Topics?
So I was asked to speak in June at a wine and cheese gathering at the local country club--a fundraiser for a library. When I speak to writers, I naturally gravitate to certain topics. Characterization. Breaking out of a rut. Making your manuscript stand out. Plot. Theme. Getting your hook in the manuscript early. Writers, I get.
But when you have a group assembled that is not comprised of writers, the topics shift. I have a few ideas . . . but . . . I would love to hear from you all--writers, readers, lurkers (you know who you are because you occasionally email me!), bloggers, etc. If you went to see an author speak, what would you want to hear about? If you went to see ME speak, what the heck would you want to learn?
Side note: Wine will be involved, so . . . that makes everything immediately more interesting.
Now . . . discuss!
Peace,
E
But when you have a group assembled that is not comprised of writers, the topics shift. I have a few ideas . . . but . . . I would love to hear from you all--writers, readers, lurkers (you know who you are because you occasionally email me!), bloggers, etc. If you went to see an author speak, what would you want to hear about? If you went to see ME speak, what the heck would you want to learn?
Side note: Wine will be involved, so . . . that makes everything immediately more interesting.
Now . . . discuss!
Peace,
E
Labels: speaking engagements, writing topics
posted by Erica Orloff at 9:50 AM
8 Comments:
Hey! Welcome home. Any Florida sunshine to spare?
Hmm wine-o's or would that be wine-e's? Let's go with connoisseurs,(:P) are frequently very up on the entire process of wine making from the grapes to the bottle, so setting might be a topic that stimulated all sorts of interesting questions. From the various books developed around vineyards--fiction and non-- to the myriad of wine regions.
The Niagara Peninsula, for instance, produces some lovely merlots. Not to mention our world famous ice wine. Yum...wanders off to see if there's a bottle to chill for later...
Hey Lainey:
I don't think I can talk about wine. LOL! Besides, most of my books feature martinis.
:-)
E
Hmmmm...I would want you to talk about READING in general. As in, "Can I get a show of hands the number of people who read on a regular basis? Magazines, websites, books, etc.?"
Inevitably, when I meet someone new, one of the questions that pop up is, "What are you reading right now?" And even if they answer with, "Oh, I don't have time to read!" I probe some more and find out that they read the Washington Post online. Or they read People magazine on a regular basis, but are just too embarassed to admit it.
I would love to hear an author speak about the joys of reading, not just books, but ANYTHING, and being proud of it. So what if your favorite reading material is US Weekly? Own it! Say it loud and proud! Hehe...can you tell I love reading US Weekly too?
karm:
Very interesting. It's funny, I read very, very few books. I read one fiction book each month for my book group, and I usually have two or three nonfiction books that I am reading at once--a chapter here, a chapter there. But I read ALL THE TIME. Constantly. Ninety percent of it is the NY Times, online web articles, news-related, and research for books. And when I want to relax, I read Vanity Fair or a magazine.
E
I find that people talk about their favorite TV shows very easily, but not so much their reading material. Maybe it's because there's just so many choices out there so that it's very hard to find common reading material between all the diversity.
karm:
I think it's a sense of shame sometimes--like some choices--romance or light reading--is less intellectual or worthy.
E
I guess you could start by debunking some of the myths about writers:
1) That we're all drunken degenerates and loners
2) That we're narccisstic (according to Norman Mailer), and at the same time extreme introverts
3) That we have some secret well to draw ideas from
4) That we're all jealous of Dan Brown's success
5) That we're all pretty much weirdos, just a half-step from being true sociopaths
Etc.
Wait a minute...
I guess most of those are actually true. :)
jude:
I'm as crazy as the next writer.
;-)
E
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