“I think the opportunities for the writer have never been better. All sorts of boundaries have been broken…”
So said former publisher and widely published author/academic, Alison Baverstock at the weekend, when I had the opportunity to attend LitNet NI’s Ways with Words Literature Development Day at the Crescent Arts Centre as part of the Belfast Book Festival 2014. It was a day packed full of tips and advice from those often heard of, seldom seen (unless you’re one of the lucky authors to have secured an agent and publisher!), with professionals flying in from Edinburgh, Manchester, London, Dublin and of course, coming in from Belfast city itself to engage with us local writers.
We enjoyed Q&As with said agents and authors and heard from two successfully self-published authors in the afternoon, but first, it was left to the inimitable Ian Sansom to stir up some lively enthusiasm for the day with his introductory message – entitled: Crusoe’s Reckoning.
We had anecdotes! We had tangential side stories! We had facts! History! Research! Opinion!
We had A LOT of stimulating titbits about writing and the heady dynamics it can entail today – via the internet and all that Social Media – but it certainly fired up anyone who wasn’t already on the edge of their seats. If anyone has ever heard Mr Sansom speak, they will know that his passionate addresses flow fast so, in point form, I present a mere few of those literary titbits…
The Digital Revolution is happening and it’s happening via:
Nothing new there, I hear you say – we know about these things. Yes, but – how do they affect you as a writer and how do you – indeed, do you – harness them effectively to support/publicise your craft?
“We’re in a phase at the moment that we might call the Digital Incunabula – no-one’s seen anything like this before,” explained Sansom. “We haven’t quite worked out what all these things are meant to be… using this digital technology as writers.”
Indeed, even books – bound, printed, basic books – were once an enigma to be mastered. Writing techniques, publishing techniques and publicising techniques have subsequently fragmented with the internet and we’re still muddling our way through the amazon. So to speak.
“We write/edit/design/publish/print. We’ve gone from needing an agent and publisher to now needing beta readers, brand managers, copy editors, designers and printers…
“How do writers reckon with themselves? We need to reckon with our time… (herego, Crusoe’s Reckoning) It’s to do with how you match your time with what you have available.”
Yes, when Robinson Crusoe was stranded on his island, he realised he needed to seize control of his situation – he had to reckon with himself with regards to how he would take ownership of his time and consciously apply himself in his new environment.
What I think Sansom was asking us writers was – are we doing the same?
It was a good start to the day – a day which had many more insights to come and which, for those who weren’t there, will have to wait for another post…