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Subscribe to NewsletterDo you tweet? Have you jumped into the Twitter soup yet? It took me ages to get the hang of Twitter and I think it's one of the most misunderstood elements of social media.
The impression I had before I signed up was that it was a rushing tide, full of illiterate Justin Bieber fans (not saying that it's a prerequisite to be illiterate to be a Justin Bieber fan.. I'll stop digging now) and people telling the world what they'd eaten for dinner.
Recent events might skew that a bit - now it's apparently full of snide members of parliament discovering the laws of libel do apply and doing Philip Schofield's research for him.
Once I did get involved though, I realised it was a fantastic way to tap the vein of the various different tribes I'm a member of. I follow interesting authors, editors, agents, random other people who work from home, people I find funny, people I like - and just a few companies. I don't appear to be following any Justin Bieber fans but they may be in disguise.
As well as witty procrastination, it also lets you know what is going on in the wider world. Which is how I found out that today is #readerthanks day. A day when you - as a reader - give your thanks for something to do with books. You don't have to sign up to twitter to go and have a look - just put that hashtag into search to see what everyone is thankful for.
On a flippant note - it's a great day for bad sex. Every year the Literary Review draws up a shortlist of the worst sex writing they've found - this year's can be found here. I found this out as various quotes appeared in my twitter feed, such "My cock was barely a ghost, but I did not suffer panic" or "He threw his arms around her ass and clung to her, upside down, as if to a lifebuoy."
And if your thoughts are turning to Christmas, I was alerted to a lovely scheme run by Blackwells allowing people to buy books for children who would otherwise go without this year.
Do you use twitter? Have you struggled with a sex scene recently? And what one book would you buy for a child who has no books?
Adrian Sroka on November 21, 2012
Hi Cressida.
Do you use twitter?
I do have a twitter account, but I am not a fully-fledged twit. I have not invested the time to get used to twitter. Most of the people I have been in contact with are fine. But there are a few poisonous people who obviously use fake or hacked accounts. I have received a few strange messages, but I ignore them.
Have you struggled with a sex scene recently?
I have struggled getting sex, but not with sex scenes. Like Jane Austen, I do not need to write about sex. I believe there were less than twenty kisses in the six-pieces of pure-gold that Austen wrote. Likewise, there are only passionate kisses in my chivalric tale. I fail to understand why everyone is so obsessed with sex. Its overrated.
And what one book would you buy for a child who has no books?
It depends on the age of the child. I can think of many excellent books by award-winning childrens authors. But If I had to pick one, it would be.
'The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler' - Gillian Kemp.
Victoria Whithear on November 22, 2012
Adrian, I think that might have been more than Cressida wanted to know!
2I think sex has to actually be relevant to the plot in some way. Otherwise it's there for shock and entertainment value and while a writer is entertaining he/she isn't moving the plot forward. If the scene is then badly written it turns into quite a farce.
I always write my sex scenes and then take most of them out in the editing. I think they are great practise and teach you a lot about how not to write so I'll always write them even if I continue to remove them. As my first book is too long only one small scene sneaked through and that is because of the relevance to their relationship. I'd like to put the main scene back in because it has relevance to the sequels, but there isn't really room. Or is that just my excuse? I'm not sure I want to know what people really think of my sex scenes.
I'm still quite new to Twitter and don't tweet much, but I have followers. I'm not quite sure how they found me but they're there nonetheless.
I think all children should read Dahl as they are tremendous stories well-written and he gave me an appetite for more. I would give a child without books Danny the Champion of the World. It's an old-fashioned story now and less fantastic than his others, but its realism was what appealed to me. When I finished reading I felt as if anything was achievable, no matter how small you were. The power of books, eh.
Adrian Sroka on November 23, 2012
Laugh out loud, Victoria.
As I recall you light-heartedly said I was a serious fellow. So I have endeavoured to add humour to most of my posts.
When will the laughter stop?
Jonathan Hopkins on November 26, 2012
I always struggle writing sex so it has to be essential. Even then I'll leave the scene out and go back to it in my first edit - when I change all the crap I wasn't happy with or couldn't finish properly in the first draft.
The problem with the 'bad sex' stuff nowadays is it's difficult to tell whether it's deliberately written or not, which kind-of takes an edge off the fun. I came across a hilarious first chapter copywriter-fail the other day (well - it was funny even if you're not into horses) which I posted on a writer's site. To my surprise a lot of commenters didn't get it.
'A groom glanced at the Englishman and paused as he brushed down a horse with an ornate saddle and lavishly decorated saddlecloth.'
Yes?
Twitter? Blimey, when do you all get the time?
Damien Isaak on March 14, 2013
Never been on Twitter :)