Audiences to writing
Oct. 22nd, 2006 12:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreaminghopeWhen I am out in public, especially if I am alone, I become very conscious of my own behaviour and how I could be viewed – even if I know that no one cares. I also become hyper-aware of other people's actions and how they conform to or differ from the norm.
I went to a couple of the International Writers Festival panels this weekend.
Yesterday was "From the Dark Side", where I joined![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rythos42 to watch a panel of authors discuss writing about serial killers, psychopaths, and insane asylums. When the authors walked on to the stage, we all applauded. The authors read descriptions of a man murdering and burying a minister and a man being burned alive. I laughed at every opportunity offered; there were many. Those around me seemed to do the same.
Today was "Writing Life", which I attended alone. The writers, all contributors to the Writing Life anthology, spoke about writing when you have kids, doubting the value of writing, and the problems of marketing your writing. We didn't applaud when the writers walked on to the stage.
I don't know why we applauded for the authors at the first event I went to and not for the second. There were even some of the same authors on the two panels. Who makes the decision to clap or not to clap? I'm not the one who decides. If I was, we would have clapped for both panels; I like consistency.
The most interesting thing for me was when the writers started talking about feeling insecure about writing, as though it were not a worthwhile activity. One author spoke about watching a man digging a trough and thinking about how silly writing seems in comparison to the physical labour. Another spoke about being asked by her relatives: "So, you’re a writer; what's that get you?"
The audience responded most to that section of the discussion. When the time came for audience questions, most of them were actually comments from people talking about how books had changed lives or touched people they knew. They wanted to reassure these successful authors that what they are doing is important; responding to a writer's need for groupies.
There were two authors who received more applause then anyone else: a French novelist who struggled to read his book in English translation and to answer questions in a language that wasn't his own, and an author who spoke about her problems with public speaking and promoting her work. The audience reacted as a whole with compassion towards the person who was obviously trying very hard and the person who’s problem they could most easily relate to.
When the man who played Amos Hart in a production of Chicago came out for his curtain call, he got more applause then anyone else, even the biggest stars, in no small part because of his moving performance of "Mister Cellophane", which got a lot of applause as well.
I didn't really like the audience question portion of either panel. Both seemed to be dominated by people who wanted to sound smart. Most of them didn't even have questions: they had comments or rants ending with a lame "so, uh, do you agree?". The writers, luckily, managed to make their answers interesting, even if they didn't have much to do with what was asked.
I didn't like the moderator much of the first panel. Her questions got so long and complicated that the authors ended up just sort of staring at her. But the "Writing Life" moderator was much better. The writers were very interesting and fun both times, though.
Who decides how long to clap? It just seems to end on its own, except when it doesn't. I saw a modern dance performance in the Paris Opera House once, years ago. After every dance, the curtain would close, and the audience clapped and clapped and clapped until it developed its own rhythm and everyone seemed to be clapping in unison. It was eerie.
It's been a busy weekend so far, but I hope to actually get writing again tomorrow.
*Eden Robinson, author of Blood Sports.
I went to a couple of the International Writers Festival panels this weekend.
Yesterday was "From the Dark Side", where I joined
rythos42 to watch a panel of authors discuss writing about serial killers, psychopaths, and insane asylums. When the authors walked on to the stage, we all applauded. The authors read descriptions of a man murdering and burying a minister and a man being burned alive. I laughed at every opportunity offered; there were many. Those around me seemed to do the same.When I'm trying to get into the mood to write those [graphic torture scenes], I read writers who've already gone there. Those books become my touchstones. When I'm trying to get myself back out of that, I listen to Enya. Enya is good for coming back out of the dark.*
Today was "Writing Life", which I attended alone. The writers, all contributors to the Writing Life anthology, spoke about writing when you have kids, doubting the value of writing, and the problems of marketing your writing. We didn't applaud when the writers walked on to the stage.
I don't know why we applauded for the authors at the first event I went to and not for the second. There were even some of the same authors on the two panels. Who makes the decision to clap or not to clap? I'm not the one who decides. If I was, we would have clapped for both panels; I like consistency.
The most interesting thing for me was when the writers started talking about feeling insecure about writing, as though it were not a worthwhile activity. One author spoke about watching a man digging a trough and thinking about how silly writing seems in comparison to the physical labour. Another spoke about being asked by her relatives: "So, you’re a writer; what's that get you?"
The audience responded most to that section of the discussion. When the time came for audience questions, most of them were actually comments from people talking about how books had changed lives or touched people they knew. They wanted to reassure these successful authors that what they are doing is important; responding to a writer's need for groupies.
There were two authors who received more applause then anyone else: a French novelist who struggled to read his book in English translation and to answer questions in a language that wasn't his own, and an author who spoke about her problems with public speaking and promoting her work. The audience reacted as a whole with compassion towards the person who was obviously trying very hard and the person who’s problem they could most easily relate to.
Cellophane
Mister Cellophane
Should have been my name
Mister Cellophane
'Cause you can look right through me
Walk right by me
And never know I'm there
When the man who played Amos Hart in a production of Chicago came out for his curtain call, he got more applause then anyone else, even the biggest stars, in no small part because of his moving performance of "Mister Cellophane", which got a lot of applause as well.
I didn't really like the audience question portion of either panel. Both seemed to be dominated by people who wanted to sound smart. Most of them didn't even have questions: they had comments or rants ending with a lame "so, uh, do you agree?". The writers, luckily, managed to make their answers interesting, even if they didn't have much to do with what was asked.
I didn't like the moderator much of the first panel. Her questions got so long and complicated that the authors ended up just sort of staring at her. But the "Writing Life" moderator was much better. The writers were very interesting and fun both times, though.
Who decides how long to clap? It just seems to end on its own, except when it doesn't. I saw a modern dance performance in the Paris Opera House once, years ago. After every dance, the curtain would close, and the audience clapped and clapped and clapped until it developed its own rhythm and everyone seemed to be clapping in unison. It was eerie.
It's been a busy weekend so far, but I hope to actually get writing again tomorrow.
*Eden Robinson, author of Blood Sports.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-10-23 02:18 pm (UTC)I have some notes from my panels that I want to share...no time right now though. The mystery panel that afternoon was less helpful than I would have thought. The best I got out of it was "How do you keep the readers guessing?" "Well...I have a team of people read over my novel to tell me." Oh duuuuuh, OF COURSE you do. Had hoped for something a little more insightful than that.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-24 02:28 am (UTC)I didn't take any notes at all; I had my pen and paper ready at "Writing Life", but I never remembered to write anything.
"Writing Life" was a good panel. I am going to buy the anthology when I have money again, because I really enjoyed the pieces they read. Unfortunately, they didn't have any copies at the panel (I think they sold out), so I couldn't justify an impulse purchase I couldn't really afford last weekend. Once I get a copy, I'll lend it to you if you'd like. I think you will find it interesting.
What I found really interesting is that several of the writers, before reading their essays about writing, felt the need to disclaim that they hadn't thought about having to read it out loud to an audience. Fiction writers reading non-fiction pieces... it seemed like the essays were actually more personal to them then their novels.