Some awesome Monday links

I greatly enjoyed hanging with Hugo-, Nebula-, John Campbell-, and Locus-award-winning Paolo Bacigalupi at Balticon, and loved interviewing him. Also, I just finished The Alchemist and The Executioness, the two novellas written by Paolo and other ISBW favorite, Tobias Buckell. I am ashamed to say it took me a long time to get through that, and the reason behind that will be explored in another blog post, but please understand, it’s brilliant. I loved the two different stories in the same world, and the narrators were top notch. You don’t have to be an Audible subscriber to buy, you can just purchase it straight away and I recommend you do. (Obviously Audible is not a sponsor; it’s just available only through Audible. If it comes out in print form I’m buying a first edition copy.)

[UPDATE- according to Toby's Twitter feed, and Erin in the comments, the books are up for sale at Subterranean. I'm a bit bummed that they're not sold together in one bound book, but the art is gorgeous and I'm already signed up for limited edition purchases. I haven't bought a collectible book in a LONG time, dangit. Get Bacigalupi's The Alchemist here and Buckell's The Executioness here.)

Anyway, Lev Grossman (author of The Magicians, someone I'd love to interview here as well) just interviewed Paolo (Paolo Bacigalupi: This Is What It Takes To Write A Novel) and it made a real impact on me. Especially the last paragraph.

So I remember when those book sales happened, I remember feeling like I could finally stand up straight and look certain people in the eye and say, Wo [sic] the next time you see me sitting around in the coffee shop, or the next time you see me sitting out on the porch, quote, ‘doing nothing,’ it turns out I’m actually working. You motherf*******.

Yeah, it’s got some colorful language. But it’s an awesome interview.

Also, author Zoe Winters talks about why authors need thick skins. As I’m someone who wants EVERYONE to like me, and has a sick, sad, crawl-into-a-hole feeling when I discover someone doesn’t, this was another influential post. (Come on, no one is liked by everyone*. I bet some kid out there got her knuckles rapped by Mother Teresa and thought she was a b- uh, a witch.) Thick Skins! On sale, this week only!

Most people whether they are writers are not… care WAY too much about what random people think about them. For example, if Tom has a negative opinion about me, I care. Because I love him. So, it hurts me when he’s upset with me over something. It hurts him when I’m upset with him over something. We have a personal relationship. That’s healthy. People SHOULD care about people they’ve chosen specifically to bring into their lives and have a relationship with.

But, most people let that attitude filter out indiscriminately to “anyone on the planet.” Look. Everybody just ain’t that important to your life in the grand scheme. If someone won’t hold your hair when you puke… probably it’s not worth worrying or caring what they think about you.

(Incidentally, my husband and I joke about that exact thing – true love isn’t flowers and wine, it’s who will take care of you when you’re puking.)

*Hm. this is passive voice but I think it’s the only way this sentiment will work. Grammar police? Thoughts?