Friday, September 28, 2012

#NatBookFestival: Putting the Tiny Notebook to Use

Years ago, I bought a 3-pack of tiny notebooks
from the B&N Jonathan Adler collection.
I'm a writer, of course I'll use these every day, I reasoned.

Yet, somehow, the notebooks sit on my desk, waiting to be put to use. This weekend, one lucky notebook got the chance to shine. I toted it along to the National Book Festival (hosted by the Library of Congress in DC) and used it to soak up inspiring tidbits from amazing writers.



 
Fun Facts From This Year's Festival
 
(1)  To answer the FAQ of what happened to Gabriel at the end of The Giver, Lois Lowry included a scene in The Messenger with an 8-year-old boy named Gabriel - Though, for many readers this details was too subtle & they wanted more!
 
(2)  Lisa Scottoline on whether she outlines or writes by the seat of her pants:
"By the seat of my pants. I am the woman who had a baby when her marriage was falling apart. I am not a planner."
 
(3)  While most of the authors were given a 1-hour time slot for book signing, Jeff Kinney was given a 2.5-hour time slot to accomodate the abundance of Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans.
 
(4)  Michael Connelly on switching to first person for Lost Light (the first Harry Bosch book told in first person):
"When writing in third person, you can hide things. When writing in first person, hiding equals cheating."
 
 (5)  Scholastic gave out birthday crowns in honor of Clifford the Big Red Dog's 50th birthday.
 
(6)  Lisa Scottoline on Nancy Drew:
"She was lucky enough to have a boyfriend - because she was blonde & not middle-aged...Bitter much."
 
(7)  Heironymus Bosch is Latin for Jerome Bosch, which has led many people to ask Michael Connelly, "Why do you call him Harry and not Jerry?"
 
 


 
My Favorite Moments From This Year's Festival
 

(1)  The opportunity to raise my hand when R.L.  Stine said, "Raise your hand if you've ever read a Goosebumps book."

(2)  The collective gasp that filled the tent when one reader asked Michael Connelly, "Have you ever thought of killing off Harry Bosch?"

(3)  Lisa Scottoline's introduction of a new literary term: "Genuine friggin' insight."

 
 
 
Most Inspiring Tidbits From This Year's Festival
 
 
(1)  "When I become a famous author and move into my big house, I guess I'll let you live in it," said one very little girl to her parents. The number of children at the festival, not just toting along with their parents, but truly ecstatic about reading and meeting their favorite authors, was absolutely fantastic.
 
(2) "There is no competition," said Michael Connelly in response to one fan's question about competing with other authors. He made the point that we, as readers, can experience as many books as we want to - we never have to choose just one.
 
(3)  "I'm not taking clients and if I was, I wouldn't take you," said one agent to Lisa Scottoline back in the day - And now she is the author of 22 published books (19 fiction & 3 non-fiction)!



 
Questions For You, Dear Readers

(1)  If you attended this year's National Book Festival, what was your favorite part?

(2)  Which festivals & authors are on your must-do/must-see list?


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