Betsy's talk was phenomenal. She was "in discussion" with Glenn Kurtz (moderator extrodinaire, if I may say so) about the writing process--a topic she discusses in hilarious detail in The Forest For The Trees--and, even more of a treat, how editors and agents respond to, diffuse, and indulge their writers' processes.
One thing kept rolling through my mind as I listened to her and Glenn talk:
"Holy crap. She really, really loves this insanity!!"**
Betsy was nervous (at first), sitting in front of a packed house (of writers), forgoing an entire evening of work to be there (or, worse, going home to an entire night of work). But she came. She spoke. She answered questions.
The biggest, most recurring criticism of the publishing world, from writers at least, is that it's murky. How can you know what They are thinking?! I totally sympathize. As a pub-n00b, I often feel similarly. But I am inspired by the publishing professionals who go so out of their way to try to dispel some of the fog. Besty is certainly near the top of that list.
So what was the boot-in-my -a$$ that had me fighting through my own (fever-induced) fog to write this much-deserved tribute to Betsy's talk? The hashtag #YALitChat, which happens every Wednesday from 9-10pm. You can just type the hashtag into your search bar on Twitter and you'll find it. It's another way that publishing peeps (agents, editors, etc.) go out of their way to connect with authors. And that authors connect with authors! Tonight's topic was "Inspiration," and it truly was inspiring to see what people put up. If you're of a mind, go check out tonight's conversation here.
#PubLove
**I'm not the only one!