Books Are the New Cute (A Brain Dump for Writers)

• Books have survived film, rock and roll, TV… but will they survive video games?
• The Living History of Books, with visuals, would probably suggest YES.
• Or if you get tired of reading books, you could take “English artist” Su Blackwell’s lead and turn paper into poetry. (That’s her work in the photo above.)
• Why if you want to write well, you might want to try a stint in prison.
• But you might NOT want to drink the e-publishing koolaid. At least according to this literary agent: It’s too early to be making sweeping statements about any of it. We’re all learning this as we go and the right answer to almost everything is “we’ll see what happens.”
• Wonder if she’s seen this self-publishing infograph?
• Whether you’re writing for print or a screen, don’t use one of the 8 worst fonts in the world. Curious about who has the power to decide this? Believe it or not, it’s a scientific study.
• And if you use your iPad to write (I don’t), you might want to check out these tools.
• A vid of Alice Walker, author of the Color Purple, talking about writing.
• And who knew the young Ernest Hemingway had such a gentle side?
• Please tell Warren Adler you KNOW who Alice Walker and Ernest Hemingway are. He’s worried over the number of adults in this generation who prefer teen lit.
• In other news, authors can now personalize their e-books.
• That means they can now do virtual book signings. REALLY.
• Speaking of e-books, could it even be possible that Kindles are heavier when fully loaded??!! Supposedly it’s true!
• But you can keep your reading-gadget a few pounds lighter by just borrowing books from Amazon’s new Kindle-library.
• Guy Endore Kaiser would like this since he recently tweeted: Sometimes, just to make a point, I’ll throw a Kindle through the window of my local library. =)
• Apparently, Google is quietly experimenting with a survey system that allows people access to information in exchange for answering a survey question. Free information may sometimes be a little less … free??
• Dan Holloway (@agnieszkasshoes) wrote what is believed to be the first novel written interactively through a Facebook group, “The Man Who Painted Agnieszka’s Shoes.”
• Can anyone say digital revolution?
• If you’re an aspiring writer trying to figure out the biz, I’m writing a new series of writing FAQs. Check out the latest one here.
• Or indulge in these 50 author interviews to keep you busy on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
• “Books are the new cute.” Michael Jarboe