C.L. Walters's Blog, page 13
September 23, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: A Letter from Emma Matthews
The Stories Stars Tell, releasing October 13
Dear Reader,
I’m Emma Matthews. If I had a trading card it would read: Salutatorian. Got into Berkley. Christian. Daughter of Mo and Amy Matthews. Big sister to Shelby. Best friend of Liam Quinn and Ginny Connelly. Kissed Tanner James and would have risked eternal damnation to do more. Questioning her life.
I didn’t realize facing graduation from high school would wreak havoc on my identity. I’ve been ready to move on from high school for so long, always looking ahead to what’s next. Focused on what it would take to see that happen and leave behind the stifling expectations of those around me. Now that graduation is impending, and I’m writing this speech I’m supposed to give at the ceremony, I’m looking at the choices I’ve made and wondering if I played my experience right?
I know. That sounds exactly like something someone like me—a perfectionist—would ask herself.
I played part of it right. I got into a great college. I’ve got this “salutatorian” thing on my resume. Great friends and family. I’ve lived inside the boxes I made for myself and checked all of the other boxes of what it means to be a successful student and a good daughter. It’s just that graduation has me asking myself if maybe I’ve shirked developing a different part of myself because I've been afraid.
I’ve got two weeks left of my high school career and a summer before college, and I wonder how I might live it if I stripped away the fear? What kind of choices would I make if I weren’t so afraid of not being perfect? I know without a doubt, I would want to change the way things went down with Tanner James. Not the kiss, of course, but that I took a backseat to risk following that path. Why? Because I was afraid (and maybe I feel like I don’t deserve to, but that’s for a different letter).
So that’s the big theme for me right now, I guess. What would I do if I wasn’t afraid? The thing is, I’m mostly always afraid and wish it weren’t that way. A terrible cycle. There’s this quotation in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, one of my favorite movies, in which Cameron (my spirit character) says, “I’m not going to sit on my ass as the events that affect me unfold to determine the course of my life. I’m going to take a stand. I’m going to defend it. Right or wrong. I’m going to defend it.” The question is am I brave enough to do it?
Emma
Releases October 13, 2020
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September 16, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Guest Blogger, Tanner James & Brotherhood
The Brother I Neededby Tanner James(a character from The Stories Stars Tell)
When I was ten, my older brother Rory died. I was halfway through fourth grade and had already spent most of two years watching him die. You can’t be ready or relieved or whatever words people offer to try and minimize the loss. Cancer sucks. You can’t “fight” it or “beat” it. Cancer is a thief, regardless. It steals time. It steals joy. It steals life. It stole my brother and then my family.
By the time I was fourteen and Rory had been gone four years, I found out my parents were getting a divorce, that my dad had been cheating on my mom. Though their marriage had disintegrated long before, I’d been invisible to the drama between them since Rory died. I was alone, already cracked, but I think maybe that news cleaved me in two. There wasn’t a road to recovery by then.
Then Griffin happened. He threw me a lifeline.
Griffin filled in the empty spaces and glued me back together. I needed him and maybe he needed me, but I can’t think it was an equal swap. I felt like I was getting the better end of the deal because maybe by then, I was a walking cliche — a future headline, and not a good one.
Griffin became the brother I missed and needed.
Did you know that in myths and stories, a griffin is a creature that is part lion and part eagle. Maybe some call it a monster, but in many stories, the creature is a hero because it is both king of beasts and king of birds, king of land and air. The griffin became a religious symbol. Even Christianity used the griffin as a representation of Christ as the embodiment of the resurrection and being the “king” which is why you’ll find it carved into old churches (not that I’ve seen them). The griffin conquers death.
Griffin brought me out from under Rory’s death, and the death of my family; his brotherhood resurrected me.
The truth of the brotherhood I share with Griff was built in adolescent ideas of what it means to be friends, to be men, to be brothers. We were fourteen, then fifteen, then sixteen and so on. Right or wrong, both of us were guessing. Four years later, both eighteen now, I’m looking in the mirror uneasy with who is staring back at me. Griff isn’t talking. Can’t or won’t, I’m not sure which. The same friend who helped me glue myself back together then, feels like the one who’s picking me apart now.
Is this what it means to be brothers? I’m not sure. I have nothing to compare it to. If Rory were here, I’d ask him.
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September 9, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Tanner and the Bro Code
The Stories Stars Tell releases October 13 and is available for preorder.
Tanner James, one of the dual protagonists in The Stories Stars Tell, is on a journey in the story he feels ill-equipped to take (and I can’t say much more without giving away spoilers). I asked him to spend the next two weeks with us as a guest. I’d hoped for a podcast style interview, but he indicated he wasn’t really in a mental space to talk. However, he agreed to share some of his *Star Stories. I’m delighted to share one of those here today.
*background: Tanner and his older brother Rory used to tell one another “Star Stories” when they were little. This is a very important part of Tanner’s life. There’s more information on my Instagram Page (@cl.walters) today and an excerpt from The Stories Stars Tell that explains it.
Star Story No. 15: The Bro Code CrewBy Tanner James
The stretch of space didn’t intimidate Teejay, but he was an idiot and didn’t know any better. The reality was that he’d been on an abandoned spaceship and couldn’t see the stretch with honest eyes. Instead, he was full of himself and the tip of his nose provided a comprehensive view. He was born on the ship, had lived there his entire life, and the rest of the crew had either died off, or departed at random spaceports and never returned forgetting that Teejay was even on board. So, Teejay was alone trying to run the ship himself with the computer named Mirus. The disembodied computer suggested a crew as a means to keep the ship performing at optimal condition. While Teejay was pretty self-important due to having existed for 15 cycles, and because he didn’t know any better, he figured it might be time to help him with the unwieldy spacecraft (not because he was lonely).
Teejay piloted the ship with the help of Mirus into the AlphaBen system and ported at Garax. It was there he found a crew: Gipper, Joriah, and Defcon. The first one he discovered was Gipper, who’d been drinking the kool-aid at a bar on the port where lowlifes, like Teejay suspected he was, went. They hit it off after hitting one another to determine who was the most manly though both were only 15 cycles. It was a tie.
Next came Joriah who smiled a lot, but he was a pretty good wingman, and good with a gun, which he proved when the barkeep chased Gipper and Teejay through the port yelling that he hadn’t gotten paid. Joriah defended them with his gun, but Teejay figured they better drop in the credits so they weren’t wanted by the Garax Station police. He wasn’t willing to get sent off to the ZIP (Zenadoo Interplanetary Penitentiary). He paid the man.
As it turned out, Joriah had been outside a Copulation Station when he and Gipper had run past too intimidated to go inside to see what all the chatter was about. Alien creatures and such selling skin. Teejay—as a way of paying Joriah’s good deed forward—offered to be the first, to test out and risk his (young) manly goods to make sure everything was safe. Relatively speaking, it was safe, and actually kind of mind altering, but he didn’t allow himself to think beyond the surface of the experience since that wasn’t what dudes like Teejay did, or so he figured. He didn’t have Mirus to ask since the computer was stuck in the ship. Teejay returned to the walkway physically unscathed and smiling.
This was how Defcon—which wasn’t his real name and was really a play on the fact that Defcon was the furthest from anything annihilating— found the three of them. He’d wandered past the Copulation Station without any intent to enter just meandering about existing, and found the three of them standing outside discussing the merits of things like swapping skin a little too loudly like fools. Teejay had just returned from his libation in the world of skin trading and was getting ready to send the others inside. Defcon accidentally bumped into Gipper, who was always ready to trade fists, but Defcon just smiled and held up his hands in peace. Turned out he was something of a diplomat which Teejay figured would be a good addition to his spaceship crew. With nothing better to do, Defcon agreed to join the crew with little more than an explanation of what they were doing. Defcon smiled, clapped Gipper on the back and that was that.
Teejay sent them into the Copulation Station before leaving Garax.
With a crew assembled and satiated after their time spent in the CS, they boarded Teejay’s spaceship.
“What’s the mission?” Joriah asked as they walked onto the empty bridge.
Gipper smirked and flopped into the Captain’s chair which Teejay didn’t mind since he’d been captaining the ship alone for too long and willingly stepped away from the responsibility. He twirled about in the chair, spinning in place. “To visit every Copulation Station in the twenty-six systems and drink the kool-aid.”
Defcon smiled (mostly because that’s what he did) and offered the following comment: “That might get you diseased.”
“Medicine.” Gipper stopped and shook his head as if to reconnect to his head still spinning. He always had an answer for everything.
Defcon just continued smiling because that’s what he did.
Teejay, happy to not be alone any longer, nodded. “We’ll start with the AlphaBen system then. Mirus, set a course for the Andrus Spacestation.”
And that was how the Bro Code Crew aboard the CS Spacecraft 15 came to be.
Next week: Tanner and BrothersCLWalters Blog RSS
April 2020
Apr 8, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma's Perfectionism
Apr 8, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma and Tanner Fall
Apr 3, 2020
March 2020
Mar 23, 2020
The Cantos Chronicles: The Letters
Mar 23, 2020
September 2019
Sep 7, 2019
Story Time Saturday: The Ugly Truth Exerpt
Sep 7, 2019
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Aug 21, 2019
In The Wait: Jack
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In the Wait: Matt
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In the Wait: Carter
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Romantic Short Story: The Broken Sign
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September 2, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma, Ginny, Liam and Ferris Bueller
I met them at the Java House for coffee. Emma, Ginny and Liam were ensconced at a corner table of the quaint eatery that appears to be a popular spot for coffee and dessert and even more so for companionship. Many of the tables and booths were occupied, many in pairs, a few singletons but many of parties were talking so there was a fog of voices lingering in the atmosphere. The three in my party were already deep in conversation about which I can only guess because the conversation shifted to be more inclusive of me, an outsider and a woman nearly thirty years older than they are. Emma was drinking a mocha. Ginny an iced Matcha Green Tea latte, and Liam had a plain Americano with nothing in it. After getting my own cup of coffee, I just asked if I could just listen as they discussed Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The following is the transcript of a portion of their conversation.
The Meaning of Life According to Ferris Bueller: A ConversationW/ Emma Matthews, Ginny Donnelly, Liam Quinn EMMA
Ferris Bueller is probably my favorite John Hughes movie we’ve watched over the last four years.
Why is that surprising? Breakfast Club is awesome, but it isn’t my favorite
Sparkle.
Sorry, Ginny.
What?
Go.
You know me too well.
Yes! “I’ve got to take a stand. I’m not going to sit on my ass as the events that affect me unfold to determine the course of my life. I’m gonna take a stand.”
I feel like there was was a lot of attention paid to ideas of learning.
Yes life in general. That’s like the big picture thing, but I mean, Ferris states it at the very beginning, right? He breaks the fourth wall and tells us that High School is pointless.
Really? I need to watch for that next time.
I was just going to say how I thought in some ways JH was referring to the way we learn. Circling back to Cameron and that final speech, I don’t think he would have ever put that together for himself if he hadn’t taken the risk with Ferris.
Right. Cameron would have stayed stuck, but he needed the learning real life provides.
Which is why authentic learning is more applicable to life.
GINNY
Not Breakfast Club?
It isn’t a sin, Liam, to freaking like The Breakfast Club. Or are you saying because my opinion is different than yours.
I’ll concede the point, but to be fair to my own ideas, I’m not sure that I like any ONE JH film over any of the others. I think there are things in all of them that sparkle.
Stop. You two make me feel like a third wheel sometimes.
It’s that final speech.
So good!
Not just life in general?
Me too.
He wouldn’t have learned the lesson without taking the risk, then?
Nicely stated.
LIAMGinny Donnelly! That’s like sacrilegious.
No. I just was surprised. I mean, Bueller has been the object of most of our Hughsie interactions.
Sparkle.
Sorry, Gin. Moving forward, why is it your favorite, Em? Wait!
May I guess?
Cameron?
Right. It’s really good. Go.
And confinement too - like how those might work together. Besides the overt theme of getting out from under his parents rules and the school rules, there are all of these images of fences..
Keep going, Em.
Which is why compulsory education is pointless?
Emma, Ginny and Liam are featured in the upcoming book, The Stories Stars Tell releasing October 13, 2020. If you’d like to enjoy more of their conversations about John Hughes moves and their commentary about growing up and life, you’ll find lots more there.
Next Week’s blog: Tanner James checks in to share more about Bro-Code.CLWalters Blog RSS
April 2020
Apr 8, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma's Perfectionism
Apr 8, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma and Tanner Fall
Apr 3, 2020
March 2020
Mar 23, 2020
The Cantos Chronicles: The Letters
Mar 23, 2020
September 2019
Sep 7, 2019
Story Time Saturday: The Ugly Truth Exerpt
Sep 7, 2019
August 2019
Aug 21, 2019
In The Wait: Jack
Aug 21, 2019
July 2019
Jul 24, 2019
In the Wait: Matt
Jul 24, 2019
Jul 17, 2019
In the Wait: Carter
Jul 17, 2019
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In the Wait : Sara
Jul 10, 2019
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In the Wait - Companion to Swimming Sideways
Jul 2, 2019
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Mar 13, 2019
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Feb 27, 2019
Romantic Short Story: The Broken Sign
Feb 27, 2019
August 26, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Guest Blogger, Liam Quinn
Three John Hughes movies down, and one to go for this month’s theme. I asked Liam Quinn, a character from The Stories Stars Tell, to write his thoughts about 16 Candles. Liam asked me to front load this entry with the idea that he doesn’t HATE the movie even if his blog makes it seem that way; it’s just he needs to share from his conscience. Please don’t hate him for it (his words). Truthfully, I don’t think there’s anyway possible to hate Liam Quinn about regardless…
16 Candles & My Love-Hate Relationship with the Filmby Liam QuinnThe Someday-Lawyer in me wants to make a case for why 16 Candles is an awful movie. It is. Really. Why? Because it showcases all of the ways the white-male patriarchy has legitimized “Rape Culture.” Think that’s too bold a statement?
Allow me to submit my evidence:
Samantha’s brother raises his hand to his little sister who then screams, “Dad! Mike hit me!”
The conversation between Jake and his friend while doing fake pull ups in which they objectify a sixteen-year-old girl by her body and normalize her youth as desirable.
The Geek hitting on Samantha on the bus. How many ways does she have to say “No?”
The grandparents fondle Sam’s body!
The bet for floppy disks to have sex with a girl like she’s no more than an item to trade.
Women as a “side show” to the male narrative; the commodity to showing off her underpants.
Use of words like “fag” as insult.
Using the ONE person of color as a punchline in many of the jokes.
The “party girl” isn’t as desirable for the “IT” guy as the virginal, younger girl.
Jake saying about his passed out girlfriend, “I could violate her 10 different ways if I wanted to.”
Sending a drunk girl with a stranger and telling him to “have fun.”
The Geek taking pictures with a drunk girl without her consent and the insinuation of possibly having had sex without having given consent.
Here’s an article on how it connects to rape culture.
And this one might illuminate why people my age don’t quite get it.
Think I’m being too serious? How do you think these behaviors would go over in 2020? Many of these actions have major consequences when they occur. Seriously. But I also don’t mean to bash this movie. 16 Candles is loved by so many and is considered a classic. Whenever someone brings it up, the normal response is: I LOVE that movie. And I’m one (it’s a love-hate relationship). So, why is it we romanticize it?
Here’s what I discovered after a bit of research as well as examining my own thoughts about it:
Sam is relatable. Who hasn’t experienced the annoying family, turning 16 and feeling no different, or suffering through an unrequited crush. Her journey feels universal to the teen in many ways.
The relationship shift between family and friends is so much a part of the teenage experience. Of course all of us navigate this with Sam because we understand the ways our family doesn’t “get” us but our friends do.
Sam’s crush is a heart throb and Sam is adorable. Pretty people. Need I say more?
The Geek—Ted—and his puppy-dog adoration for Sam; who doesn’t want to be adored and pursued? (even if I’m not an advocate for Ted’s methods, his tenacity is commendable on some level).
Mr. Baker. Serious, this Dad is the origin of “Girl-Dad.”
Passing notes… texts? The desire to be independent from adult rules. In the 1980’s (according to my mom) they passed notes. Today, we send texts when we aren’t supposed to. It is what it is.
The cake scene. Even as unrealistic as it is, the idea is swoon worthy.
It was a movie FOR TEENS. I guess in the 1980’s (according to my parents) there weren’t a lot of movies for teens since a lot of the movies were comedies that pushed the boundaries and parents wouldn’t let their teens watch them. 16 Candles changed that, so there’s a nostalgia attached to it.
Could we say that this is the origin for all teen movies now?
Another couple of articles on the love for this movie. Here and here.
Why do you love (or hate) 16 Candles? Have I changed your mind? What movie would you like to see take its place? Did you noticed the nod in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Netflix)?
Next Week: Ferris Bueller and Emma’s CrewCLWalters Blog RSS
April 2020
Apr 8, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma's Perfectionism
Apr 8, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma and Tanner Fall
Apr 3, 2020
March 2020
Mar 23, 2020
The Cantos Chronicles: The Letters
Mar 23, 2020
September 2019
Sep 7, 2019
Story Time Saturday: The Ugly Truth Exerpt
Sep 7, 2019
August 2019
Aug 21, 2019
In The Wait: Jack
Aug 21, 2019
July 2019
Jul 24, 2019
In the Wait: Matt
Jul 24, 2019
Jul 17, 2019
In the Wait: Carter
Jul 17, 2019
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In the Wait : Sara
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In the Wait - Companion to Swimming Sideways
Jul 2, 2019
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Mar 13, 2019
Write Your Truth
Mar 13, 2019
February 2019
Feb 27, 2019
Romantic Short Story: The Broken Sign
Feb 27, 2019
August 19, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Guest Blogger, Ginny Donnelly
Ginny Donnelly is one of Emma’s best friends in the new book The Stories Stars Tell (releasing October 13).
Keeping with the current exploration of characters in The Stories Stars Tell, I asked Ginny Donnelly, one of the founders of the John Hughes Movie Crew and one of Emma’s best friends to submit a guest blog for the movie we watched last week: Pretty in Pink. Let me just say, she wasn’t pleased this was the movie she was assigned but relented because both Emma and Liam talked her into doing it (Liam also said he would take 16 Candles which was “even more problematic” than PIP. Ginny agreed).
Without further ado…
Pretty in Pink and Listsby Ginny Donnelly
Here’s the thing: Pretty in Pink is NOT my favorite John Hughes movie. I need this on record, because then my lists will make more sense. There is a lot wrong with this movie, a little right, and a bunch of ways I’d like to see it redone. So, here goes.
The A Lot WRONG with Pretty in PinkThe Script. Now don’t get me wrong - I still adore John Hughes. It’s just that something happens in the gap between lines that don’t always line up. It’s like we’re missing the bridge between what’s said and what’s meant in the action. The story somehow comes across pretentious, like everything was working so hard that none of it did. Granted, I’m not a kid in the 80’s so maybe I’m missing something. What’s with all the strange pregnant pauses? Did teens talk like that in the 1980’s (none that I know of in 2020 do)?
Blane is a freaking weasel. How can I possibly cheer for this character? (And maybe it’s a fault of the script that it didn’t capture his conflict better?)
Why does Andie always look like she feels nauseous and needs to run to the bathroom? I have also rolled my eyes my fair share (just ask my step-monster, I mean step-mother [Don’t worry. She won’t read this. She doesn’t read]) but if Andie rolls her eyes any harder, they’re going to get stuck looking at the back of her head (Yes, my step-monster told me this once).
The token feminist moment. I can see there was a “TRY” here, but it epically failed.
Andie chooses a douche. (Seriously. You’re going to choose the guy who treated you like you didn’t matter? [Ah hem—Liam and Emma, shut it. Your commentary is noted and not appropriate here]).
A GROWN WOMAN takes Duckie to a bar. Kisses him and then “swoons” about it. Really?!?!? No! Not okay.
Can we sugar-coat and trivialize mental illness more? I mean all it takes to heal is for Andie’s dad to put away the picture of his wife?
A SERIOUS lack of cultural representation (which I’m pretty sure Liam is going to slam next week when he writes about 16 Candles because we’ve talked about this a lot). I’m pretty sure America was just as racially diverse in the 1980’s. What the heck?
The A Little RightRelevant topic: the haves and have nots that contribute to a gigantic social divide, but also equal access. The best moment is when Andie is sitting across from the school administrator after getting kicked out of PE and tells him “So I’m just supposed to shut my mouth and take it?” THIS!!
Andie having to stand on her own two feet. YES! (See the #4 above. *sigh).
Duckie and his friendship. Though he does mess up, that is an important part of friendship because it happens in real relationships.
The existence of Douchebag jerks. Ugh.
For the UpdateFor the movie executive reading my guest blog (it could happen), call me. We’ll talk.
Rewrite the script. Keep the have and have not conflict but add some layers about access.
Authentic multicultural representation please!
Develop the Father’s depression and its impact on the family dynamic, conflict and #1 above.
Keep but flesh out the friendship with Duckie - and let’s not make it about romance (though perhaps that’s a tangential part of Duckie’s character growth). This could be better.
Andie takes herself to prom completely. She isn’t “saved” by a guy. She finds her inner spirit to walks into the ballroom with her head high.
Have her tell Blane to F*ck Off. Seriously.
Add an epilogue that showcases Andie’s success (whatever that looks like) and her continued healthier friendship with Duckie.
Next Week: 16 Candles with Guest Blogger, Liam QuinnCLWalters Blog RSS
April 2020
Apr 8, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma's Perfectionism
Apr 8, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma and Tanner Fall
Apr 3, 2020
March 2020
Mar 23, 2020
The Cantos Chronicles: The Letters
Mar 23, 2020
September 2019
Sep 7, 2019
Story Time Saturday: The Ugly Truth Exerpt
Sep 7, 2019
August 2019
Aug 21, 2019
In The Wait: Jack
Aug 21, 2019
July 2019
Jul 24, 2019
In the Wait: Matt
Jul 24, 2019
Jul 17, 2019
In the Wait: Carter
Jul 17, 2019
Jul 10, 2019
In the Wait : Sara
Jul 10, 2019
Jul 2, 2019
In the Wait - Companion to Swimming Sideways
Jul 2, 2019
March 2019
Mar 20, 2019
Whole
Mar 20, 2019
Mar 13, 2019
Write Your Truth
Mar 13, 2019
February 2019
Feb 27, 2019
Romantic Short Story: The Broken Sign
Feb 27, 2019
August 12, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Guest Blogger, Emma Matthews
Emma Matthews, MC in The Stories Stars Tell, Movie Review
CLW: I asked Emma Matthews (an MC in The Stories Stars Tell) to write an analysis for The Breakfast Club based on one of the discussions she, Liam and Ginny would have after one of their John Hughes movie nights. She asked me if I wanted it like a formal essay? I told her I didn’t care as long as she was comfortable with me sharing it on the blog. This is what she submitted).
The Breakfast Club and Timeby Emma MatthewsI’ve been thinking about time a lot lately (maybe it’s because I’m working on my Salutatorian speech). As a senior how can I escape it? In fact, just the other night, I was talking to my best friends, Liam and Ginny (though the specifics of our private conversation will remain between the three of us), and it made me reflect about how all of us are preoccupied with focusing on graduation. I remember when I was 9 and couldn’t wait to be 10 so I’d be in double digits, or when I was 12 and wanted to be 13 so I could be a teenager, or when I was 15 and couldn’t wait to be 16 so that I could finally drive alone. Considering the many times I’ve watched The Breakfast Club with my friends, this viewing I noticed the way John Hughes paid attention to the idea of space and time and I haven’t been able to shake thinking about it.
Considering my own teen years (even if I’m still in my teen years), there are lots of ways to feel trapped and powerless. For example, how much say do teens have over rules at home? Or which classes we get assigned at school? When our curfew is set? Or what religion we get to practice? These things are dictated to us for the most part. And like the situation in the movie, the teen characters are confined to Shermer High School’s library. They’ve not only been restricted to the space but also compelled to share their day with strangers coated in an infraction that serves to communicate their identities. Within the first 5 minutes in the film we’ve been given the day (Saturday), the date (March 24, 1984), a shot or two of the clock and the place. These characters are locked in a space in which it seems time has stopped.
Mr. Vernon, the adult in charge, enters the library and after sharing the time adds, “you will not talk, move, or sleep.” The stifling omnipresence of not only a controlling adult entity but also a single day stretched into a vast void of loss of time and autonomy looms. The frame cuts to a clock face highlighting time as a motif, but also suggests the feeling of being stuck. I imagine as I watch the time lost, the boredom, the struggle to adhere to these directives by the authority figure I see as nonsensical, and who has set rules that seem arbitrary. I also don’t know why these students are required to be at Saturday school in the first place. These facts add to the dichotomy between what it means to be a teen stuck between external forces who dictate belief systems and behavioral expectations, and the desire for self-determination.
The character Claire seems to highlight this idea. The popular “prom queen” demonstrates why she believes Saturday school isn’t an apt punishment for her infraction: skipping school to go shopping. Her attitude and dialogue reflect the external identity she’s built in her mannerisms, her outward appearance, and her condescension toward others in the library with her. She complains about her life, her parents and her feeling of being “stuck.” As the movie progresses however, the other characters challenge her attitudes. Over the course of the film we see her shift from who she entered at the onset of the story to the person she becomes when she leaves at the end demonstrating that power for personal autonomy.
The clock—as the movie progresses—disappears, demonstrating the way in which time seems to stop in the film, and like Claire, each of the characters are forced to examine their attitudes and behaviors. But they aren’t the only ones, right, because even the audience has to examine his/her own attitudes. Remember, this is occurring in the library, a place of learning. The space, then, becomes something more significant in the timeline these characters share highlighting the importance of space and time, and becoming reflective of the way in which the time becomes a place of learning, of gaining insight, of finding one’s story. We get to see this occur in John Bender, who, at the beginning of the film, tears apart the library; he rearranges cards in the card catalogue and destroys books. As the day continues, however, his behaviors shift. We see him put himself on the line with Vernon for the sake of the others, he tells the truth about his family, and even stands up for others. His mask fades to allow others to understand him.
Can we change in a moment of time? John Hughes once said of his discovery of Bob Dylan’s song “Bring it All Back Home” that it changed him. “Thursday I was one person and on Friday I was another.” I like the idea that we can experience something so profound, so challenging that it bumps our trajectory from one plane onto another. Now, as a senior, I’m facing the unknown of what happens after graduation. There are these moments behind me. I recognize all the choices I had to make and wonder if I made the right decisions. How things might be different had I made a different choice? The Breakfast Club asks us to look at a moment like their day in the library and be open to its possibilities.
The significance of time then is that while the clock keeps moving forward, we have the opportunity to move with it or run the risk of getting stuck in the same mindset. Hughes alluded to this during a discussion between Mr. Vernon and Carl, the janitor, the only two adults in the film. At the same time the students are smoking marijuana in the library, tapping into their rebellion and sliding into their inhibitions, the adults are drinking alcohol in the basement (another symbol perhaps of adults hiding their true selves while the teens in the library are exploring them more honestly and openly). Vernon insists that kids and their attitudes are degrading while Carl confronts Vernon’s attitudes, intimating that it’s Vernon who’s stuck in a mindset and unwilling to change. Vernon then represents the inability to change and the problem with remaining stuck. This becomes dangerous when he confronts John Bender in the closet (still in hiding much like the basement), threatening the teen. As the audience we are uncomfortable with this adult degrading into the Bender we saw earlier in the film because it reflects the adult’s inability to grow.
While I think there’s a lot wrong with The Breakfast Club (i.e., gender roles and behaviors, stereotypes, and a lack of racial perspective to name a few) the theme of time and the importance of looking at it honestly in order to make meaningful change is universal. Ultimately, I think all of us can take a moment to reflect: Am I who I want to be? Am I making the most of the time I’ve been given? What I need to do to make that happen? Let’s make an agreement, then, to not waste a single moment.
Next Week: Pretty in Pink and Ginny Donnelly as our Guest BloggerCLWalters Blog RSS
April 2020
Apr 8, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma's Perfectionism
Apr 8, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Emma and Tanner Fall
Apr 3, 2020
March 2020
Mar 23, 2020
The Cantos Chronicles: The Letters
Mar 23, 2020
September 2019
Sep 7, 2019
Story Time Saturday: The Ugly Truth Exerpt
Sep 7, 2019
August 2019
Aug 21, 2019
In The Wait: Jack
Aug 21, 2019
July 2019
Jul 24, 2019
In the Wait: Matt
Jul 24, 2019
Jul 17, 2019
In the Wait: Carter
Jul 17, 2019
Jul 10, 2019
In the Wait : Sara
Jul 10, 2019
Jul 2, 2019
In the Wait - Companion to Swimming Sideways
Jul 2, 2019
March 2019
Mar 20, 2019
Whole
Mar 20, 2019
Mar 13, 2019
Write Your Truth
Mar 13, 2019
February 2019
Feb 27, 2019
Romantic Short Story: The Broken Sign
Feb 27, 2019
July 26, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Relationship to Self
I need to recharge my batteries.
In honor of this week’s theme—relationship to self— I was going to write about the ways we struggle with the Doubt Committee in our heads, but the I realized, I’m struggling with my own. So, listening to my internal compass, I’m going to take a much needed break to recharge my batteries (and prepare for Hurricane Douglas which is heading toward Hawaiʻi). If the hurricane passes us by (which I hope is the case), I’ll be back next in August.
So, friends while Iʻm gone, you have an assignment to ponder for yourself:
How do you take care of yourself? How do you know when itʻs time to do so?
How do you refill your well?
How do you address the missing pieces in your life?
How do you quiet the Doubt Committee?
I’ll see you in a week.
Next Week: John Hughes and The Stories Stars TellCLWalters Blog RSS
July 2020
Jul 26, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Relationship to Self
Jul 26, 2020
Jul 22, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Family
Jul 22, 2020
Jul 15, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: Friendship
Jul 15, 2020
Jul 8, 2020
The Stories Stars Tell: New Relationships
Jul 8, 2020
Jul 1, 2020
Interview: Lauren-Marie with The Indigo Book
Jul 1, 2020
June 2020
Jun 24, 2020
This-Then-That: YA Dystopian and SciFi Edition
Jun 24, 2020
Jun 17, 2020
This-Then-That: YA Contemporary Edition
Jun 17, 2020
Jun 10, 2020
This-Then-That: YA Fantasy Edition
Jun 10, 2020
Jun 3, 2020
We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming . . .
Jun 3, 2020
May 2020
May 27, 2020
Reading Wonderland Interview: Piper Bee
May 27, 2020
May 20, 2020
Reading Wonderland Interview: Nancy Richardson Fischer
May 20, 2020
May 13, 2020
Reading Wonderland Interview: Rob Rufus
May 13, 2020
May 6, 2020
Reading Wonderland Interview: Lisa Brown Roberts
May 6, 2020
April 2020
Apr 29, 2020
Reading Wonderland: an Introduction
Apr 29, 2020
Apr 22, 2020
Quarantine: 37 Days
Apr 22, 2020
March 2020
Mar 31, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Road Trip Wrap Up
Mar 31, 2020
Mar 25, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 8
Mar 25, 2020
Mar 18, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 7
Mar 18, 2020
Mar 11, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 6
Mar 11, 2020
February 2020
Feb 29, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 5
Feb 29, 2020
Feb 24, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 4
Feb 24, 2020
Feb 19, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 3
Feb 19, 2020
Feb 12, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 2
Feb 12, 2020
Feb 4, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 1
Feb 4, 2020
January 2020
Jan 29, 2020
Indie Author Marketing: A Hope and A Dream
Jan 29, 2020
Jan 15, 2020
The Letters She Left Behind: It's here!
Jan 15, 2020
Jan 8, 2020
The Letters She Left Behind: Free Chapter 3
Jan 8, 2020
Jan 1, 2020
The Letters She Left Behind: Free Chapter 2
Jan 1, 2020
December 2019
Dec 24, 2019
The Letters She Left Behind: Free Chapter 1
Dec 24, 2019
Dec 18, 2019
The Letters She Left Behind: Character Interview
Dec 18, 2019
Dec 11, 2019
The Letters She Left Behind: Annotated Playlist
Dec 11, 2019
Dec 2, 2019
Deadlines, December, New Stories Oh My!
Dec 2, 2019
November 2019
Nov 25, 2019
THE RING ACADEMY: The Disappearance, Part 6
Nov 25, 2019
Nov 18, 2019
THE RING ACADEMY: The Disappearance, Part 5
Nov 18, 2019
Nov 11, 2019
THE RING ACADEMY: The Disappearance, Part 4
Nov 11, 2019
Nov 4, 2019
THE RING ACADEMY: The Disappearance, Part 3
Nov 4, 2019
October 2019
Oct 28, 2019
THE RING ACADEMY: The Disappearance, Part 2
Oct 28, 2019
Oct 21, 2019
THE RING ACADEMY: The Disappearance, Part 1
Oct 21, 2019
Oct 16, 2019
Awesome Writer Spotlight: Mary E. Pearson (again)
Oct 16, 2019
Oct 7, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Gratitude
Oct 7, 2019
September 2019
Sep 30, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: It's time.
Sep 30, 2019
Sep 23, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: A Letter From Gabe
Sep 23, 2019
Sep 16, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: A Difficult Story
Sep 16, 2019
Sep 9, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Journey to Gabe
Sep 9, 2019
Sep 2, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Musical Playlist
Sep 2, 2019
August 2019
Aug 26, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Free Chapter
Aug 26, 2019
Aug 19, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: The Monster
Aug 19, 2019
Aug 12, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Gabe Facts
Aug 12, 2019
Aug 5, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Hero
Aug 5, 2019
July 2019
Jul 29, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Teens & Depression
Jul 29, 2019
Jul 22, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Love
Jul 22, 2019
Jul 15, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: The Change
Jul 15, 2019
Jul 8, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Aesthetic
Jul 8, 2019
Jul 1, 2019
The Bones of Who We Are: Book Blurb
Jul 1, 2019
June 2019
Jun 25, 2019
COVER REVEAL: The Bones of Who We Are
Jun 25, 2019
Jun 17, 2019
The Ugly Truth - Free Chapters
Jun 17, 2019
May 2019
May 26, 2019
Time Away
May 26, 2019
May 20, 2019
Writing Inspiration: Music
May 20, 2019
May 13, 2019
Awesome Writer Spotlight: Mary E. Pearson
May 13, 2019
May 6, 2019
Happy Book Birthday: A Character Interview
May 6, 2019
May 1, 2019
The Letters She Left Behind PLAYLIST
May 1, 2019
April 2019
Apr 29, 2019
YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: Genevieve Jane
Apr 29, 2019
Apr 22, 2019
YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: Pier Dye
Apr 22, 2019
Apr 15, 2019
YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: M. Wednesday
Apr 15, 2019
Apr 8, 2019
YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: Leslie Arambula
Apr 8, 2019
Apr 1, 2019
YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: Alison Aldridge
Apr 1, 2019
March 2019
Mar 25, 2019
YA Author Series Launch: CL Walters
Mar 25, 2019
Mar 18, 2019
#momlife, #writerslife
Mar 18, 2019
Mar 12, 2019
Book Mash-Up Fun
Mar 12, 2019
Mar 4, 2019
Snappy Dialogue in 3 Minutes
Mar 4, 2019
February 2019
Feb 25, 2019
Pacing the Narrative: A New Tool
Feb 25, 2019
Feb 18, 2019
Character and Conflict Part2: Motivation
Feb 18, 2019
Feb 16, 2019
2000 Words Out Loud: The Bones of Who We Are
Feb 16, 2019
Feb 11, 2019
Character and Conflict, part one: Types of Conflict
Feb 11, 2019
Feb 5, 2019
1000 Words Out Loud
Feb 5, 2019
Feb 4, 2019
Point of View and Writing
Feb 4, 2019
January 2019
Jan 28, 2019
Off to Refill the Well . . .
Jan 28, 2019
Jan 21, 2019
Character-Driven or Plot Driven Narrative?
Jan 21, 2019
Jan 14, 2019
Character: Conversations
Jan 14, 2019
December 2018
Dec 24, 2018
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Dec 24, 2018
Dec 10, 2018
Thank you!
Dec 10, 2018
Dec 3, 2018
The Ugly Truth: Cover Reveal and Playlist
Dec 3, 2018
November 2018
Nov 26, 2018
The Ugly Truth: A Letter from Seth
Nov 26, 2018
Nov 25, 2018
I won!
Nov 25, 2018
Nov 11, 2018
Swimming Sideways Sample
Nov 11, 2018
Nov 4, 2018
It's November!
Nov 4, 2018
October 2018
Oct 29, 2018
This Writer Reads
Oct 29, 2018
Oct 22, 2018
The Hate U Give (Consumers Unite!)
Oct 22, 2018
Oct 15, 2018
Swimming Sideways: A Letter to Readers
Oct 15, 2018
Oct 8, 2018
Empathy is Our Superpower!
Oct 8, 2018
Oct 4, 2018
The Writer Hoard
Oct 4, 2018
Oct 1, 2018
Swimming Sideways Play List
Oct 1, 2018
September 2018
Sep 28, 2018
Hero's Journey: Jane and New Found Freedom
Sep 28, 2018
Sep 25, 2018
Hero's Journey: Jane and the Final Battle
Sep 25, 2018
Sep 22, 2018
Hero's Journey: Jane and Her Road Back
Sep 22, 2018
Sep 19, 2018
Hero's Journey: Jane's Dark Night of the Soul
Sep 19, 2018
Sep 16, 2018
Hero's Journey: Jane's Road of Trials
Sep 16, 2018
Sep 13, 2018
Hero's Journey: Jane Crosses the Threshold
Sep 13, 2018
Sep 10, 2018
Hero's Journey: Jane Goes on an Adventure
Sep 10, 2018
Sep 7, 2018
Hero's Journey: Ordinary Jane
Sep 7, 2018
July 1, 2020
Interview: Lauren-Marie with The Indigo Book
The last several weeks, I’ve been pondering the idea of reading. From the Reading Wonderland blog posts to the This-Then-That book comparisons, the way we choose books as readers has been on my mind. Perhaps a big part of that is because I’m in the beginning phases of marketing my new book The Stories Stars Tell which releases in October, and as an independent author, the weight of trying to get that right is always on my mind. While not impossible because there are quite a few Independent Author success stories out there, the obstacles sometimes feel like traversing an impassable mountain range much like I imagine traveling the Himalayas might be. It takes a strong skill set, a lot of preparation and practice, and incredible resources.
There is definitely a misconception [...] about Indie authors.
Resources available to indie authors are treasures. Seriously. Traversing the publishing industry without a map (like an agent and a lawyer) and without mentors (like editors and publishers) raises the financial stakes. Everywhere an author turns, they’re looking at resources and struggling to know what’s available to traditional authors versus indie authors and what’s legitimate or not (there are a lot of horror stories of indie author’s being taken advantage of). Add to it that everything seems to have a price tag, which for any author is difficult since publishing isn’t an industry one wanders into for the benefit of immediate financial gain.
When I discover a diamond resource in that treasure box, I have a choice to make: keep it quiet or shout it out. While I might want to selfishly tuck it into my own toolkit, the reality is I’m of the “shouting out” variety of human since I am a firm believer that to make any profession better— including the publishing and independent publishing industry—we have to start speaking the same language as well as celebrate the true resources as the treasures they are.
It is with GREAT pleasure that I have the opportunity to shout out one such diamond: Lauren Marie of Lauren Marie’s Musings and The Indigo Book. Besides being a YA writer and blogger herself, Lauren reviews books and her newest endeavor has been to advocate and promote independent authors and independent books specifically. This month kicks off a new initiative she created, The Read Indie Readathon (#readindiereadathon) which she hopes will become a celebrated annual event.
Since we’re not technically able to sit down with one another due to “stay safe at home” orders and we’re in different locations on the planet (which would make meeting more complicated), Lauren agreed to answer some questions about her endeavors, the new initiative and life in general.
CLW: Why Indie Authors and Independent Books, Lauren?
LM: When I started watching AuthorTube, I was quickly introduced to the independently published world. I deep dove into research about it and knew that was the way I wanted to publish my novels. However, I was sad to discover that Indie authors didn’t get the same attention as traditionally published authors. Also, that Indie authors and their books are seen as less than traditionally published books. I knew it meant that I had to work harder to get my book noticed. There is definitely a misconception here about Indie authors. I could see it working against amazing authors and knew it would work against me in the future. I’m very passionate about my writing and so I want to work to help Indie authors by disproving the misconceptions.
CLW: What would you say those misconceptions are?
LM:
1. That Indie authors are the rejects from traditionally published world. From my experience, most of the time Indie authors researched the industry and chose Independently published world themselves.
2. If an Indie’s has been rejected from traditional publishers it’s not a good book. Traditional publishers are businesses and that want products that are sure sellers, not risks. If they think a specific kind of book is popular at the moment it has a better chance. This doesn’t mean it’s poorly written or very flawed, it just means the publishers don’t think it will sell. However, this shouldn’t be discouraging. Whether a book’s value is seen by publishers or not, is not an indication of whether or not it has an audience or not. I am of the belief that every book has an audience.
3. Homemade covers and unedited. Most Indie authors go through editing and editors and get professional book covers made and all the rest. The only difference is that Indie authors have to hire them instead of having the publishers do that for them.
CLW: As an Indie author, I appreciate your list. It helps to know that there are people out there who understand the undertaking of being independent in this industry, the amount of personal financial investment. Your comment, “that every book has an audience,” is uplifting. I’d love to hear more about your passion about books. What’s your reader “origin story”?
LM: I don’t really remember the moment I became a reader. But, my mum tells me that I’ve always been surrounded by books. My parents knew it helped with development, so they had me reading young. Also, members of my extended family are big readers too and I have fond memories of my primary school librarian. When I was 15, I became close to some girls that were also big readers, spending time with them in bookstores began my book hoarding.
CLW: Book hoarding is definitely an issue for readers (ah hem). How many books would you say you have in your TBR pile at the moment? And a follow up: how ever do you get through them?
LM: I have 50+ books on my shelves or on my kindle waiting to be read. Both Indie and traditional. Both books I bought and books I’ve been gifted by authors and publishers. But, there are still many books I don’t own that I still want to read.
I get through them by reading regularly. I try to give myself a bit of time in the morning before I get work done to get myself into gear and at night in bed just before I get to sleep.
CLW: And your ideal story to read?
LM: Fantasy. I love, love, love fantasy. It began when my primary school librarian showed me The Spiderwick Chronicles. I don’t mind if it’s middle grade, young adult or adult. I just love the magic and the impossibility of it all. Also, high stakes, like life or death make books more exciting to read, in my opinion. I’m a sucker for a good romance, so a romantic subplot is a must.
CLW: I read on your website that you are also working on a YA fantasy novel. Do you have a “go to” author or two for inspiration? And can you offer the “why” that is?
LM: When I was 15 and I met those friends who were big readers, they both encouraged me to read Sarah J Maas. It reintroduced me to fantasy, because when I started high school, for a few years I was a romance book fiend. It really made me want to write my own fantasy, so I will always go to Sarah J Maas for inspiration. Later, I found VE Schwab, I thought her writing style was just as magical as her worlds.
CLW: The Shades of Magic series, am I right or am I right? Have you read an Indie fantasy you loved and would want to share with the world? Or, if that’s too specific, an Indie author that people should be on the lookout for his/her books?
LM: Yes, The Shades of Magic Series, is the book that made me fall in love with VE Schwab’s writing.
An Indie Fantasy book that I absolutely loved is The Savior’s Champion and the Companion novel The Savior’s Sister by Jenna Moreci. It’s so well written and so good. The romance is just perfect. It’s my favourite Indie novel.
CLW: How do you manage to find the time to read, review, promote AND be a full-time university student?
LM: Prioritizing. My ability to prioritize will always be my weapon against getting things done. It often means making hard decisions between having to study and wanting to read, but reminding myself it’ll be better in the long run really helps. My studies will come first for the time being, but, I make sure to give myself Sunday’s off to rest. Because I love reading, reviewing and content creating so much I don’t mind spending my Sunday’s off doing it. But, also while Uni is very intense during the semesters, the breaks are long and I don’t often have to study during them. Which means, between work, I can spend my days solidly working on my reading, reviewing and content creating.
CLW: Prioritizing is a key skill for anyone, but especially a writer. You’re ahead of the game. So, five facts about student life today:
LM:
Online is not (& never will be) superior to face-to-face learning. This is something I learned even before COVID, so I was really devastated when we were forced online.
Balance doesn’t mean 50/50, it means 75% school work and 25% fun
Engaging in your learning is important. Flicking through notes isn’t enough.
Social media is a new and persistent distraction
Mindfulness is necessary to keep you sane.
CLW: Today marks the date for your new promotion the #readindiereadathon. Would you tell us more about it?
LM: I always wanted to start a campaign around #ReadIndie. But, was never sure how or what. I have ‘#ReadIndie’ on a message board that I can see from my bed. I was staring at it one night and the idea of a Readathon came to mind. I want to promote indie authors, I want Indie authors and readers to help promote each other. That was my inspiration behind it.
As for the actual readathon, it’s very simple. I have arranged the prompts in 4 x 4 square. To win the readathon you need to get a bingo, which you can do by going down, across or diagonal. It means you need to read a minimum of 4 Indie books. You can read across any genre, any platform and any age category. There will be a photo challenge, where each week you take a picture based on the prompt for that week. You don’t have to participate in the photo challenge, but it would be a fun way to promote yourself and other indie authors. There is a massive giveaway at the end, with 10+ Indie book prizes.
I’ve been blown away by the support and love for this Readathon. The Indigo Book doesn’t have a large audience, so I was scared it wouldn’t take off. Instead, the community has grown and I have found my few audience members are very active and it really pleases me.
CLW: That’s fabulous! What three “takeaways” do hope are born from this challenge?
LM:
Indie books are amazing and deserved to be hyped
The Indie community is amazingly supportive
Reviews help indie authors!!
CLW: When you jumped into the world of independent authors and books, what did you discover?
LM: I discovered it would be a lot more work, because you have more control of your book. I really liked that. I have a business mind, having grown up in a family who own a small business and I’m also now studying a Commerce (Marketing) degree, as well as an Arts (Creative Writing) degree. However, the reality is not everyone has the same business mind or exposure as I do. Thus I discovered not enough authors think of being an author as a business, they think of it as a job, but there is a difference. The difference I think is important and in the future I hope to help authors change their mind set. (I’m not 100% sure how at the moment, but I’m sure like the #ReadIndie campaign it will come to me as my experience grows)
CLW: I think this mindset is fabulous. As an Indie Author (who has an education background rather than a business one), I have had to wrap my mind around this facet of treating what I do as a business. From that mindset, what advice would you give authors starting out?
LM:
Do not ever make your book free. You’re running a business and not a charity. I know it’s hard to make sales and to get your book out there. But, if you feel inclined to give away your book to readers for free. Make them earn it through giveaways or research book bloggers, Bookstagrammer or booktubers who will review it if you give it out for free. This will help you so much more in the future.
Be forward. Reach out to people, ask for reviews, send arcs to bookstores/sellers. Look for and research opportunities and take them.
Marketing is just as much part of being an author as writing the book. Do research on marketing basics and if you can research your target market (for authors this is basically what age category your book is for).
GET REVIEWS! I recently did a report for Uni where I looked at the influence of word of mouth on consumers. I found out that word of mouth (i.e. reviews and any media that is made independently from you) is 12 times more influential than manufacturer media (i.e. blurbs and ads. Any written by you about your own book). Try not to be too worried about negative reviews either, positive reviews are 3 times more likely.
CLW: Two fun facts about you?
LM:
I’ve fenced at a national level
I drink way too much tea to be healthy
CLW: One burning question you want answered…
LM: How do we change the mindset of average book consumers to think about Indie books in the same way they think about traditionally published books?
CLW: I am in agreement with you on this one. I’ve always thought it comes down to changing the mindset of the indie author and how they present their books (the product they are offering). I’ve thought that if we elevate the way we as indie authors, reviewers, indie publishers and indie booksellers approach this business, we might see that reflected in the way the world sees the indie author. What do you think it would take to see the indie world elevated?
LM: Community. Working together to elevate each other in our own community is a good start. Then, reaching out to other people in the non-indie book community and educating them on Indie books and making them see they’re just as good as traditionally published books. Also, Indie books and traditionally published books are often segregated. Traditionally published books are in libraries and big bookstores, while Indie books are on the author’s website. Seeing Indie and traditional books side-by-side in bookstores and libraries will help dispel notions that they’re different in any way. We need to enforce that books are books and that it’s about finding your preferences, it doesn’t matter how it’s published.
Historically, all art—written or otherwise—was independent. Artists painting to acting to writing livelihood was built on the passion of the creator but the benevolence of the audience. In modern contexts, this is no different. Visual artists have relied on the rich benefactor, Shakespeare relied on the support of Queens and Kings, Chance the Rapper relied on the fans and word of mouth; art has always been an endeavor that needs champions. While Independent Artists from photographers, digital artists, musicians, to authors are optimizing tools to reduce the need for the gatekeepers of culture, these same artists will always rely on the goodwill and support of the audience sharing the work. Publishing—traditional or independent—isn’t an exception to the rule; it is the continuation of the norm.
Thank you to Lauren for taking some time to share more about her amazing initiative Read Indie Readathon. Best wishes to her this month and beyond. Be sure to visit her website and participate both there and on Instagram. Let’s make sure that voices like hers continue to be loud and heard.
June 3, 2020
We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming . . .
I scheduled a different post for today —one that looks at This Then That, (look for it in the future) but I decided that posting it would be tone deaf. Really.
The country is on fire.
You know what sucks? Change. It’s painful. It stretches and tears, rearranges and redefines. But growth—meaningful growth—is like that. IT IS NECESSARY.
I’ve been listing to a series of author talks hosted by Nic Stone on her instagram focused around ideas of race, and I am learning so much (I would suggest going to her IG page and studying up, my friends).
If we want to be stronger, better, and whole, then we have to walk that talk. We have to stand up for our black brothers and sisters. While it isn’t about “all lives” right now, by standing up for black lives, we make a statement that their lives are equal to all lives. We have to do what we can NOW.
Something that hit me yesterday during the Tuesday Black Out is how important it is to leverage my voice as a white person as an ally. To use the privilege that comes with the color of my skin to speak out, to advocate, to make a difference in some way. Am I doing it right? I don’t know, but I trust that if I’m not people will tell me. I can’t sit back, afraid, and not speak up. I can’t be afraid to offend. I have to be open to listening and learning. I have to be willing to change (even if it’s painful because I will be better for it).
Don’t know what to do? Here’s are seven things we can do today.
