This might sound strange, but it was really comforting to hear your writer's doubts. Not because I'm writing (at the moment). But general life insecurity responses, you know, and somehow hearing about your five minutes talking to your selfie on camera and then all the god-my-writing-is-awful stuff ... somehow that made me want to get up and try again, because you were trying again
Heather, it's not strange--it's wonderful. That's exactly why I put it out there. And it makes me so happy that you felt you wanted to get up and try again. That's what we do! Every time, it gets a little better.
This video was a trip. I am lying in bed on Sunday morning feeling a bit sorry for myself with the broken arm and you made me smile so thank you. You also threw me by speeding it up. I always listen speeded up a bit so suddenly it went crazy and I wasn't looking at the screen so at that second so I thought TH-cam or my phone were having a meltdown. I have had writers comment a couple of times and found it quite disconcerting.
Aw, Ros. I'm very sorry to hear about your arm! I'm glad it made you smile as that's what I intended (and needed myself)--to lighten things up a bit. Ha, on the video speed. True confession: I usually listen to videos a faster speeds because I can watch more of them that way, so I can imagine I went to sounding like a chipmunk. I hope you have a lovely, restful Sunday.
Moments of Hilarity or Why I Love Priscilla’s Channel: 1. The ceiling shot. 2. The fast-talking. 3. The fairy lights fiasco. p.s. Moxie is sooo judgemental.
OMG I just got to your BookTube parody clip ... I feel even better now. Could you do another one where the BookTuber talks about a one star book or a DNF? You were hilarious
Ha, that was really just about me feeling insecure about doing reviews. They never come out sounding how I want them to sound. I think some people have taken it as though I was making fun of other booktubers, which wasn't my intention at all!
@@EveningReader Ah, I see. The reason I did not think you were doing a parody of yourself is because you have never been vague or stated the obvious. Sure, maybe struggled to put a particular concept or impression into words now and then, but that rings true with my own experience (aka first draft scripts)
How did you find your writers' group? I've been trying to persuade my husband to look for one or to explore AuthorTube.I'll tell him about The Shit No One Tells You podcast. That author thank you story is great! The "book review" was triggering as I taught 6th grade reading for 5 years. The Hunter! I finished it. I cut a big piece out of my Friday Reads where I accidentally said too much. The sped up section 😂. You should do a Goldilocks video - books that are too short, too long or just right. Friday Rants! I'm down for it. I hope you get great feedback from your group and have a great weekend!
Angelia, I found them through Meetup, which I knew nothing about until I moved here and someone suggested it to me. If I had known about it in Atlanta, maybe I would have had a group sooner, but this has been my first time in one that wasn't for a formal writing course. Other good ways: the writer Jami Attenberg runs a twice yearly event called #1000wordsofsummer, where people commit to writing a thousand words a day for ten days, and there's a Slack channel participants can join. Lots of people have found critique groups (in person and online) there. The last is NaNoWriMo, which can be a great way to find other local writers. I started The Hunter! Yay!
This was ultra satisfying. The parts of public reading I don't enjoy are stats analysis. And how freeing to just read the books you want to read when you want to. Did you ever hear the Squirrel Nuts Zipper song called La Grippe? That's definitely contagion-based. I'm glad you have a writing group you trust. Short books are fine but they sure don't make me feel that deepest attachment of a long saga. (Edited) How nice to get that author email. She was probably so happy to see what you said. Happy weekend!
Oh, I am NOT going to listen to that song. We watched the Barbie movie again last weekend, and I've spent an entire week trying to get some of those songs out of my head. I won't subject myself to another earworm! I hope your weekend is lovely!
Yes, at times it feels like the author was just rushed. But some books, like My Name Is Lucy Barton, are short and perfect. I worry that with focus on books being too long, writers/editors will spend less time asking what the story needs.
Thank you so much for posting this video, rather than sending it to oblivion. Loved watching you, listening to you, and reading your asides. Liene of Liene's Library gushed so about the Winkler book that I acquired it posthaste (I am also interested in the topic)--haven't started it yet though. Dame Judy Dench has a book coming out in April: Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent; I have pre-ordered it. Regards, Kay
Kay, thank you for these kind words! I watched Liene's review, too! It was wonderful. I was unaware of her channel before that (booktube really is huge) but am happy to have found it. I love Judy Dench and would love to hear what you think of her book.
The whole scenario surrounding the email you got was very sweet. Sometimes, author-BookTuber interface can get a little weird, as in a case Britta Bohler pointed to of another BookTuber with the author of _Memphis._ (The BookTuber in question didn’t even go negative but the author found something objectionable. 😂) Sorry if things are feeling sideways. 😢 😢
Revising and editing is the worst. Its like the punishment for all the fun and enjoyment you get from the actual writing just to keep you from getting too confident and happy with yourself. Keep going. You are making your book better. About trends in publishing, do you follow writer Michelle Schusterman on TH-cam. She is an established writer (middle grade) and ghostwriter whose writing advise I find to be really calming most of the time. About long books v short books, I think the trend towards shorter books is just a return to normal. When you think about the works of Wharton, Hemingway, Updike, Morrison, etc most of their books were in the 250-350 page range. Certainly Goodreads etc contribute to that. I don't do Goodreads or reading stats. Glad you posted this.
Brian, I am a bit of a masochist--I actually love revising and editing! I only wish I knew that all that work was actually making things *better* and not just *different*. Thanks for the rec of Michelle's channel. I will definitely check her out. That's an excellent point, too, about the book length. But I also think that those authors were never thinking about book length. They (and their editors) were just making their stories tight. It just feels like when it's a trend or a demand, it's less about the work and more about hitting a checklist item.
@@EveningReader I struggle with that same issue in revising and editing which I do not enjoy at all but do excessively. I think you will know when its better and when its worse. I'm sure you do this, but I make sure to number save each draft so I can always go back to a previous version. Also, one thing that has helped me a lot is having my word processing program read the ms too me. Hearing the text outside my one head really helps me find mistakes and focus on the way what I have written reads and sounds.
@@BookishTexan So. Many. Drafts. Plus my "dump" documents. I'm definitely going to try the voice program reading the draft! I can read it out loud but still feel like I know it too well.
@@EveningReader Oh gosh I'm so happy to hear you say that. I never think I quite do a book justice or I always realize I left something out. Funny how we can never see what others see in our efforts. We all think we are works in progress. I like how you take your time with your reviews. Its always clear that you've really thought about what you read and what you want to say.
Oh dear. I just bought ‘Outline your books or die!’ By Jim Driver. (And a couple of other books by Jim Driver). As I have a sort of illusion that I could write a decent short story. lol. Oh yes I had the writer of Film noirs and mini bars thank me for a review I did. He put a link to it in the email of his mailing list. Which I thought was cool.
Not an illusion! Go for it! I used Save the Cat Writes a Novel...I should have mentioned that! Very cool about the author thanking you. I hope you are well, Annie!
BTW, I am in that gap between finishing one novel and starting another. That buddy read of Amy & Isabelle you mentioned - is April still the best month for you?
@@EveningReader Ah right -- you know I get mixed up because TH-cam does not make all the comments visible in one place. I could not find my first ask about the buddy read and decided that I must have done something wrong when I posted it. Now I have seen them both. They look like evidence of senility
Speaking of stats, I’ve been wanting to increase the number of books by Dutch authors that I read. I just finished Jente Posthuma’s “What I’d Rather Not Think About” which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize. Of course, the first person I wanted to tell that I’d finished the book was you. Is it crazy that some random Canadian (me) wants you to know I’m making a foray into Dutch literature?😆
@@EveningReaderWho can resist a character who says, “By my 27th birthday, I had 142 sweaters, and it was high time I saw a therapist.”😄 It’s an interesting delve into sibling relationships; particularly those of a twin brother and sister. Yes, it’s good. I enjoyed it and I recommend it but I wouldn’t prioritize it if you have other books to read.
A book I think you might like.....Thunderclap by Laura Cumming I have received an email from Ann Patchett after I coontacted her after I read one of her books. II was shocked and escited to get her response. I enjoy your thoughts, humor, and taste in books. Thank you for trudging on!!! J.
I have Thunderclap on my TBR already, but I am very happy to hear your recommendation! Ah, if I got an email from Ann Patchett, even if I had written her first, I'd probably faint. Thank you for the kind words!
This might sound strange, but it was really comforting to hear your writer's doubts. Not because I'm writing (at the moment). But general life insecurity responses, you know, and somehow hearing about your five minutes talking to your selfie on camera and then all the god-my-writing-is-awful stuff ... somehow that made me want to get up and try again, because you were trying again
Heather, it's not strange--it's wonderful. That's exactly why I put it out there. And it makes me so happy that you felt you wanted to get up and try again. That's what we do! Every time, it gets a little better.
Hmmmm, okay,,,,You are hilarious. Signed, Your Mother
This video was a trip. I am lying in bed on Sunday morning feeling a bit sorry for myself with the broken arm and you made me smile so thank you. You also threw me by speeding it up. I always listen speeded up a bit so suddenly it went crazy and I wasn't looking at the screen so at that second so I thought TH-cam or my phone were having a meltdown.
I have had writers comment a couple of times and found it quite disconcerting.
Aw, Ros. I'm very sorry to hear about your arm! I'm glad it made you smile as that's what I intended (and needed myself)--to lighten things up a bit. Ha, on the video speed. True confession: I usually listen to videos a faster speeds because I can watch more of them that way, so I can imagine I went to sounding like a chipmunk. I hope you have a lovely, restful Sunday.
@@EveningReader a very charming chipmunk 😘
Moments of Hilarity or Why I Love Priscilla’s Channel:
1. The ceiling shot.
2. The fast-talking.
3. The fairy lights fiasco.
p.s. Moxie is sooo judgemental.
Same, I actually laughed out loud several times watching this 😂
@@colleenquinn8877😄
Yay!
Moxie is definitely so judgmental. When she's not busy judging me, she likes to sit in the front window and judge tourists.
@@EveningReaderI think many citizens of Amsterdam are doing the same. 😄
I’ve been surprised by an author in my inbox as well! It’s jolting 😂
Right! A brief moment of panic...
Hilarious! The fake review had me on the floor. The written commentary was fantastic. Love it!
Thanks, Heidi! It was fun to play around!
OMG I just got to your BookTube parody clip ... I feel even better now. Could you do another one where the BookTuber talks about a one star book or a DNF? You were hilarious
Ha, that was really just about me feeling insecure about doing reviews. They never come out sounding how I want them to sound. I think some people have taken it as though I was making fun of other booktubers, which wasn't my intention at all!
@@EveningReader Ah, I see. The reason I did not think you were doing a parody of yourself is because you have never been vague or stated the obvious. Sure, maybe struggled to put a particular concept or impression into words now and then, but that rings true with my own experience (aka first draft scripts)
I have difficulty getting out of my way too.
😂 I love your chats so thank you for turning on ‘video’ so we could hear it!
Those buttons are so tricky.
Love your rant video, especially the mock book review. More, please! 😄
Thanks!
How did you find your writers' group? I've been trying to persuade my husband to look for one or to explore AuthorTube.I'll tell him about The Shit No One Tells You podcast. That author thank you story is great! The "book review" was triggering as I taught 6th grade reading for 5 years. The Hunter! I finished it. I cut a big piece out of my Friday Reads where I accidentally said too much. The sped up section 😂. You should do a Goldilocks video - books that are too short, too long or just right. Friday Rants! I'm down for it. I hope you get great feedback from your group and have a great weekend!
Angelia, I found them through Meetup, which I knew nothing about until I moved here and someone suggested it to me. If I had known about it in Atlanta, maybe I would have had a group sooner, but this has been my first time in one that wasn't for a formal writing course. Other good ways: the writer Jami Attenberg runs a twice yearly event called #1000wordsofsummer, where people commit to writing a thousand words a day for ten days, and there's a Slack channel participants can join. Lots of people have found critique groups (in person and online) there. The last is NaNoWriMo, which can be a great way to find other local writers.
I started The Hunter! Yay!
@@EveningReader Thanks, Priscilla! I'll pass all of this on to Steven, who toils alone and should not.
I love you. You are so funny and authentic!
Thank you--that's very kind!
This was ultra satisfying. The parts of public reading I don't enjoy are stats analysis. And how freeing to just read the books you want to read when you want to.
Did you ever hear the Squirrel Nuts Zipper song called La Grippe? That's definitely contagion-based.
I'm glad you have a writing group you trust.
Short books are fine but they sure don't make me feel that deepest attachment of a long saga.
(Edited) How nice to get that author email. She was probably so happy to see what you said.
Happy weekend!
Oh, I am NOT going to listen to that song. We watched the Barbie movie again last weekend, and I've spent an entire week trying to get some of those songs out of my head. I won't subject myself to another earworm! I hope your weekend is lovely!
I am 100% here for Moxie giving you the side eye 😂
Yes, you can see why I'm less worried about what the internet thinks...how can that judgment be any worse than my own cat's?
@@EveningReader 😂
I have definitely noticed the trend toward shorter books, and I am not happy about it at all. It often feels lazy to me.
Yes, at times it feels like the author was just rushed. But some books, like My Name Is Lucy Barton, are short and perfect. I worry that with focus on books being too long, writers/editors will spend less time asking what the story needs.
Thank you so much for posting this video, rather than sending it to oblivion. Loved watching you, listening to you, and reading your asides. Liene of Liene's Library gushed so about the Winkler book that I acquired it posthaste (I am also interested in the topic)--haven't started it yet though. Dame Judy Dench has a book coming out in April: Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent; I have pre-ordered it.
Regards,
Kay
Kay, thank you for these kind words! I watched Liene's review, too! It was wonderful. I was unaware of her channel before that (booktube really is huge) but am happy to have found it. I love Judy Dench and would love to hear what you think of her book.
8:17 😂😂😂
The whole scenario surrounding the email you got was very sweet. Sometimes, author-BookTuber interface can get a little weird, as in a case Britta Bohler pointed to of another BookTuber with the author of _Memphis._ (The BookTuber in question didn’t even go negative but the author found something objectionable. 😂)
Sorry if things are feeling sideways. 😢
😢
Thanks, David. Just a wonky few weeks. I remember that whole Memphis controversy last year! Oof.
Revising and editing is the worst. Its like the punishment for all the fun and enjoyment you get from the actual writing just to keep you from getting too confident and happy with yourself. Keep going. You are making your book better. About trends in publishing, do you follow writer Michelle Schusterman on TH-cam. She is an established writer (middle grade) and ghostwriter whose writing advise I find to be really calming most of the time. About long books v short books, I think the trend towards shorter books is just a return to normal. When you think about the works of Wharton, Hemingway, Updike, Morrison, etc most of their books were in the 250-350 page range. Certainly Goodreads etc contribute to that. I don't do Goodreads or reading stats. Glad you posted this.
Brian, I am a bit of a masochist--I actually love revising and editing! I only wish I knew that all that work was actually making things *better* and not just *different*. Thanks for the rec of Michelle's channel. I will definitely check her out.
That's an excellent point, too, about the book length. But I also think that those authors were never thinking about book length. They (and their editors) were just making their stories tight. It just feels like when it's a trend or a demand, it's less about the work and more about hitting a checklist item.
@@EveningReader I struggle with that same issue in revising and editing which I do not enjoy at all but do excessively. I think you will know when its better and when its worse. I'm sure you do this, but I make sure to number save each draft so I can always go back to a previous version. Also, one thing that has helped me a lot is having my word processing program read the ms too me. Hearing the text outside my one head really helps me find mistakes and focus on the way what I have written reads and sounds.
@@BookishTexan So. Many. Drafts. Plus my "dump" documents. I'm definitely going to try the voice program reading the draft! I can read it out loud but still feel like I know it too well.
I loved your book review parody.
Thanks, Sarah. Your reviews are always so smooth and thoughtful. I aspire to that but never feel like I'm hitting the mark.
@@EveningReader Oh gosh I'm so happy to hear you say that. I never think I quite do a book justice or I always realize I left something out. Funny how we can never see what others see in our efforts. We all think we are works in progress. I like how you take your time with your reviews. Its always clear that you've really thought about what you read and what you want to say.
Oh dear. I just bought ‘Outline your books or die!’ By Jim Driver. (And a couple of other books by Jim Driver). As I have a sort of illusion that I could write a decent short story. lol.
Oh yes I had the writer of Film noirs and mini bars thank me for a review I did. He put a link to it in the email of his mailing list. Which I thought was cool.
Not an illusion! Go for it! I used Save the Cat Writes a Novel...I should have mentioned that! Very cool about the author thanking you. I hope you are well, Annie!
Moxie❣️🤗
Keeping me grounded...
I love your channel
Thank you!
Hilarious.
BTW, I am in that gap between finishing one novel and starting another. That buddy read of Amy & Isabelle you mentioned - is April still the best month for you?
Yes, April is great. Answered over on your channel as well.
@@EveningReader Ah right -- you know I get mixed up because TH-cam does not make all the comments visible in one place. I could not find my first ask about the buddy read and decided that I must have done something wrong when I posted it. Now I have seen them both. They look like evidence of senility
@@heathereads Not at all!
Speaking of stats, I’ve been wanting to increase the number of books by Dutch authors that I read. I just finished Jente Posthuma’s “What I’d Rather Not Think About” which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize. Of course, the first person I wanted to tell that I’d finished the book was you. Is it crazy that some random Canadian (me) wants you to know I’m making a foray into Dutch literature?😆
MJ, this is just about the coolest thing ever. I LOVE that you want to let me know! (Also, was it any good? Should I read it?)
@@EveningReaderWho can resist a character who says, “By my 27th birthday, I had 142 sweaters, and it was high time I saw a therapist.”😄
It’s an interesting delve into sibling relationships; particularly those of a twin brother and sister. Yes, it’s good. I enjoyed it and I recommend it but I wouldn’t prioritize it if you have other books to read.
@@MJ-in-Canada As someone with 142 sweaters at an age when I should know better, I think this one is definitely going on the TBR.
came looking for your latest video and noticed my comment disappeared for this video! How does that happen!
I don't know! I wondered where you were! 😊
Interesting. I give this video 3.25 stars.
Ha! Fair enough!
Yeah ... Friday rants ... it could work. Thank goodness you didn't choose to keep this video to yourself, that's what I say
Thanks, Heather! I wasn't sure about it at all...I'm glad you liked it!
A book I think you might like.....Thunderclap by Laura Cumming I have received an email from Ann Patchett after I coontacted her after I read one of her books. II was shocked and escited to get her response. I enjoy your thoughts, humor, and taste in books. Thank you for trudging on!!! J.
I have Thunderclap on my TBR already, but I am very happy to hear your recommendation! Ah, if I got an email from Ann Patchett, even if I had written her first, I'd probably faint. Thank you for the kind words!