Reflections on Author Crush Month

Author Crush month is so much fun. The authors we contact are all very gracious to give us a glimpse into their writing life. Truly, the authors we hosted last month were both entertaining and encouraging.

I get tickled when I think about our fascination with how writers work. What an odd profession when trainees, contemporaries, and even customers are interested in your day-to-day activities. Early morning or late at night? Dedicated office or coffee shop? Words per day or scenes per day?

Think about other professions. Are you interested in how your favorite hairdresser prepares her workstation for the day? Does she listen to music? Review the haircuts she crafted the day before? Is she simply satisfied that she color hair every day, or is she more concerned with the number of colors she does in a day? How about your mail carrier? Your plumber? I don’t see my husband staying up late reading blogs of his favorite engineers.

Yes, we are an odd bunch. And we love it. We love learning about our favorite authors and we crave any small tip that we can take and use for ourselves.

So, from the authors I invited to share, here are the gems I pulled from them:

Sarah Prineas—Binge writing. This is my kind of writing, especially when it comes to first drafts. First drafts are hard and they are nice to be over and done with. I am also fascinated with the writing workshop she attends (Blue Heaven). Would love to find one of these close to home.

Zilpha Keatley Snyder—Notebook Method. Although she no longer uses her two-column approach to outlining her chapters, I think it’s a great way to learn how to get all the info you planned into your chapter. For each chapter she divides a page and makes two columns: Action and Information. Action ensures that something happens in the chapter, and Information reminds you to move the story forward in bits and pieces.

Karen Cushman—I laugh with her at her procrastination routines. I like to call them preparation routines. I have my own as well and they help awaken my brain to the idea that it’s time to write. But most of all, from her I’ve learned to work on getting the voice right at the beginning. (Pick up a couple of her novels and read the first page. You’ll see what she means by getting the voice.) I think this will save a lot of reworking later on.

Lois Lowry—I loved hearing about her first (small) desk when she staked her claim indicating she was a writer. I similarly staked a claim and hope to one day look back with fond memories at my HP mini and my spot at the dining room table. I especially liked how she talked about how her current (large) desk is cluttered with a mix of work and reminders of her life. (We have to live, not just write!)

Liz Curtis Higgs—Wow, but does that woman do research! I like how she sets a scene for herself in her writing study with music, Earl Grey tea and all her Scottish mementos. But what struck me the most was this line:

…my goal is to climb inside my characters’ hearts and let them tell their story.–Liz Curtis Higgs

I need to print this out in a pretty script and stick it to my computer. What a wonderful way to describe the goal of a writer.

Ah, it has been a great month. Author Crush 2011 can’t get here fast enough for me.