Meg Rosoff's Blog, page 2

Yes, yes I know.

It has come to my attention that the people who should be posting my blogs have been remiss of late. Shame on them. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize on my, sorry, their behalf. Perhaps they have temporarily run out of witty/wise/timely things to say. I suggest you go about your business and [...]

Beauty Tips for the Seasonally Disgruntled

It’s nearly Christmas, but you’ve still got more parties, drinks and nights out left to go, right? Since you can’t escape the relentless existential shriek that is the Holiday Season, here are some of my patented ways of looking your personal best right up to the big day. (And looking good is extra important this time [...]

Christmas lies.

Christmas is the most wonderful day of the year. Jostling with 4 billion other people on Oxford street is an inevitable part of the Christmas experience. Everyone loves getting presents. The Nutcracker never palls. Not even after 15 bloody years. Children don’t believe you love them if you don’t get them tons of expensive stuff. [...]

The secret of successful writing.

  Published writer or amateur, sometimes we all need reminding.            

Be the Weird Kid.

Be the kid too shy to speak up in class. Be the kid who laughs at the wrong things. Be the clown who makes the teachers sigh. Be the dreamer who spends all day in her head. Be the geek who doesn’t get invited to parties. Be the freak whose clothes are different. Be the [...]

How to Write.

I spent fifteen miserable years in advertising and when I finally left, had nothing to show for it except a few ads no one remembered — and a flat bought on my meagre salary in 1991. I was fired a lot, for insubordination and general disgust with the people and the process, though mainly with [...]

How to have the smartest kid on the block.

I find myself in the grossly uncomfortable position of agreeing with A A Gill on the subject of educating children, which information I impart solely in the interest of full disclosure. I trust neither of us will ever mention this unpleasant coincidence again. Mr Gill wrote an article in Vanity Fair this month on the [...]

Are Frankenpublishers the future of books?

Publishing revolution is in the air. You can’t miss it. This week has been big for mergers, including my own publisher, Penguin, who’ve become Random Penguin. And everyone’s waiting nervously to discover what it means to work for (or be an author with) the world’s largest trade publisher. At the same time, smaller publishers are [...]

Future Us

Remember how way back in the 60s or 70s or 90s sci-fi writers wrote scary books and films and short stories all about how computers were going to take over the world, how Hal wasn’t going to let us back in the hatch, how Daleks would be much smarter than humans and how soon computers [...]

Let us now praise James Bond.

Today, class, we will be learning about success. And no, I am not talking about 50 Shades of Ooh-Ow-You-Big-Bully-Billionaire. The best way to create success is not with crappy fan fiction (no one will remember Shades in 5 years, and the film will be a disaster, yes I am a soothsayer, and yes, you can [...]