RW: Fruit, Strange & Otherwise

My editor sent me this promo info on my latest publication:

"The New Writer’s Handbook 2007 is the inaugural edition of a new annual collection of articles to refresh and upgrade any writer's skills, with advice on craft and career development. It offers an eclectic mix of expert how-tos, short pieces on creativity, marketing, and professional issues, and other insights on being a successful writer today."

[Note: You see how he doesn't specifically mention my topic. Understandable. When you're marketing a new how-to writing book, the last thing you say is "Oh, and there's this thing about mutant grapefruit by that multi-genre chick with 486 pseudonyms."]

He continues:

"The 63 selected articles mostly are drawn from pieces published in 2006–early 2007. Contributors include winners of the National Book Award, Newbery Medal, and other honors, along with working journalists, writing instructors, authors with books on bestseller lists, editors, literary bloggers, and more."

[I believe I would be in the "and more" category here.]

Sections include:

• Creativity, Motivation & Discipline
• The Craft of Writing
• Pitching & Proposals
• Marketing Your Work
• Internet Skills
• Literary Insights & Last Words

Seriously now, it's really a lovely book, and in addition to my adventures at the pack-n-ship in town contains a lot of interesting advice from some very experienced, successful writers. But as always, you don't have to take my word for it.

In comments to this post, tell us about something strange or odd that inspired you in some way (or if you are feeling uninspired of late, just throw your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Friday, July 27, 2007. I'll draw three names at random from everyone who participates, and send the winners a signed-by-me copy of The New Writer's Handbook 2007. Giveaway open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.

Antho'd

I'm going to bail on you guys today to catch up on mom and writer stuff, so no Friday 20 this week.

I mentioned a while back that I accepted an offer to reprint my Strange Fruit post in a how-to writing anthology. The editor promised me a copy of the final edition along with my check, but to be honest, I pretty much forgot about it. I'm not a snob or anything, but it's a small press, and they asked me to be a contributor. Not like they were going to have National Book Award winners in it.

Well, the anthology arrived in the mail today, and I opened the package and took out this nice-looking trade paperback. The rather lengthy title is The New Writer's Handbook 2007: A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft and Career, edited by Philip Martin, published by Scarletta Press. Preface by Erica Jong.

I had to read that part three times. Erica Jong? The Erica Jong? What the hell?

I opened the book and checked out the table of contents to see just who contributed to this antho. I'm the fourth writer listed (under Creativity, Motivation and Discipline, page 14.) Right next to writers like Jonathan Carroll, Neil Gaiman, Rosina Lippi and Richard Powers.

Yes, that would be Richard the winner of the 2006 National Book Award Powers.

As soon as my chest pains subsided, I checked out the rest of the contributors and spotted a few more familiar names -- Jenna Glatzer, Steve Weber and Bookseller Chick -- and felt a little better. I might be the only vampire fiction writer in the bunch, but at least there were some other bloggers and onliners. So it's cool, and now I think I'll go hide under the bed for a couple of years.

And all this came from that one chance meeting with an old man and his mutant citrus at the pack-n-ship in town. If this isn't the strangest fruit of all, I don't know what is.