking.
I’m kind of obsessed with people going through transition and how they talk about it. Not just because I’m mean and don’t want anyone to ever be stable, but because some big stuff bubbles up during these periods. And I’m struggling with my own transition as things wind down with my book tour and I try to figure out where the hell I’m going.
I’m sure if you look at it a certain way, everyone is going through transition — everything between birth and death is transition. But all metaphysical bullshit aside, there are these two friends and bloggers who I’m a little obsessed with right now. These are two totally different people in totally different realms. Both going through transitions. Please don’t tell them I’m obsessed… they might laugh and point. More so.
I know the book has already been floating around online and in bookstores, but today is the official release of my debut novel: A BRILLIANT NOVEL IN THE WORKS.
For one, I’d like to share with you the announcement by video (aka: I can’t help being pantsless any chance I get).
This round I have a short video with a bit of an update related to what’s been going on with me as my novel approaches the official August 14 launch date (along with, of course, the emotional baggage that goes along with any of my stories). I’ll let you watch the experience for yourself… A crying, drinking anteater can more effectively express the experience than any of my words.
West coasters: check out my event schedule to find out if I’ll be fumbling my way through a presentation at a bookstore near you. (ALSO! Note a few recent time changes on the calendar…)
And don’t forget my passive-aggressive method to get other bloggers to blog about fear and failure the week of August 14th.
And in other news: As former president George W. Bush once said, “Fool Yuvi into being a guest on your podcast once, shame on Yuvi; fool Yuvi onto the podcast twice, shame on you; three times and everyone should be ashamed about being a fool.” In other words, I had a great time on the “Mikes on Mics” podcast talking about the many layers to being “done” with a book. Check it out: Are We Done Yet? with Yuvi Zalkow.
And finally, a moment of respect for the great David Rakoff who died at the young age of 47 today.
Consider subscribing to my second-rate blog either by email or RSS.
Sorry for the quietness on this site. A little crazed this month. I’ll have a video (about a crying anteater and a bad book review) on August 11. My book officially releases on August 14. There will be more posts during the August 14 week… Also, I’ll be hiding under my desk from August 15 to 30 (though also on a little tour). And I’ll be at my therapist’s office from September 1st onward.
Don’t forget my passive-aggressive method to get other bloggers to blog about fear and failure the week of August 14th.
I’ve said before that I’m terrified about reading in public… especially this upcoming weekend in San Francisco where I’m reading with Cheryl Strayed to celebrate the release of her enormously beautiful new book TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS. I’ve also admitted to being scared of how people will review my book once it comes out on August 14. Even more than these two fears is my fear that I can’t tackle my next novel. Or that I won’t be able to figure out where to take my failed writer video series. I’m scared of failing on all these fronts. I’m not talking about one of those fakey failures where everything comes out just fine a week later and I’m better for it. I mean one of those big messy failures where I’m crushed by the disappointment of book #1 and I grow too disheartened to write book #2 or make any more videos. Or where I start drinking heavily instead of writing or my marriage gets really rocky due to my paralyzing self-loathing. Or something like that.
So when I showed my friend Michael Schechter an early version of this video, he said, “you are out of your mind.” Actually, he had a more colorful way to say it. Partly, this was because we had just sampled ten different beers at Hopworks Urban Brewery. But also, the original video made it sound like I was done making videos… so long, schmucks!
Check out the updated video and hopefully you’ll see that I’m not going anywhere far…
If you haven’t already, consider subscribing to my second-rate, self-conscious blog either by email or RSS.
