Jamie Patterson's Blog, page 43

Goodreads

I read while I walk. While I walk the dog, while I run errands, while I'm commuting by foot. If I'm walking, I'm usually reading. I went for my usual Sunday morning breakfast and the cashier asked "you're always reading, aren't you?" My response? "Yep. It's better than real life." I have a really unbelievably fantastic life so I think this response was more a nod to Blind Melon than anything else (and all I can do is read a book to stay awake, it rips my life away but it's a great escape.)

Might be slightly ironic that my most recent read was The Power of Now but that aside, I still maintain my life is enriched by what I read and not stolen from it.

Thanks to goodreads now I can track what I read, rate it, and review it (although I haven't lately--way too many The Power of Now-type books than I'd care to admit) and--even more fun--track what other people read. Right now my goodreads friends are my voracious reader friends: seven in total.

You don't have to read while walking but any type of reader would probably love this nerd version of facebook. (Don't tell me where you've been, what you ate, who you saw, but what you read!)

(Oh! And visit the Lost Edens goodreads page. Maybe add it to your to-read shelf, eh?)

writer vs. Writer

I've been a part of writing circles for awhile now, and every once in awhile the conversation of writer vs. author comes up. This conversation is usually prompted by someone pointing out that everyone has a novel they'll write, or by someone saying "you could write a book!" The reality is, that yes--you could write a book. There are many writers who spend years working to get published but there are even more writers (talented, gifted writers) who simply don't write (John Patterson I'm looking at you!).

Forget, then, the debate between writer vs. author and let's look at writer vs. Writer (capital W). I would say the one and only difference is dedication to getting something, anything, down on paper. I tell my students all the time to allow themselves a rough first draft. To just get something, anything (really! anything!), down on paper and to worry about the polish later.

I heard Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love talk this last February (I'll write more about this later) and she chatted about how she's often asked about how to become a Writer (capital W). To seriously paraphrase she basically said: write. She also pointed out that writing is work; it's a job. What struck me most about her talk was when she told the audience that she took a vow, like nuns and priests take vows, to be a writer. This is a gal who takes writing seriously, folks, a Writer who was a Writer long before the success of Eat, Pray, Love. If you have time for a really super inspirational video, check out Elizabeth Gilbert in the video below.

And if you have time to think about being a Writer...stop it. Stop thinking. Start writing.

eBook Publishing

A little over a year ago a twenty-something writer with drawers full of completed novels threw up her hands at traditional publishing and decided to self-publish on lulu and online. A few months later, the income from her self-published eBooks enabled her to quit her day job. A year later, she's looking at around 200,000 copies sold. Although certainly not the first writer to do this, this particular writer--Amanda Hocking--has been especially successful as an eBook writer. So much so, her story and other stories like hers demand attention. (Here's Amanda's publishing story and her blog. )

I went to the London Book Fair this year and one recurring question in every talk or seminar I attended was whether traditional publishers were obsolete. The answer again and again was yes...in a way.

I'm open to debate over the relevancy of big publishing houses in the future of building audiences for the written word. For now, though, there's pretty compelling evidence that doesn't start or end with Amanda Hocking but certainly includes her. With the advent of resources like Book Baby and SmashWords the reading and writing communities are becoming closer, smaller, more entwined.

I, as a writer but especially as a reader, like it that way.

Here's Brian Felsen, president of Book Baby, talking at this year's London Book Fair about self-distributing as an independent author. Interesting stuff. Enjoy!

Lost Edens Book Cover

Writing is Easy. Publishing is Hard.

Okay, I've been a writer and a writing instructor long enough to know that writing is hard. Really, really hard. Every once in awhile inspiration hits and the words just come but a lot of the time most writers end up staring at a white, painfully blank screen. I'm interested in writing, in publishing, and how current trends are making publishing more accessible, if not easier.

If you want to be inspired, I recommend Stephen King's On Writing. The best book I've read about living the life of a writer.

And maybe stop by here once in awhile, too. My first book, Lost Edens, will see print in about 2 months and I'll use this blog to track progress, reflect on the process, and hopefully add to the dialogue on writing, editing, publishing, and teaching writing.

Thanks for stopping by.

Keep writing!

Sylvia Plath and Lost Edens

Last night my cousin asked me what the title of this first book was. After telling her Lost Edens I found myself feeling like I should explain. It could have been the back and forth that ensued after I said the title for the first time: Sarah: "Lost Eddies?" Me: "No, Lost Edens." Sarah: "Not [...]

Sharing a True Story

Someone asked me recently if I was ready to share such a difficult part of my life with Lost Edens. There are a few reasons why I didn't even think twice about it. First, not only did the events of the book happen a long time ago, the actual writing of the book happened just [...]

Beaver's Pond Press

My hometown right now is Minneapolis, Minnesota.  One little known fact about Minneapolis (and, to be fair, St. Paul just across the river) is that it is home to more small presses than any other city in the United States. Known as the capital for alternative publishing, I thought I'd better try to publish some of [...]