Hey guess what. You can listen to writers like that every day, and its easy.
There are so many resources out there for listening and learning from amazing writers. Why should you spend time with these resources? Because it helps us other writers engage in the conversation. Maybe a throw away comment from one of these people will help you understand the publishing industry in a way you hadn't before. Maybe you'll hear a solution to a plot problem you're having. When you're doing dishes or driving in the car, these are some of the most productive things you can be listening to, in my opinion. This is as much for myself as anyone else.
So how do you listen to great writers every day? Well I can give you a start.
University reading series. Almost every university has a weekly or monthly reading series, where writers from all over come to present their work to students. Often these may not be writers you've heard of, but they have incredibly great talent, and great stories and advice to share. My university for example does a weekly reading series, and anybody can watch the recordings of those here.
The National Book Festival. When I lived out in DC, the National Book Festival was one of the greatest parts. And even though I haven't been able to go to it since, I've been able to watch any lecture from the festival that I'm interested in because they're all on YouTube. Seriously. You can watch Billy Collins or Lois Lowry or John Green or Steven Millhauser or Walter Dean Myers or so so many more. You can find the playlist for the 2014 festival here.
TED Talks. I've mentioned TED Talks several times on this blog and I'll continue doing it. It is such a great series of thought-provoking talks on subjects that probably haven't even registered before. And what could be better for a writer? Even though most of these talks aren't specifically about writing, or even given by novelists, many speakers are non-fiction writers talking about their ideas. And that can be a great thing for any writer.
The Writing Show and Other Podcasts. There are a large number of great podcasts with great guest writers, but one of the my favorites is The Writing Show with Paula B. It was canceled almost three years ago, but the archive of episodes is a treasure trove of knowledge.
Because we're all continually educating ourselves as writers, right?
Write on!
Sarah
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I didn't know universities had readings. Good to know!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah! This is such valuable info. You're so right--we learn from authors every day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah! This is such valuable info. You're so right--we learn from authors every day.
ReplyDeleteI like learning from other people. I know I learn so much from my fellow writers/ bloggers. Having more resources at my disposal to do that, would be wonderful. Thank you for sharing the info.
ReplyDeleteWe learn by reading good writing, really good writing.
ReplyDeleteI find one of the best things I can do is read their books. Then study their books. Then re-write their books a page at a time, or compare yours side-by-side.
ReplyDeleteThen study how they got where they are, and work as hard as they worked to get there.
I've seen a few TED series, but need to watch more. You may have inspired me to put more effort here, as my enthusiasm waned over the summer and needs a firm kick in the arse.
- Eric