Which isn’t exactly a mind-blowing revelation, given that much of the United States is going through a mini-ice age at the moment. But it is cold, and I’m wrapped in a blanket with my laptop and a cup of hot tea, thinking about my book and the best way to reinvigorate the opening. Related to that, I found an interesting interview with Guy Ritchie about the making of Sherlock Holmes, which is somewhat relevant (I think) to telling a good hot (and sweaty) story:
This is my pitch, alright: “Start slow and build.” But I’ve never been able to do it. I just start fucking quick and try to remain fucking quick. I love the idea of having a little more courage, saying “Fuck it,” and just going with it. But what can I say? That’s the way I’m playing the game at the moment.
Over at PBW, there are some links to ten great writing opportunities, and here’s an article from the NYTimes about “books you can live without.” Right. That’s funny. Getting rid of books? Like Joshua Ferris says:
Get rid of books? Are you kidding? The only reason anyone should get rid of a book is if they’re going for that Japanese minimalist design look in which the room is all white and not even the drawers are visible. For those of us with more modest decor goals, living everyday lives with clutter and old clothes, cats and children, sour towels hanging from the rack, knickknacks, pilled throws, boring old mementos, what could be more essential than books?
I’ve gotten rid of books before, but only when they’re so damaged there’s no hope of recovery. I confess to also shedding one non-fiction book (written about a particular paranormal phenomena) that so creeped me out, I couldn’t stand to have that book in the house. But, obviously, that’s rare.
I’ve been asked what I think about e-books, the Kindle, etc—and as a book collector, a person who loves nothing more than to run my fingers over the spines of novels, and breathe in the paper—of course I prefer the ‘real thing’. But let’s be blunt: it’s the words that matter, and the words don’t change whether you’re holding an e-tablet—or paper. You’re still getting the story, the experience—and frankly, who cares what format it’s in? It’s personal preference, convenience. Heck, with the Kindle (which I love) I can bring an entire library with me when I travel to China, or even buy books there via Amazon, download them to my computer, transfer them to the device…and voila! That’s fantastic! If you love to read, it’s a dream come true to slip a library into your purse or backpack. You’ll never be without a book.
Are these e-readers perfect? Not by any means. Will they replace physical books as we know them? That remains to be seen. I’m not losing sleep over it. Folks are reading. And if e-readers make it easier for people to access books they might normally never see, or if it makes reading cool—then hooray for all of us.
(this doesn’t address certain Publisher-related issues, but that’s a whole other ball of yarn)