Ned Vizzini's Blog, page 3
December 24, 2011
Against "Bullying"
I love English. It's a fascinating mutant stew, constantly incorporating and breeding new words to keep healthy, and I figured I would never have to advocate against any of them.
But "bullying" has gotten ridiculous.
[ New York Daily News, 12-22-11]
When I was a kid, there was no such thing as "bullying." There were "bullies," and they looked like this:
These bullies, who could be found all over TV and film, were brutish teenage villains who made fun of smart teenage heroes. They were easy to spot because they always made fun of the heroes for being themselves -- for being shy, or for liking guys, or for liking girls.
And they didn't stop with words: they hit, spat, and threw things.
Now, when I actually met people in my childhood who made fun of me for being myself (and threw things at me), my brain went, Ah! That's a bully! It was almost as if I'd met them before. And thanks to The Wonder Years, and Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories From Wayside School, and especially George Orwell's "Such, Such Were The Joys", I knew that there were two ways to deal with bullies:
Fight back. Pretend you're in prison and go for the bully's throat to show that you're not scared, to make the bully respect you.
Endure. Pretend that the bully's words and physical attacks aren't getting to you and wait for the bully to forget about you. (This will take at least one year -- and possibly until you graduate whatever institution you're trapped in.)
Generally I endured bullies; occasionally I fought back. But in all my dealings with them, I never thought "I am being bullied" or "I am a victim of bullying." I thought, "This is just like in the stories, and we know who wins in the end."
But as the bullies around me weakened and dispersed in the late 1990s, the term "bullying" grew stronger.
It originated in England, which makes sense if you read "Such, Such Were The Joys," with this book published in 1989:
Still in print today, Bullying in Schools acknowledges the term's coeval obscurity --
"Bullying is the most malicious and malevolent form of deviant behaviour widely practiced in our schools and yet it has received only scant attention from national and local authorities."
-- and posits that prior research was limited to Scandinavia:
"The Scandinavian research tradition can be dated back to 1969 when a Swedish doctor of medicine wrote a semi-popular article about a phenomenon which he named 'mobbing' (Heinemann, 1969)... He describes the phenomenon [as] violence directed against an individual who has disturbed the group's ordinary activities."
The book goes on to set the foundation for bullying as we know it today. In 1992, the term appears in the international journal Disability & Society ; for much of the decade it is recognized as a workplace issue, with books such as Bullying in Sight (1996) offering ways to combat "Flame mail, bullying by e-mail, 'spamming'... and 'cyberstalking'".
But in the 2000s, as the children of Gen X hit school, bullying takes off as pop psychology, and now it's everywhere.
Now parents can get scared of it on "20/20" and "ABC News." Now kids can watch black belts teach them how to deal with it in "Bully 911". Now you can engage in Girl Wars and Bullyproof Your Child For Life . (Do you want to? Really? How do you expect them to deal with life if they can't deal with Wayne?)
I can't help but wonder how the bullies feel about all this -- they might feel great, or they might feel a little ripped off, because they're robbing people for chump change while the bullying experts get to appear on TV.
I understand that cyberbullying is a new phenomenon and needs to be addressed -- but cyberbullying doesn't feel like bullying to me. It feels closer to slander, with its ability to instantly reach millions of people and leave a stain forever. As such it should be dealt with in court -- and it is.
The way to deal with bullying is simpler:
Teach every student in America about 1-800-SUICIDE.
It's run by Hopeline; it's national; it's been used 5 million times; it's an easy number to remember. Kids should be taught it as a basic: "If you see someone really hurt, call 911; if you feel like you want to really hurt yourself, call 1-800-SUICIDE." Every time I read about Tyler Clementi typing "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry." on his Facebook wall I wonder, why didn't he call a hotline?
Then again, maybe he didn't like to use the phone. So it's good that Facebook has this new feature that lets you chat with a counselor if you post something that a friend flags as "harmful behavior → self-harm." It's sponsored by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is just as good as 1-800-SUICIDE but has a less memorable number (1-800-273-TALK).
I know this is a sensitive issue, because people who run afoul of bullies sometimes kill themselves, but ultimately, suicide is a decision made by the person who takes his or her own life. We can't possibly protect all the nice, smart heroes of the world from what the bullies do. If you're any kind of decent human being, growing up you will be ridiculed for what you are and what you aren't. You will be called gay; you will be called stupid; you will be called ugly; you will have your racial heritage mocked. There's no way around it. If it gets bad, call a hotline.
We don't need to make the bullies any more powerful by giving them a noun.
But "bullying" has gotten ridiculous.
[ New York Daily News, 12-22-11]
When I was a kid, there was no such thing as "bullying." There were "bullies," and they looked like this:
These bullies, who could be found all over TV and film, were brutish teenage villains who made fun of smart teenage heroes. They were easy to spot because they always made fun of the heroes for being themselves -- for being shy, or for liking guys, or for liking girls.
And they didn't stop with words: they hit, spat, and threw things.
Now, when I actually met people in my childhood who made fun of me for being myself (and threw things at me), my brain went, Ah! That's a bully! It was almost as if I'd met them before. And thanks to The Wonder Years, and Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories From Wayside School, and especially George Orwell's "Such, Such Were The Joys", I knew that there were two ways to deal with bullies:
Fight back. Pretend you're in prison and go for the bully's throat to show that you're not scared, to make the bully respect you.
Endure. Pretend that the bully's words and physical attacks aren't getting to you and wait for the bully to forget about you. (This will take at least one year -- and possibly until you graduate whatever institution you're trapped in.)
Generally I endured bullies; occasionally I fought back. But in all my dealings with them, I never thought "I am being bullied" or "I am a victim of bullying." I thought, "This is just like in the stories, and we know who wins in the end."
But as the bullies around me weakened and dispersed in the late 1990s, the term "bullying" grew stronger.
It originated in England, which makes sense if you read "Such, Such Were The Joys," with this book published in 1989:
Still in print today, Bullying in Schools acknowledges the term's coeval obscurity --
"Bullying is the most malicious and malevolent form of deviant behaviour widely practiced in our schools and yet it has received only scant attention from national and local authorities."
-- and posits that prior research was limited to Scandinavia:
"The Scandinavian research tradition can be dated back to 1969 when a Swedish doctor of medicine wrote a semi-popular article about a phenomenon which he named 'mobbing' (Heinemann, 1969)... He describes the phenomenon [as] violence directed against an individual who has disturbed the group's ordinary activities."
The book goes on to set the foundation for bullying as we know it today. In 1992, the term appears in the international journal Disability & Society ; for much of the decade it is recognized as a workplace issue, with books such as Bullying in Sight (1996) offering ways to combat "Flame mail, bullying by e-mail, 'spamming'... and 'cyberstalking'".
But in the 2000s, as the children of Gen X hit school, bullying takes off as pop psychology, and now it's everywhere.
Now parents can get scared of it on "20/20" and "ABC News." Now kids can watch black belts teach them how to deal with it in "Bully 911". Now you can engage in Girl Wars and Bullyproof Your Child For Life . (Do you want to? Really? How do you expect them to deal with life if they can't deal with Wayne?)
I can't help but wonder how the bullies feel about all this -- they might feel great, or they might feel a little ripped off, because they're robbing people for chump change while the bullying experts get to appear on TV.
I understand that cyberbullying is a new phenomenon and needs to be addressed -- but cyberbullying doesn't feel like bullying to me. It feels closer to slander, with its ability to instantly reach millions of people and leave a stain forever. As such it should be dealt with in court -- and it is.
The way to deal with bullying is simpler:
Teach every student in America about 1-800-SUICIDE.
It's run by Hopeline; it's national; it's been used 5 million times; it's an easy number to remember. Kids should be taught it as a basic: "If you see someone really hurt, call 911; if you feel like you want to really hurt yourself, call 1-800-SUICIDE." Every time I read about Tyler Clementi typing "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry." on his Facebook wall I wonder, why didn't he call a hotline?
Then again, maybe he didn't like to use the phone. So it's good that Facebook has this new feature that lets you chat with a counselor if you post something that a friend flags as "harmful behavior → self-harm." It's sponsored by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is just as good as 1-800-SUICIDE but has a less memorable number (1-800-273-TALK).
I know this is a sensitive issue, because people who run afoul of bullies sometimes kill themselves, but ultimately, suicide is a decision made by the person who takes his or her own life. We can't possibly protect all the nice, smart heroes of the world from what the bullies do. If you're any kind of decent human being, growing up you will be ridiculed for what you are and what you aren't. You will be called gay; you will be called stupid; you will be called ugly; you will have your racial heritage mocked. There's no way around it. If it gets bad, call a hotline.
We don't need to make the bullies any more powerful by giving them a noun.
November 8, 2011
Flowers Keep Clinging to My Head
August 31, 2011
October 26, 2011
October 29, 2011
These blue blossoms they have in LA are really tenacious. Does anyone else have this problem? Meanwhile, in more serious news:
"Goodreads | Book giveaway for Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen by James Lowder Oct 28-Nov 15, 2011"
The anthology I contributed to about The Walking Dead is now in stores! And if you feel lucky, you can attempt to win it as part of this Goodreads contest:
The book is also available at Amazon and B&N. Enjoy it. My essay is about Ayn Rand and zombies.
"Patrice Evans's 'Negropedia' Sorts Out the Racial Landscape - The Daily Beast"
A new article written by me! All about Patrice Evans and his excellent first book:
"Shortly after President Obama's inauguration, I saw a television commercial for Popeyes starring its new spokeswoman Annie the Chicken Queen. I thought perhaps I was watching Saturday Night Live..." [more]
"IKOAFS Art Made By Readers and Fans of the Film - a set on Flickr"
I continue to be impressed with the talent of people who make book- and film-related art:
Keep it coming. If you get the art to me, I will put it in the Flickr set, as the "reader artwork" section of the website is getting full!
There's a lot more going on these days but nothing I can talk about quite yet, so stay tuned!
October 17, 2011
My Castle of...
Earlier this year I was driving late at night in New York City (the best time) and I put on the radio and heard static. But this wasn't normal static, this was the static of a band called Darvulia--
[image error]
--who create some of the "Black metal, dark hardcore, modern "noise," occult-kosmische electronics, soundtracks, and horrorscapes™" on the My Castle of Quiet radio show.
I listened, stunned, for about 20 minutes and then picked up over the internet when I came back to CA. The show is hosted by Wm. Berger, who starts every program by playing the theme to the 1979 horror film Zombie , but sometimes gets impatient and skips through the CD so you hear it digitally sped-up before he takes the mic and complains about cassette tapes, the word "kvlt" , and how far he has to go into Queens to see bands like Decimus.
The appeal of the music is that it contains such wretched bursts of noise that listening to three hours of it is a challenge, but always rewarded by the horror movie trailers and experimental quiet pieces. After listening for three weeks, I even considered getting a turntable so I could listen to black metal on vinyl --
-- but my wife and I have an infant in the house and this would not be a good influence. Our jack-o-lantern, which Sabra has named the "Jack-O-Wolf," is scary enough.
Jack-O-Wolf 2011
Anyway, My Castle of Quiet is asking for money this month!
Now I'm going to basically have to give some money.
Uncle Tumba Issue #1 Sale
Speaking of giving money, I am selling issues of my Uncle Tumba comic at a SPECIALLY DISCOUNTED RATE FOR HALLOWEEN 2011 (which according to Etsy will last until February 2012):
$1.00
At this special price I can ship for free but only to the US. 9 copies remaining.
Uncle Tumba is featured in my essay "Forced March" in Teen Angst? Naaah... .
I Love Bad Movies
I do. Now that I work in Hollywood it's difficult for me to name them, but sometimes a bad movie can have one or two great ideas in it that good movies rarely approach.
Steven Seagal, Out for Justice - Gino vs Richie (Finale)
But I also love I Love Bad Movies, the zine that I contributed to with a piece on Attack of the Clones. Featuring essays on films as diverse as Demolition Man and The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, the series consistently delivers.
$5.00
"The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers » Ask a Writer: Self-publishing & Choosing a Cover"
I answer a question about how book covers are chosen.
"Children's Literature at Cambridge: Twenty-first century implications for the implied author"
Be More Chill has never before been accorded the honor of epitextual (meaning auto-critical) analysis.
Today's Reader Email #1
From Kat, Shelby & JuJu in Tampa, FL:
Dear Ned Vizzini,
We are 13 years old and we are huge fans of your books. It's Kind of a Funny Story is still by far one of the best books that you have written.
In fact, you were one of the many authors that inspired us to start writing a book ourselves. We have written almost 20 chapters so far and have settled on the title Sisters of the Dawn. We would like to ask for you to take a look at our site. It can be found at fighting4dawn.weebly.com. If you read it, please give us your honest opinion, whether it is good or bad.
Okay so I checked out this site. It is a series of short stories written by different narrators (each handled by a different writer). First I clicked on the preface. This is the preface:
"It is time."
See! That's good writing. Concise!
Today's Reader Email #2
From Jenni in Morris, MN:
I'm hoping that I am among the first lucky five to contact you via any means necessary in order to buy this miracle demo tape of yours.
The demo speak that Jenni speaks of is Crap (And Lots Of It), the casette recorded by my short-lived band Wormwhole in 1994 and never played on My Castle of Quiet. The demo has been posted on YouTube and you can enjoy it there for free!
Today's Reader Email #3
From Blake in Litchfield, IL:
I read Its Kind of a Funny Story and watched the movie. I loved it and cant get enough of it. I was wondering if you were planning on making a sequel or an expansion. That would be super awesome.
That's an interesting idea and honestly a new one on me -- an expansion to a book. Not a sequel, an expansion. I'm sort of wondering how a book can be expanded. I guess besides turning into a movie it could become a video game. But honestly I don't think I can make an IKOAFS sequel or expand it any more than it already is bloated by my web site.
As always, thank you very much for your correspondence and godspeed into the digital aether.
[image error]
--who create some of the "Black metal, dark hardcore, modern "noise," occult-kosmische electronics, soundtracks, and horrorscapes™" on the My Castle of Quiet radio show.
I listened, stunned, for about 20 minutes and then picked up over the internet when I came back to CA. The show is hosted by Wm. Berger, who starts every program by playing the theme to the 1979 horror film Zombie , but sometimes gets impatient and skips through the CD so you hear it digitally sped-up before he takes the mic and complains about cassette tapes, the word "kvlt" , and how far he has to go into Queens to see bands like Decimus.
The appeal of the music is that it contains such wretched bursts of noise that listening to three hours of it is a challenge, but always rewarded by the horror movie trailers and experimental quiet pieces. After listening for three weeks, I even considered getting a turntable so I could listen to black metal on vinyl --
-- but my wife and I have an infant in the house and this would not be a good influence. Our jack-o-lantern, which Sabra has named the "Jack-O-Wolf," is scary enough.
Jack-O-Wolf 2011
Anyway, My Castle of Quiet is asking for money this month!
Now I'm going to basically have to give some money.
Uncle Tumba Issue #1 Sale
Speaking of giving money, I am selling issues of my Uncle Tumba comic at a SPECIALLY DISCOUNTED RATE FOR HALLOWEEN 2011 (which according to Etsy will last until February 2012):
$1.00
At this special price I can ship for free but only to the US. 9 copies remaining.
Uncle Tumba is featured in my essay "Forced March" in Teen Angst? Naaah... .
I Love Bad Movies
I do. Now that I work in Hollywood it's difficult for me to name them, but sometimes a bad movie can have one or two great ideas in it that good movies rarely approach.
Steven Seagal, Out for Justice - Gino vs Richie (Finale)
But I also love I Love Bad Movies, the zine that I contributed to with a piece on Attack of the Clones. Featuring essays on films as diverse as Demolition Man and The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, the series consistently delivers.
$5.00
"The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers » Ask a Writer: Self-publishing & Choosing a Cover"
I answer a question about how book covers are chosen.
"Children's Literature at Cambridge: Twenty-first century implications for the implied author"
Be More Chill has never before been accorded the honor of epitextual (meaning auto-critical) analysis.
Today's Reader Email #1
From Kat, Shelby & JuJu in Tampa, FL:
Dear Ned Vizzini,
We are 13 years old and we are huge fans of your books. It's Kind of a Funny Story is still by far one of the best books that you have written.
In fact, you were one of the many authors that inspired us to start writing a book ourselves. We have written almost 20 chapters so far and have settled on the title Sisters of the Dawn. We would like to ask for you to take a look at our site. It can be found at fighting4dawn.weebly.com. If you read it, please give us your honest opinion, whether it is good or bad.
Okay so I checked out this site. It is a series of short stories written by different narrators (each handled by a different writer). First I clicked on the preface. This is the preface:
"It is time."
See! That's good writing. Concise!
Today's Reader Email #2
From Jenni in Morris, MN:
I'm hoping that I am among the first lucky five to contact you via any means necessary in order to buy this miracle demo tape of yours.
The demo speak that Jenni speaks of is Crap (And Lots Of It), the casette recorded by my short-lived band Wormwhole in 1994 and never played on My Castle of Quiet. The demo has been posted on YouTube and you can enjoy it there for free!
Today's Reader Email #3
From Blake in Litchfield, IL:
I read Its Kind of a Funny Story and watched the movie. I loved it and cant get enough of it. I was wondering if you were planning on making a sequel or an expansion. That would be super awesome.
That's an interesting idea and honestly a new one on me -- an expansion to a book. Not a sequel, an expansion. I'm sort of wondering how a book can be expanded. I guess besides turning into a movie it could become a video game. But honestly I don't think I can make an IKOAFS sequel or expand it any more than it already is bloated by my web site.
As always, thank you very much for your correspondence and godspeed into the digital aether.
September 21, 2011
Reality, Teen Wolf, and Reader Email
One of the great things about reality TV is that you don't need to watch it to understand it. I've only seen five minutes of "Jersey Shore" and that was enough to enjoy "Jersey Shoresical", the rock opera by Daniel Franzese & Hanna LoPatin that had its New York run extended following the Fringe Festival. Similarly, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" doesn't even need to be Googled to be understood -- so I was surprised this month when it became a voice for suicide prevention.
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Review | TV Reviews and News | EW.com
Real househusband Russel Armstrong, who I remember looking freaked out, like he wanted to be alone, in a Vegas clip in season 1, killed himself in August. Producers cut him out of the currently airing season 2 and are airing suicide-prevention public service announcements during the show's commercial breaks on Bravo.
The result is a surprising victory for mental health. While only one anti-suicide PSA runs per "Real Housewives" episode, it's this rousing "We've Been There" spot sponsored by National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
That's lot better than showing a depressed person staring out a window, or having a cloud over his or her head, or suddenly tending a greenhouse. The post-suicide "Housewives" roundtable was also better than expected: one husband admitted that he sometimes feels suicide is "a very selfish act," an opinion I wouldn't expect to make it to TV.
I came to "Real Housewives" expecting Armstrong to suffer the double indignity of killing himself in public and then being erased from the show that stressed him out enough to make him kill himself. Instead it turns out he was a profligate abuser who might've ended up dead whether he was on TV or not, but whose act is raising awareness for everyone who faces the same choice.
And the best part is, to understand this, I only had to watch half an episode.
In non-reality related television news, I am writing for season 2 of MTV's "Teen Wolf"! I'm very very excited about this. I loved season 1. But one complication is that I can no longer wear my "Teen Wolf" t-shirt:
See, If I wear this shirt I'm kind of like the guy who wears a Weezer shirt to a Weezer concert, but worse. So I'm giving it away. Please note that it is signed by the cast (at Comic-Con 2011, where I wore it proudly):
So, if you want it, please comment on this blog entry. The first person to comment and claim it will get the shirt. I'll be in touch to get your mailing address. Good luck!
Ned & Sabra at the Voice Awards | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The Voice Awards, Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, 8/24/11. My wife is awesome.
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers » Submitting a Cover or Query Letter
As part of the "Ask Ned" feature, I answer a question about cover vs. query letters.
The World Premiere of Kabulitis by Keith Anwar at Chicago's Polarity Ensemble Theatre
Post-high school, I played with a band called The New Mexikans. (Gabriel Marin, ex-Mexikan, is now with Consider the Source, who tour internationally.) That's me on the right:
And on the far left is Brian Anwar, who sang and who's a damn good writer. His father, Keith Anwar, is having his play performed in Chicago this fall:
"Keith had time to do a final rewrite of the script after the Festival, and then a sudden and aggressive liver cancer took his life. Keith was a talented and generous man, and his play stands as testament to the depth of his soul. We miss him terribly. Kabulitis gives us an intimate look into the life of an American woman married to an Afghani man." [more]
If you live in the area, go see it! R.I.P. Keith and hey Brian.
Today's Reader Email (Expanded Edition)
I have some reader email backed up, so I'm answering in one fell swoop! That doesn't mean I don't appreciate it.
From Nicholas in Lake Forest, CA:
what do you think would be the best way to promote your books at my school? I don't know anyone who read them besides my brother and sister, and I want others to read them too (although Be More Chill does have some things that some people at my school might not be mature enough for [Middle school]), because I would like you to visit my school but I don't think it's worth your time to visit a school where no one knows who you are.
The best way to promote a book is still to tell people about it, face to face, over a hot beverage.
If I can get anyone to read your books would you be willing to come out to orange county (southern California) to just talk about yourself?
I live in Southern California and I would be happy to come and speak at your school about turning personal experience into writing. To book me at your middle school, send your teacher here.
Your new book is called The Other Normals? I found something saying that, but I can't find it now. Also, where can I find out what it's about?
Yes, the new book is called The Other Normals. It comes out in fall 2012 and all publicly releasable information about it is here!
From to Patrick in Linwood, NJ:
I finished your book It's Kind of a Funny Story this summer, and I was just curious of the reason why Bobby was in Six North. I also watched the film version of your novel, which tells of Bobby's issues with suicide. However, I do not remember Bobby have that problem in your book. I thought he had problems with drugs. I recall him saying that him and Johny were "garbage-heads". So, why exactly was Bobby in Six North?
In the IKOAFS book, Bobby and Johnny are a pair, and they are both in the hospital because of past history as "garbage-heads" as you observed. In the film, Bobby is a bigger character, and he's there because of his suicide attempts. I based Bobby off the guy who gave me a tour when I entered the hospital, who really did wear a "Marvin the Martian" sweatshirt. I never knew what he was in for.
From Stephanie in Chile:
I wondering if your books (specially It's Kind of a Funny Story) were translated into Spanish, I don't speak English and is so hard for me to read it. I hope you understand this message, my grammar is not good.
Stephanie your grammar is fine. Unfortunately none of my books are currently available in Spanish. I am working to correct this. Stay tuned in Chile.
From Elizabeth in Arvada, CO:
I am so intrigued by your characters, especially Noelle and Craig. How did you come up with [these] characters?
Craig is based on me. I took an experience that I had when I was 23 and gave it to a 15-year-old. Noelle is just a made-up person. I gave her the traits that I wanted to discover, but did not, in girls I knew in high school. Then I added scars.
What inspired you to write as a suicidal teenager?
I didn't write IKOAFS when I was a teenager; I wrote it in my 20s. What inspired me to write it was fear and desperation.
Oh - and the song in the movie, when Craig is drawing the maps? I loved it... Even though you probably had nothing to do with choosing it.
The song is "Intro" by The xx and I had nothing to do with choosing it. You can learn more the IKOAFS soundtrack here.
I would really appreciate it if you wrote me back, helping me with the how-to's of character development and plot line.
The most basic thing is to love your characters. You have to love them or no one else will. Once you have characters that you love, try to put them in a love triangle. I have more writing advice here.
From Anthony in Elvira, OH:
I know you might not do this kind of thing but could I get your autograph?
Yes, you can have my autograph. The easiest way to do it is to send me a book to sign. If you're light on postage you can just send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I'll send you a signed bookplate.
Corey from an undisclosed location:
Interested to know how you felt about The Walking Dead as I saw that you're in some book about it.
I do indeed have an essay in the upcoming book Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen :
[image error]
My essay is about Rick Grimes and Ayn Rand so it's sure to rouse some opinions. I love the comic and I am very interested to see what kind of numbers season 2 of the show pulls.
Samantha from Pullman, WA:
How might I come into possession of a German translated copy of "It's Kind of a Funny Story"? I'm learning the language, and I figure if English books have expanded my vocabulary, why not try the same in German?
I do have one copy of IKOAFS in German, but it's one of the few books I like to keep around the house because it looks impressive:
So I can't send it to you. But you can purchase it from Amazon.de!
Thanks for reading. Happy fall, everyone.
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Review | TV Reviews and News | EW.com
Real househusband Russel Armstrong, who I remember looking freaked out, like he wanted to be alone, in a Vegas clip in season 1, killed himself in August. Producers cut him out of the currently airing season 2 and are airing suicide-prevention public service announcements during the show's commercial breaks on Bravo.
The result is a surprising victory for mental health. While only one anti-suicide PSA runs per "Real Housewives" episode, it's this rousing "We've Been There" spot sponsored by National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
That's lot better than showing a depressed person staring out a window, or having a cloud over his or her head, or suddenly tending a greenhouse. The post-suicide "Housewives" roundtable was also better than expected: one husband admitted that he sometimes feels suicide is "a very selfish act," an opinion I wouldn't expect to make it to TV.
I came to "Real Housewives" expecting Armstrong to suffer the double indignity of killing himself in public and then being erased from the show that stressed him out enough to make him kill himself. Instead it turns out he was a profligate abuser who might've ended up dead whether he was on TV or not, but whose act is raising awareness for everyone who faces the same choice.
And the best part is, to understand this, I only had to watch half an episode.
In non-reality related television news, I am writing for season 2 of MTV's "Teen Wolf"! I'm very very excited about this. I loved season 1. But one complication is that I can no longer wear my "Teen Wolf" t-shirt:
See, If I wear this shirt I'm kind of like the guy who wears a Weezer shirt to a Weezer concert, but worse. So I'm giving it away. Please note that it is signed by the cast (at Comic-Con 2011, where I wore it proudly):
So, if you want it, please comment on this blog entry. The first person to comment and claim it will get the shirt. I'll be in touch to get your mailing address. Good luck!
Ned & Sabra at the Voice Awards | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The Voice Awards, Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, 8/24/11. My wife is awesome.
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers » Submitting a Cover or Query Letter
As part of the "Ask Ned" feature, I answer a question about cover vs. query letters.
The World Premiere of Kabulitis by Keith Anwar at Chicago's Polarity Ensemble Theatre
Post-high school, I played with a band called The New Mexikans. (Gabriel Marin, ex-Mexikan, is now with Consider the Source, who tour internationally.) That's me on the right:
And on the far left is Brian Anwar, who sang and who's a damn good writer. His father, Keith Anwar, is having his play performed in Chicago this fall:
"Keith had time to do a final rewrite of the script after the Festival, and then a sudden and aggressive liver cancer took his life. Keith was a talented and generous man, and his play stands as testament to the depth of his soul. We miss him terribly. Kabulitis gives us an intimate look into the life of an American woman married to an Afghani man." [more]
If you live in the area, go see it! R.I.P. Keith and hey Brian.
Today's Reader Email (Expanded Edition)
I have some reader email backed up, so I'm answering in one fell swoop! That doesn't mean I don't appreciate it.
From Nicholas in Lake Forest, CA:
what do you think would be the best way to promote your books at my school? I don't know anyone who read them besides my brother and sister, and I want others to read them too (although Be More Chill does have some things that some people at my school might not be mature enough for [Middle school]), because I would like you to visit my school but I don't think it's worth your time to visit a school where no one knows who you are.
The best way to promote a book is still to tell people about it, face to face, over a hot beverage.
If I can get anyone to read your books would you be willing to come out to orange county (southern California) to just talk about yourself?
I live in Southern California and I would be happy to come and speak at your school about turning personal experience into writing. To book me at your middle school, send your teacher here.
Your new book is called The Other Normals? I found something saying that, but I can't find it now. Also, where can I find out what it's about?
Yes, the new book is called The Other Normals. It comes out in fall 2012 and all publicly releasable information about it is here!
From to Patrick in Linwood, NJ:
I finished your book It's Kind of a Funny Story this summer, and I was just curious of the reason why Bobby was in Six North. I also watched the film version of your novel, which tells of Bobby's issues with suicide. However, I do not remember Bobby have that problem in your book. I thought he had problems with drugs. I recall him saying that him and Johny were "garbage-heads". So, why exactly was Bobby in Six North?
In the IKOAFS book, Bobby and Johnny are a pair, and they are both in the hospital because of past history as "garbage-heads" as you observed. In the film, Bobby is a bigger character, and he's there because of his suicide attempts. I based Bobby off the guy who gave me a tour when I entered the hospital, who really did wear a "Marvin the Martian" sweatshirt. I never knew what he was in for.
From Stephanie in Chile:
I wondering if your books (specially It's Kind of a Funny Story) were translated into Spanish, I don't speak English and is so hard for me to read it. I hope you understand this message, my grammar is not good.
Stephanie your grammar is fine. Unfortunately none of my books are currently available in Spanish. I am working to correct this. Stay tuned in Chile.
From Elizabeth in Arvada, CO:
I am so intrigued by your characters, especially Noelle and Craig. How did you come up with [these] characters?
Craig is based on me. I took an experience that I had when I was 23 and gave it to a 15-year-old. Noelle is just a made-up person. I gave her the traits that I wanted to discover, but did not, in girls I knew in high school. Then I added scars.
What inspired you to write as a suicidal teenager?
I didn't write IKOAFS when I was a teenager; I wrote it in my 20s. What inspired me to write it was fear and desperation.
Oh - and the song in the movie, when Craig is drawing the maps? I loved it... Even though you probably had nothing to do with choosing it.
The song is "Intro" by The xx and I had nothing to do with choosing it. You can learn more the IKOAFS soundtrack here.
I would really appreciate it if you wrote me back, helping me with the how-to's of character development and plot line.
The most basic thing is to love your characters. You have to love them or no one else will. Once you have characters that you love, try to put them in a love triangle. I have more writing advice here.
From Anthony in Elvira, OH:
I know you might not do this kind of thing but could I get your autograph?
Yes, you can have my autograph. The easiest way to do it is to send me a book to sign. If you're light on postage you can just send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I'll send you a signed bookplate.
Corey from an undisclosed location:
Interested to know how you felt about The Walking Dead as I saw that you're in some book about it.
I do indeed have an essay in the upcoming book Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen :
[image error]
My essay is about Rick Grimes and Ayn Rand so it's sure to rouse some opinions. I love the comic and I am very interested to see what kind of numbers season 2 of the show pulls.
Samantha from Pullman, WA:
How might I come into possession of a German translated copy of "It's Kind of a Funny Story"? I'm learning the language, and I figure if English books have expanded my vocabulary, why not try the same in German?
I do have one copy of IKOAFS in German, but it's one of the few books I like to keep around the house because it looks impressive:
So I can't send it to you. But you can purchase it from Amazon.de!
Thanks for reading. Happy fall, everyone.
August 22, 2011
Fading Away
Nevermind's 20th anniversary on September 21, 2011 means that a lot of people are going to be writing about Nirvana. They should be writing about Devo.
[Devo in Anaheim, 8/5/11]
Nirvana covered Devo's "Turnaround" in concert and in studio sessions. Kurt Cobain said it was Devo's best song. It's certainly a great song. But Devo has better ones -- and some of them are on an album they put out last year.
[Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Devo: Something For Everybody]
Something For Everybody was the best release of 2010. (The only albumbetter was East Bay Grease's full-length, which wasn't released until this year on two separate albums.) After a 20-year haitus, during which time Mark Mothersbaugh made the theme to "Rugrats", the post-punks from Akron came back with a slab of electro powered by Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails) that dared to celebrate the sameness of everyday life and growing old.
I saw Devo in concert in Orange County in August. I was one of the younger people in the crowd. (I'm 30.) Devo was selling their hats from the "Whip It" video in red and blue varieties (marketed as "energy domes"). People sported the vintage red ones and new blue ones in equal amounts. About 5% of the crowd was under 25.
Devo ripped through all the songs that I fell in love with on their Greatest Hits album from1990. By the end of the night my wife and I heard "Jocko Homo," "Girl U Want," and "Whip It," as well as three choice new cuts. (Complete setlist here.)
[Devo in Anaheim, 8/5/11]
When I left the concert, I wondered what Nirvana would think of it. Kurt famously plagiarized Neil Young's "It's better to burn out than to fade away" for his suicide note, but all these notions of youth and rock music go back to The Who's "I hope I die before I go old." In Devo, I saw people who I'm glad didn't die.
Mark Mothersbaugh blinked once during the entire concert. He jumped in the crowd. He put on a mask and sang in falsetto as "Booji Boy." He stuck Doritos in his pants and threw them at the audience ("Freedom of Choice"). He didn't look like someone who had faded away. He looked like someone who had gotten away -- with the last laugh.
"Ned Vizzini & 'The Girl Who Was On Fire' At Comic-Con - Hunger Games"
Thanks to HungerGamesMovie.org for posting about my signing at Comic-Con this year!
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Mīkė (that's right) in Tampa, FL.
Will there be your other two books besides "it's kind of a funny story" on iBooks soon?
Mīkė, I wish I could tell you when Be More Chill and Teen Angst? Naaah... will be available on assorted e-book formats. However, I have no control over this. The best I can do is pester people and tell them that people like you are looking for the books and hope that they make the call. So I'm going to do that now! Thanks for your support.
A small note: since mid-2008, this blog has been bi-monthly. Starting this month I'm going monthly because of the many projects I'm involved with, not the least of which is my son Felix. So this will be the only entry for August and the next will come in September. If you have problems, talk to Felix.
[Devo in Anaheim, 8/5/11]
Nirvana covered Devo's "Turnaround" in concert and in studio sessions. Kurt Cobain said it was Devo's best song. It's certainly a great song. But Devo has better ones -- and some of them are on an album they put out last year.
[Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Devo: Something For Everybody]
Something For Everybody was the best release of 2010. (The only albumbetter was East Bay Grease's full-length, which wasn't released until this year on two separate albums.) After a 20-year haitus, during which time Mark Mothersbaugh made the theme to "Rugrats", the post-punks from Akron came back with a slab of electro powered by Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails) that dared to celebrate the sameness of everyday life and growing old.
I saw Devo in concert in Orange County in August. I was one of the younger people in the crowd. (I'm 30.) Devo was selling their hats from the "Whip It" video in red and blue varieties (marketed as "energy domes"). People sported the vintage red ones and new blue ones in equal amounts. About 5% of the crowd was under 25.
Devo ripped through all the songs that I fell in love with on their Greatest Hits album from1990. By the end of the night my wife and I heard "Jocko Homo," "Girl U Want," and "Whip It," as well as three choice new cuts. (Complete setlist here.)
[Devo in Anaheim, 8/5/11]
When I left the concert, I wondered what Nirvana would think of it. Kurt famously plagiarized Neil Young's "It's better to burn out than to fade away" for his suicide note, but all these notions of youth and rock music go back to The Who's "I hope I die before I go old." In Devo, I saw people who I'm glad didn't die.
Mark Mothersbaugh blinked once during the entire concert. He jumped in the crowd. He put on a mask and sang in falsetto as "Booji Boy." He stuck Doritos in his pants and threw them at the audience ("Freedom of Choice"). He didn't look like someone who had faded away. He looked like someone who had gotten away -- with the last laugh.
"Ned Vizzini & 'The Girl Who Was On Fire' At Comic-Con - Hunger Games"
Thanks to HungerGamesMovie.org for posting about my signing at Comic-Con this year!
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Mīkė (that's right) in Tampa, FL.
Will there be your other two books besides "it's kind of a funny story" on iBooks soon?
Mīkė, I wish I could tell you when Be More Chill and Teen Angst? Naaah... will be available on assorted e-book formats. However, I have no control over this. The best I can do is pester people and tell them that people like you are looking for the books and hope that they make the call. So I'm going to do that now! Thanks for your support.
A small note: since mid-2008, this blog has been bi-monthly. Starting this month I'm going monthly because of the many projects I'm involved with, not the least of which is my son Felix. So this will be the only entry for August and the next will come in September. If you have problems, talk to Felix.
July 24, 2011
Geek Nirvana
Can I really explain the Geek Nirvana that is Comic-Con? I can try. And HotterInHollywood.com is helping me.
This is my first year at Comic Con. The great thing about Comic Con is that if you wait in line, you will be treated well. You don't have to know anyone; you don't have to have an "in"; as long as you plan and get in that line, you will meet the people you want to meet. And while you're on line, you'll probably have a great conversation.
I have a Comic Con event Sunday, July 24, at 10:30am, at the Smart Pop booth, B-4, in the small press section of the San Diego Convention Center by the guy selling steampunk. Editor Leah Wilson and I will sign The Girl Who was on Fire and I will also sign any other books of mine that you show up with!
Leah Wilson, plus contributor Ned Vizzini
Signing The Girl Who Was on Fire
Sunday – 10:30 – 11:30 AM [more]
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Kaleia in Anthem, AZ.
Regarding your squip campaign for Be More Chill, I was wondering why the campaign was shut down and all of the websites were deleted. I've been searching for them because this is something that truly fascinates me. So... any insight?
Kaleia, the squip campaign was an immersive viral marketing art project coordinated by me and Adam Collett in 2004-2005, in conjunction with the release of Be More Chill.
The idea behind the campaign was to invent websites that made it seem that the squip -- the pill that makes you cool in Be More Chill -- was a real product you could buy. We invented 30 websites and flooded Google. For a short time in the history of the internet, if you Googled "squip," you found yourself in this strange web of sites from an altenate universe: sites like GetSquip.com and squippersagainstsquips.org, and my personal favorite, "Celebrity Squip."
These sites do not exist anymore. They may be on the Wayback Machine. The campaign is best encapsulated by this video:
The Squip Video
(only for the truly awesome)
Why were the sites shut down? Because I was very depressed and unstable in my life at this time and I could not keep up with the personal and legal demands of managing an imaginary universe.
I'm sorry if you miss the squip campaign, but the glory of it is captured in that video, and some of the original squippers are still on "The Nedboards".
In terms of whether or not there will ever be another squip campaign, I defer to Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age) on his old band Kyuss:
"The offers come in all the time. They're getting more and more expensive, and more and more elaborate. The money is crazy, but I've never been tempted - I don't really care about the money, I never have.... It's not what it was, it's what it is, and Kyuss was a really magical thing and if you weren't there, well, you weren't. That's just the luck of the draw." [more]
But that doesn't mean I didn't love it.
This is my first year at Comic Con. The great thing about Comic Con is that if you wait in line, you will be treated well. You don't have to know anyone; you don't have to have an "in"; as long as you plan and get in that line, you will meet the people you want to meet. And while you're on line, you'll probably have a great conversation.
I have a Comic Con event Sunday, July 24, at 10:30am, at the Smart Pop booth, B-4, in the small press section of the San Diego Convention Center by the guy selling steampunk. Editor Leah Wilson and I will sign The Girl Who was on Fire and I will also sign any other books of mine that you show up with!
Leah Wilson, plus contributor Ned Vizzini
Signing The Girl Who Was on Fire
Sunday – 10:30 – 11:30 AM [more]
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Kaleia in Anthem, AZ.
Regarding your squip campaign for Be More Chill, I was wondering why the campaign was shut down and all of the websites were deleted. I've been searching for them because this is something that truly fascinates me. So... any insight?
Kaleia, the squip campaign was an immersive viral marketing art project coordinated by me and Adam Collett in 2004-2005, in conjunction with the release of Be More Chill.
The idea behind the campaign was to invent websites that made it seem that the squip -- the pill that makes you cool in Be More Chill -- was a real product you could buy. We invented 30 websites and flooded Google. For a short time in the history of the internet, if you Googled "squip," you found yourself in this strange web of sites from an altenate universe: sites like GetSquip.com and squippersagainstsquips.org, and my personal favorite, "Celebrity Squip."
These sites do not exist anymore. They may be on the Wayback Machine. The campaign is best encapsulated by this video:
The Squip Video
(only for the truly awesome)
Why were the sites shut down? Because I was very depressed and unstable in my life at this time and I could not keep up with the personal and legal demands of managing an imaginary universe.
I'm sorry if you miss the squip campaign, but the glory of it is captured in that video, and some of the original squippers are still on "The Nedboards".
In terms of whether or not there will ever be another squip campaign, I defer to Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age) on his old band Kyuss:
"The offers come in all the time. They're getting more and more expensive, and more and more elaborate. The money is crazy, but I've never been tempted - I don't really care about the money, I never have.... It's not what it was, it's what it is, and Kyuss was a really magical thing and if you weren't there, well, you weren't. That's just the luck of the draw." [more]
But that doesn't mean I didn't love it.
July 4, 2011
The Triumph of Trade Shows + 7 Links
I fear trade shows; I find them depressing: passing all those sad little booths manned by two people from one company you've never heard of, looking up eagerly hoping you'll be the person to actually stop and look at the junk they're pushing... and even worse, being the creator of that junk, a lone author in a booth, yelling at passerby:
"Hey! Here's my book! I wrote it! Please buy it! Hello?"
I have done that at several trade shows. Hopefully I won't have to this month, when I go to Comic-Con 2011:
At Comic-Con, Smart Pop Books will give away 50 advance print galleys of their November 2001 release Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen . I have an essay in this anthology (about Walking Dead hero Rick Grimes and Ayn Rand) and will sign galleys on Thursday, July 21 at 3pm, along with Triumph's editor, award-winning author and anthologist James Lowder, plus fellow contributors Scott Kenemore and Steven Schlozman.
The signing and giveaway will take place at the Smart Pop booth, B-4, in the San Diego Comic-Con exhibit hall. Here is more info.
I hope this will be my best trade show ever. (It'll be my first Comic-Con.) I know it'll be better than BEA in New York, 2005 (where I picked up a galley of Rick Moody's The Diviners that I'm very pissed not to have anymore -- best galley cover ever). There, I signed copies of Be More Chill in a booth next to Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon.
Here's tip: don't sign books next to Paolini. He's a a nice guy but it's like opening for Zeppelin. I signed a half-dozen books while he had people lined up back to the Bronx.
One person who'd be extremely excited for Comic-Con is Perry Eckert. He is the hero of my new book The Other Normals. It will be published by HarperCollins in fall 2012. The book is complete and if you come to Comic-Con booth B-4 on 7/21/11, I'll tell you all about it.
Read Along Wednesday: "Reality Hunger" | HungerGamesDWTC.net
Triumph of The Walking Dead isn't the first collection from Smart Pop that I contributed to. My essay in The Girl Who Was on Fire , about the Hunger Games, gets a nifty analysis and some study questions in this feature from popular fansite Down with the Capitol.
Don Calame's top 10 funny teen boy books | Children's books | guardian.co.uk
Thanks very much to author Don Calame for selecting Be More Chill as the #7 funny teen boy book in The Guardian. This almost makes up for The Guardian calling the It's Kind of a Funny Story film "kind of a rubbish story."
Junk Talk Interview with Ned Vizzini, author of It's Kind of a Funny Story « Junk Talk
Junk Talk interviews me about my recently rediscovered DIY high-school comic, Uncle Tumba, which is now available on Etsy for the low, low price of $2 with free shipping!
Exercise for Depression
Courtesy my mother, this is an overview of the benefits of exercise versus medication for treating depression. Anyone who's ever been depressed knows that exercise is a good thing (the problem is that it's hard to motivate yourself when you want to die), but this piece was striking because of the study discussed:
"Consider a case-crossover study published in the March 15, 2011, issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. It examined 24,214 patients who had suffered a stroke to see whether there was a relationship between prior antidepressant use and the development of stroke. Antidepressant use in the two weeks before the stroke was associated with a 48 percent higher stroke risk." [more]
Almost 25,000 patients! That's a sizeable study. Do antidepressants cause strokes? I'm not sure, but a lot of influential studies on mental health involve hundreds or even dozens of patients. I wonder who sponsored this study; considering that it came down against antidepressants it can't have been the pharmaceutical industry (and I don't think the exercise industry is that organized or rich), so my inclination is to trust it.
Tell & Sell Your Story
If you missed the chance to come to Austin, TX for South By Southwest on March 12, 2011, you're in luck. Complete audio from my SXSW panel, "Tell & Sell Your Story", is now available here:
Give Us Money: "The Dried Tomato"
A new story from the Barnes & Noble Teen Writing Workshop is up on our online literary journal, Give Us Money . If you are interested in seeing your own work in the journal, come to the next B&N Workshop on July 29th at 5pm, in Brooklyn, NY (run by Sarah MacLean) or Glendale, CA (run by me).
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Nick in Waco, TX.
Hello
I have a strong appreciation for your writing, and I was interested to know if you write with any sort of outline while you're working on a book. If so, how much time do you tend to put in to them? I've always thought outlines seemed awfully daunting.
Nick, I have not outlined any of my books. My policy is just to start writing and see where the characters go. This is why it's important to come up with great characters. (I talk about how to come up with characters here.)
It sounds like a cliche, but if you come up with good enough characters, the characters will sort of dictate the plot to you because they will want to do things with (and to) one another that are blessedly beyond your control as a writer.
That said, I do have a general idea where a book is going when I start it. I knew that Be More Chill was going to be about a kid who got a pill that made him cool before I invented Jeremy Heere and the other characters and set them loose.
Also, when I work on TV and film projects with my writing partner Nick Antosca out here in Los Angeles, we outline everything. I think that's because teleplays and screenplays are more structured than novels.
Outlines can be very helpful for writing projects and there are many novelists who do use them. But if you find them daunting, don't bother with them. Just dive in and hack.
"Hey! Here's my book! I wrote it! Please buy it! Hello?"
I have done that at several trade shows. Hopefully I won't have to this month, when I go to Comic-Con 2011:
At Comic-Con, Smart Pop Books will give away 50 advance print galleys of their November 2001 release Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen . I have an essay in this anthology (about Walking Dead hero Rick Grimes and Ayn Rand) and will sign galleys on Thursday, July 21 at 3pm, along with Triumph's editor, award-winning author and anthologist James Lowder, plus fellow contributors Scott Kenemore and Steven Schlozman.
The signing and giveaway will take place at the Smart Pop booth, B-4, in the San Diego Comic-Con exhibit hall. Here is more info.
I hope this will be my best trade show ever. (It'll be my first Comic-Con.) I know it'll be better than BEA in New York, 2005 (where I picked up a galley of Rick Moody's The Diviners that I'm very pissed not to have anymore -- best galley cover ever). There, I signed copies of Be More Chill in a booth next to Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon.
Here's tip: don't sign books next to Paolini. He's a a nice guy but it's like opening for Zeppelin. I signed a half-dozen books while he had people lined up back to the Bronx.
One person who'd be extremely excited for Comic-Con is Perry Eckert. He is the hero of my new book The Other Normals. It will be published by HarperCollins in fall 2012. The book is complete and if you come to Comic-Con booth B-4 on 7/21/11, I'll tell you all about it.
Read Along Wednesday: "Reality Hunger" | HungerGamesDWTC.net
Triumph of The Walking Dead isn't the first collection from Smart Pop that I contributed to. My essay in The Girl Who Was on Fire , about the Hunger Games, gets a nifty analysis and some study questions in this feature from popular fansite Down with the Capitol.
Don Calame's top 10 funny teen boy books | Children's books | guardian.co.uk
Thanks very much to author Don Calame for selecting Be More Chill as the #7 funny teen boy book in The Guardian. This almost makes up for The Guardian calling the It's Kind of a Funny Story film "kind of a rubbish story."
Junk Talk Interview with Ned Vizzini, author of It's Kind of a Funny Story « Junk Talk
Junk Talk interviews me about my recently rediscovered DIY high-school comic, Uncle Tumba, which is now available on Etsy for the low, low price of $2 with free shipping!
Exercise for Depression
Courtesy my mother, this is an overview of the benefits of exercise versus medication for treating depression. Anyone who's ever been depressed knows that exercise is a good thing (the problem is that it's hard to motivate yourself when you want to die), but this piece was striking because of the study discussed:
"Consider a case-crossover study published in the March 15, 2011, issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. It examined 24,214 patients who had suffered a stroke to see whether there was a relationship between prior antidepressant use and the development of stroke. Antidepressant use in the two weeks before the stroke was associated with a 48 percent higher stroke risk." [more]
Almost 25,000 patients! That's a sizeable study. Do antidepressants cause strokes? I'm not sure, but a lot of influential studies on mental health involve hundreds or even dozens of patients. I wonder who sponsored this study; considering that it came down against antidepressants it can't have been the pharmaceutical industry (and I don't think the exercise industry is that organized or rich), so my inclination is to trust it.
Tell & Sell Your Story
If you missed the chance to come to Austin, TX for South By Southwest on March 12, 2011, you're in luck. Complete audio from my SXSW panel, "Tell & Sell Your Story", is now available here:
Give Us Money: "The Dried Tomato"
A new story from the Barnes & Noble Teen Writing Workshop is up on our online literary journal, Give Us Money . If you are interested in seeing your own work in the journal, come to the next B&N Workshop on July 29th at 5pm, in Brooklyn, NY (run by Sarah MacLean) or Glendale, CA (run by me).
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Nick in Waco, TX.
Hello
I have a strong appreciation for your writing, and I was interested to know if you write with any sort of outline while you're working on a book. If so, how much time do you tend to put in to them? I've always thought outlines seemed awfully daunting.
Nick, I have not outlined any of my books. My policy is just to start writing and see where the characters go. This is why it's important to come up with great characters. (I talk about how to come up with characters here.)
It sounds like a cliche, but if you come up with good enough characters, the characters will sort of dictate the plot to you because they will want to do things with (and to) one another that are blessedly beyond your control as a writer.
That said, I do have a general idea where a book is going when I start it. I knew that Be More Chill was going to be about a kid who got a pill that made him cool before I invented Jeremy Heere and the other characters and set them loose.
Also, when I work on TV and film projects with my writing partner Nick Antosca out here in Los Angeles, we outline everything. I think that's because teleplays and screenplays are more structured than novels.
Outlines can be very helpful for writing projects and there are many novelists who do use them. But if you find them daunting, don't bother with them. Just dive in and hack.
June 10, 2011
UNCLE TUMBA is Here! + WSJ Response + L Mag Review + Žižek + YA Visions + BMC in Arabic?
Readers of
Teen Angst? Naaah...
may recall the essay "Forced March," about my college application process, in which I tried to sell a comic called Uncle Tumba to my Harvard interviewers. Uncle Tumba was a fully independent high school effort undertaken by me and illustrator Adam Pare; the hero was based on "Uncle Tompa, The Legendary Rascal of Tibet":
Uncle Tompa (13th Century)
Uncle Tumba (1998-1999)
Adam and I made three issues and a final "Reject Issue" that paired art Adam couldn't use with my rejected stories from New York Press. (The two full stories in the Reject Issue later appeared in Teen Angst? Naaah....) Now, after more than 12 years, Uncle Tumba is availble at my Etsy store.
Each issue is $3. Each issue is signed by me (automatically) and personalized (by request). Quantities are limited so act now. PARENTAL ADVISORY: Uncle Tumba is pretty dirty. But our cat loves them:
"LA Review of Books Blog: Rock and Roll (Ned Vizzini)"
Watching the Wall Street Journal condemn YA literature and spawn a Twitter movement last week sure was fun. But even more fun was getting to respond to it in a short piece for the LA Review of Books.
"Straight Edge, Winding Story: Ten Thousand Saints | Books | The L Magazine - New York City's Local Event and Arts & Culture Guide"
My latest book review:
"YouTube - Living in the End Times According to Slavoj Zizek"
I was introduced to Žižek via his concise views on vegetarianism. He's an insightful Slovenian philosopher with the best accent this side of Werner Herzog. Ken Baumann sent me this video where Žižek explains (among many other things) the relationship between image and reality today. He expresses a sentiment almost identical to what Andy Warhol said about his own image:
"If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There's nothing behind it." [more]
People still reference Warhol's "15 minutes of fame" quote but he was over that almost before he said it. His lesser-known pronouncements are increasingly relevant to the internet age. Dream panel:
IKOAFS Interview on YA Visions
David Eng, who interviewed me for the New Jersey-based cable show YA Visions back in 2005, sat down with me again to discuss the It's Kind of a Funny Story book-to-film process. The result is this interview. (Search for "vizzini" and click "YA Visions: Show 37;" the segment starts around 12:50.) Thank you David!
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Saad Eddine Skakri in Kenitra, Morocco.
Hello
i just wondered when i was exploring your site : why there isn't an ARABIC copy "translation" of Be More Chill, There is even a Hebrew one !!
Saad Eddine, there is indeed a Hebrew translation of Be More Chill and no Arabic version. The reason is that each time a book gets translated into another language, it needs a new publisher. The new publisher has to translate it, package it, print it, and market it.
That takes time and money -- and many book markets are surprisingly small. A publisher will only take on a foreign-language book if they're certain that they'll be able to sell a few thousand copies. Many American books don't sell a few thousand copies even in America!
So for Be More Chill to get translated into Arabic, an Arabic publisher would need to be sold on the idea. If you know any Arabic publishers, please get them in touch with my literary representation (contact info here) and tell them that you can personally guarantee that the book will sell thousand of copies... and maybe they'll listen.
Until then you might have to learn Hebrew -- although your English looks good too.
Uncle Tompa (13th Century)
Uncle Tumba (1998-1999)
Adam and I made three issues and a final "Reject Issue" that paired art Adam couldn't use with my rejected stories from New York Press. (The two full stories in the Reject Issue later appeared in Teen Angst? Naaah....) Now, after more than 12 years, Uncle Tumba is availble at my Etsy store.
Each issue is $3. Each issue is signed by me (automatically) and personalized (by request). Quantities are limited so act now. PARENTAL ADVISORY: Uncle Tumba is pretty dirty. But our cat loves them:
"LA Review of Books Blog: Rock and Roll (Ned Vizzini)"
Watching the Wall Street Journal condemn YA literature and spawn a Twitter movement last week sure was fun. But even more fun was getting to respond to it in a short piece for the LA Review of Books.
"Straight Edge, Winding Story: Ten Thousand Saints | Books | The L Magazine - New York City's Local Event and Arts & Culture Guide"
My latest book review:
"YouTube - Living in the End Times According to Slavoj Zizek"
I was introduced to Žižek via his concise views on vegetarianism. He's an insightful Slovenian philosopher with the best accent this side of Werner Herzog. Ken Baumann sent me this video where Žižek explains (among many other things) the relationship between image and reality today. He expresses a sentiment almost identical to what Andy Warhol said about his own image:
"If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There's nothing behind it." [more]
People still reference Warhol's "15 minutes of fame" quote but he was over that almost before he said it. His lesser-known pronouncements are increasingly relevant to the internet age. Dream panel:
IKOAFS Interview on YA Visions
David Eng, who interviewed me for the New Jersey-based cable show YA Visions back in 2005, sat down with me again to discuss the It's Kind of a Funny Story book-to-film process. The result is this interview. (Search for "vizzini" and click "YA Visions: Show 37;" the segment starts around 12:50.) Thank you David!
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Saad Eddine Skakri in Kenitra, Morocco.
Hello
i just wondered when i was exploring your site : why there isn't an ARABIC copy "translation" of Be More Chill, There is even a Hebrew one !!
Saad Eddine, there is indeed a Hebrew translation of Be More Chill and no Arabic version. The reason is that each time a book gets translated into another language, it needs a new publisher. The new publisher has to translate it, package it, print it, and market it.
That takes time and money -- and many book markets are surprisingly small. A publisher will only take on a foreign-language book if they're certain that they'll be able to sell a few thousand copies. Many American books don't sell a few thousand copies even in America!
So for Be More Chill to get translated into Arabic, an Arabic publisher would need to be sold on the idea. If you know any Arabic publishers, please get them in touch with my literary representation (contact info here) and tell them that you can personally guarantee that the book will sell thousand of copies... and maybe they'll listen.
Until then you might have to learn Hebrew -- although your English looks good too.
June 2, 2011
A New Addition to the Family + Fireside Chat + Philippines Press + Churchill from my Mom
Although our ancestors are fructuous Italians, it's not every day that a new Vizzini is added to the mix. I'm proud to introduce Felix, born on May 27, 2011. His mother is my wife Sabra Embury and his father is me. There are pictures of him on my Facebook. I promise to stop posting him when he stops being cute!
Photogenic Felix, 5-31-11
His mom is doing extraordinarily well. Felix is not just perceptive but strong. He tried to do a push-up at his first ever doctor's appointment before deliberately gumming his mom. So basically he's Popeye.
"YouTube - Ned Vizzini: Hungry for Reality"
Thanks Savanna & Adam. I discuss my essay "Reality Hunger", included in the nonfiction collection The Girl Who Was on Fire , on Hunger Games Fireside Chat, their #1 podcast. Recorded 5/23/11.
"℞ for Depression « Miji: Spell It Right"
From the Philippines, where Labo(u)r Day is celebrated May 1, Miji Gonzales posts about It's Kind of a Funny Story :
'Depression, like most mental health issues, is often ignored by Philippine society and may even be taboo for some... "The currency of the human being is relational and depression makes you dysfunctional in the very thing that makes you human . . ." [more]
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Arianna of Penfield High School in Penfield, NY, which I visited in May 2011.
I was wondering what your stance was on fan fiction? Writing fan fiction is my main practice in writing, and I'm interested in writing movie scripts; becoming a screen writer when I am older. I am currently working on a massive 30k word fan fiction. I find it is easier to practice my writing that way, with characters and their personalities already made and free for me to manipulate while I continue to hone my writing skills. What do you think of it?
When characters are well defined, it is very fun to write in their voices without having to invent those voices yourself. This is what people who write for established television shows do. I have read very little fan fiction (I read some Catcher in the Rye fanfic last year to understand how people related to Holden Caulfield), but you should do whatever it takes to get your creative tap sprung if you want to be a screenwriter.
Writing a 30K-word fanfic might be a slight waste of your time compared to a 1200-word original story (which, since the short story is the literary form that most resembles a movie, is better practice for screenwriting), but it's better than writing a 100K-word book! Just understand that what you're doing is practice and don't get so caught up in it that it keeps you from pursuing your original ideas. And don't forget to read screenplays if you want to be a screenwriter. Adaptation comes to mind.
A Word from my Mom
"Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy, then an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then it becomes a tyrant and, in the last stage, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public."
—Winston Churchill, Grosvenor House, London, November 2, 1949. From Churchill By Himself, edited by Richard Langworth, p. 49.
Photogenic Winston
Photogenic Felix, 5-31-11
His mom is doing extraordinarily well. Felix is not just perceptive but strong. He tried to do a push-up at his first ever doctor's appointment before deliberately gumming his mom. So basically he's Popeye.
"YouTube - Ned Vizzini: Hungry for Reality"
Thanks Savanna & Adam. I discuss my essay "Reality Hunger", included in the nonfiction collection The Girl Who Was on Fire , on Hunger Games Fireside Chat, their #1 podcast. Recorded 5/23/11.
"℞ for Depression « Miji: Spell It Right"
From the Philippines, where Labo(u)r Day is celebrated May 1, Miji Gonzales posts about It's Kind of a Funny Story :
'Depression, like most mental health issues, is often ignored by Philippine society and may even be taboo for some... "The currency of the human being is relational and depression makes you dysfunctional in the very thing that makes you human . . ." [more]
Today's Reader Email
Today's reader mail comes from Arianna of Penfield High School in Penfield, NY, which I visited in May 2011.
I was wondering what your stance was on fan fiction? Writing fan fiction is my main practice in writing, and I'm interested in writing movie scripts; becoming a screen writer when I am older. I am currently working on a massive 30k word fan fiction. I find it is easier to practice my writing that way, with characters and their personalities already made and free for me to manipulate while I continue to hone my writing skills. What do you think of it?
When characters are well defined, it is very fun to write in their voices without having to invent those voices yourself. This is what people who write for established television shows do. I have read very little fan fiction (I read some Catcher in the Rye fanfic last year to understand how people related to Holden Caulfield), but you should do whatever it takes to get your creative tap sprung if you want to be a screenwriter.
Writing a 30K-word fanfic might be a slight waste of your time compared to a 1200-word original story (which, since the short story is the literary form that most resembles a movie, is better practice for screenwriting), but it's better than writing a 100K-word book! Just understand that what you're doing is practice and don't get so caught up in it that it keeps you from pursuing your original ideas. And don't forget to read screenplays if you want to be a screenwriter. Adaptation comes to mind.
A Word from my Mom
"Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy, then an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then it becomes a tyrant and, in the last stage, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public."
—Winston Churchill, Grosvenor House, London, November 2, 1949. From Churchill By Himself, edited by Richard Langworth, p. 49.
Photogenic Winston
May 20, 2011
Hunger Games vs. Dinosaurs vs. Aliens
I will appear on
Hunger Games Fireside Chat (Episode 8)
on Monday, May 23rd at 10:25pm Eastern/7:25pm Pacific:
Fireside Chat is the #1 Hunger Games weekly podcast. I will discuss my essay "Reality Hunger" that appeared in the Hunger Games anthology The Girl Who Was on Fire from Smart Pop Books.
Fireside Chat has a pretty incredible lineup for the whole show and you'll have a good listen even if you're only halfway into the Hunger Games, which just appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly (!):
Speaking of big-budget films, Marty Beckerman sent me the following link from Deadline.com, to my un-surprise:
"How Would Aliens Fare Against Dinosaurs? Barry Sonnenfeld Aims To Find Out"
It seems Barry Sonnenfeld (director of Wild Wild West and the MIB soon-to-be-trilogy) has signed a deal with Grant Morrison (comic-book writer, Batman and The Invisibles) to develop a comic and film centered around the concept of dinosaurs battling aliens:
"The graphic novel will chronicle a secret prehistoric world war battle. When an alien invasion attacks Earth in the age of the dinosaurs, the planet's only hope is the giants that roam the planet with, it turns out, a lot more intelligence than previously realized."
Now, in 2003 Marty Beckerman and I came up with a movie concept called DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS:
Dinosaurs Vs. Aliens by Ned Vizzini
I registered the idea myself with the Writer's Guild of America. I didn't put Marty's name on it because I got the impression he thought it was too stupid to go anywhere. In my DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS, we enter a prehistoric world where humans co-exist with dinosaurs, like Creationism or the Flintstones, and humans and intelligent dinos band together to fight an alien invasion. It's JURASSIC PARK meets INDEPENDENCE DAY. This isn't rocket science. Well, there might be some rocket science involved.
I called the WGA today. They confirmed that this idea is registered in my name until July 21, 2013. Barry Sonnenfeld's DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS film will be packaged by WME, the same agency that represents me, so I'm not trying to rock the boat (besides, I love Wild Wild West); I'm just trying to illustrate what Nick Antosca calls the Stephen King Rule:
If you have great idea for a book and you don't write it, Stephen King will write it.
Anybody out there who is sitting on a great movie idea: it will get made, at some point, so you might as well write it.
I answered a new question from 16-year-old writer Lydia for the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers' "Ask A Writer":
"I want to be published some day- and hopefully someday I can turn my short story into a novel. How old do you have to be for all of that to work?"
Read my answer here.
I recently had to change my email-answering policies since I no longer have time to answer all reader mail. (I did answer every single reader mail I received from 2000 to 2011, resulting in situations like this!) From now on I will be answering selected reader mail in my blog entries.
Today's reader mail comes from Alexandra, who writes:
Hello,
I'm an avid reader of your books, and I am writing to invite you to join Goodreads.com, which is the largest community of book lovers online. Because you are a published author, you already have a profile on Goodreads...
PS- I know I just kind of copy-pasted this from the website... but I had no idea how to formulate the request.
Alexandra, you're in luck, as thanks to your request I have joined Goodreads!
I am going to use it to keep a running tally of books I've read. I'm not going to be reviewing things. Not even stars. That's just asking for trouble.
Fireside Chat is the #1 Hunger Games weekly podcast. I will discuss my essay "Reality Hunger" that appeared in the Hunger Games anthology The Girl Who Was on Fire from Smart Pop Books.
Fireside Chat has a pretty incredible lineup for the whole show and you'll have a good listen even if you're only halfway into the Hunger Games, which just appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly (!):
Speaking of big-budget films, Marty Beckerman sent me the following link from Deadline.com, to my un-surprise:
"How Would Aliens Fare Against Dinosaurs? Barry Sonnenfeld Aims To Find Out"
It seems Barry Sonnenfeld (director of Wild Wild West and the MIB soon-to-be-trilogy) has signed a deal with Grant Morrison (comic-book writer, Batman and The Invisibles) to develop a comic and film centered around the concept of dinosaurs battling aliens:
"The graphic novel will chronicle a secret prehistoric world war battle. When an alien invasion attacks Earth in the age of the dinosaurs, the planet's only hope is the giants that roam the planet with, it turns out, a lot more intelligence than previously realized."
Now, in 2003 Marty Beckerman and I came up with a movie concept called DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS:
Dinosaurs Vs. Aliens by Ned Vizzini
I registered the idea myself with the Writer's Guild of America. I didn't put Marty's name on it because I got the impression he thought it was too stupid to go anywhere. In my DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS, we enter a prehistoric world where humans co-exist with dinosaurs, like Creationism or the Flintstones, and humans and intelligent dinos band together to fight an alien invasion. It's JURASSIC PARK meets INDEPENDENCE DAY. This isn't rocket science. Well, there might be some rocket science involved.
I called the WGA today. They confirmed that this idea is registered in my name until July 21, 2013. Barry Sonnenfeld's DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS film will be packaged by WME, the same agency that represents me, so I'm not trying to rock the boat (besides, I love Wild Wild West); I'm just trying to illustrate what Nick Antosca calls the Stephen King Rule:
If you have great idea for a book and you don't write it, Stephen King will write it.
Anybody out there who is sitting on a great movie idea: it will get made, at some point, so you might as well write it.
I answered a new question from 16-year-old writer Lydia for the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers' "Ask A Writer":
"I want to be published some day- and hopefully someday I can turn my short story into a novel. How old do you have to be for all of that to work?"
Read my answer here.
I recently had to change my email-answering policies since I no longer have time to answer all reader mail. (I did answer every single reader mail I received from 2000 to 2011, resulting in situations like this!) From now on I will be answering selected reader mail in my blog entries.
Today's reader mail comes from Alexandra, who writes:
Hello,
I'm an avid reader of your books, and I am writing to invite you to join Goodreads.com, which is the largest community of book lovers online. Because you are a published author, you already have a profile on Goodreads...
PS- I know I just kind of copy-pasted this from the website... but I had no idea how to formulate the request.
Alexandra, you're in luck, as thanks to your request I have joined Goodreads!
I am going to use it to keep a running tally of books I've read. I'm not going to be reviewing things. Not even stars. That's just asking for trouble.
Ned Vizzini's Blog
- Ned Vizzini's profile
- 3005 followers
Ned Vizzini isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
