Christopher Meeks's Blog, page 21
December 20, 2009
Being Practical: Publishing Vs. Self Publishing (Part Two)
The forty-billion-dollar book industry is in flux because its old business model of consignment, where bookstores can return unsold books, isn't working, according to a Time magazine article earlier this year. Consignment is great for bookstores, which are squeezed for profit, but the shipping back and forth of books is not efficient. As the article states, "Publishers suck up the ...
December 16, 2009
Being Practical: Publishing Vs. Self-Publishing (Part One)
To paraphrase Bette Davis, "Self-publishing isn't for sissies." Let me explain. In April at the AWP Convention, I'll be moderating a panel called "To Publish or Self-Publish: The Changing Landscape of Publication." It's been on my mind, and I've seen in Kindle forums and elsewhere that published writers with books from well-known publishers are slamming authors who are trying ...
Murderers are His Life
David Scott Milton taught me playwriting at USC. I'd never written a play before, but when I attended the Master of Professional Writing Program, I needed to study in three genres. I wanted to write novels and screenplays, which is why I joined the program at USC, but a third genre? I'd heard great things about Milton's class, and he had a play on Broadway. I figured writing plays was similar to ...
We All Live Long on the Internet
In the early eighties, fresh with an MFA in creative writing, I joined Prelude Press as its senior editor, and we put out computer books by one person, Peter McWilliams. I was one of seventeen people working for Peter. With a very active mind and a huge entrepreurial will, Peter started out publishing his own poetry books, then hit it big co-writing The TM Book with Denise Denniston and ...
December 12, 2009
Between Projects
The Christmas train is racing around the bend, and I'm still not ready to hop on. I love Christmas, but I find myself between projects, which has created a need stronger than the holiday. I turned in my novel to my agent last week, after working on it for two years. Once he reads it and gives me notes, I'll work on it again. In the meantime, I finally added the changes to my play "Who ...
December 4, 2009
Interview with Christopher Meeks
Author R.J. Keller interviewed me a few weeks ago, and the published result came out today. Compared to my last playful post, I'm certainly more serious. An excerpt is below. For the full interview and a good chance to win a book, click on the link at the bottom.--ChrisR.J. Keller: People often ask me if my novel is autobiographical. I'll be honest, it sometimes gets on my nerves. With that in ...
November 30, 2009
NOTICE OF STREET VACATION
My street just went on vacation. Thought Cabo San Lucas might be great--grab a few shots of tequila, witness a wet t-shirt contest, maybe find a little calle and go gutter to gutter. Hell, the street hadn't had a break since the 1920s, before the Great Depression. Here is was, witness to foreclosure after foreclosure, and now in the last few years, it's carried another wave of people sweeping ...
November 23, 2009
QUOTES NEEDED: The Truth of Writing Fiction
I find myself one week away from talking to an auditorium full of people on "The Pursuit of Truth in Fiction." I was kindly invited by Santa Monica College to talk about and read my work as part of its literary series. I said, "I'd love to," and days later when I was asked "What is the title of your lecture?" I thought to myself, "Lecture?"The first ...
November 4, 2009
The Great L.A. Chili Dog Debate: Pink's or Carney's?
THE GREAT LOS ANGELES DEBATE: PINK'S VS. CARNEY'Sby Chris TattuIn my English composition class at Santa Monica College, I had my students write a comparison-and-contrast essay, and I suggested, among several choices, comparing two restaurants. One young man, Chris Tattu, compared the chili dogs at two restaurants, Pink's and Carney's. If you know Los Angeles at all, you know how inspired ...
October 31, 2009
"WHO LIVES?" PRODUCTION WINS OVATION NOMINATIONS
The production of my play "Who Lives?", which was performed in Los Angeles at the Pico Playhouse during the month of March, has earned five Ovation Award nominations. The Ovations are Los Angeles' top theatre awards. A play can earn nominations if enough L.A. Stage Alliance members see the production and then vote for the play. I'm stunned the production has earned so many ...
