Lots of folks are fascinated by the work habits of authors. Writing a novel is such a huge undertaking, how do authors make the leap to start one? How do they keep going?
Because it’s a solitary activity, quirks are bound to emerge.
The Wall Street Journal has a nice feature on some top authors and the strange ways in which they work. Nicholson Baker, writing about a poet, grew a beard and dressed up like his protagonist, then taped himself giving lectures in character. Junot Diaz sometimes hides in the bathroom to write, sitting on the edge of the tub with a notebook. Edwidge Danticat records herself reading her entire manuscript aloud, then rewrites the sentences that made her stumble. For the full story, click here.
I’ve developed my own system over 16 published books and a handful of unpublished failures. I write directly on the computer, working off an outline of the plot that usually runs around 30 pages. I spend as much time rewriting as I do writing the first draft, and print out the entire manuscript several times during the revisions. The whole process usually takes around eight months. I spend much of that time whining and muttering.
- Mark Your Calendars for next Wednesday, when Shasta College presents GIS Day 2009, a four-hour conference on geographic information systems. The FREE event at the Redding Library community room, which runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., will include experts talking about the latest in mapping technology and global positioning systems. On exhibit will be a gallery of maps generated with the technology. For more information and a schedule of events, click here.
- Winter weather is upon us here in Redding. We’re moving into a period of unsettled weather as one storm after another rolls into the Pacific Northwest. A mix of sunny, cloudy and rainy days for the next week or two, with highs in the 60s.
- The holiday film season is fast approaching, and Reuters has a nice roundup of coming movies here. Apparently, all the holiday movies star George Clooney.
- Did you see the story about the shutdown of the Large Hadron Collider, that giant physics experiment in Europe? The latest problem at the particle accelerator was caused when a bird dropped a piece of baguette onto some outdoor equipment, causing the machinery to overheat. I kid you not. Full story here.
- The Baguettes would be a good name for a doo-wop group.
Tips appreciated: Send news tidbits to steveb.anewscafe@gmail.com.
