To Thine Own Self Be True

ophelia200x200A personality quiz based on Shakespeare characters? Just what Friday ordered!

I got Ophelia and although they don’t give any reasoning for this result, I’m going to assume this means that I’m really trying to hold it together surrounded by a lot of evil and crazy. And I like flowers.

In case you want even more Shakespeare, tonight PBS airs Shakespeare Uncovered, which explores some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, including Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest. And heads up, Whovians–there’s an episode in which David Tennant talks about Hamlet.

Trying to Understand Loss

Still a beautiful way to talk to children about death and grief:

I love that they didn’t try to explain why we lose people. At times like these, it’s incomprehensible how life can be taken and how tragedy can occur. But it’s important to focus on the people lost and the memories, not just the sadness.

Even for families not directly affected by the tragedy at Newtown, it’s still a horrible situation to deal with. The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance also offers some suggestions for helping children cope with this terrible news. And that can include children of all ages, not just the youngest ones. Ongoing, supportive dialog about loss can be good for people of all ages.

Links Galore

A few more links to get you through Monday:

On TV, No One Revises and Book Contacts Aren’t Scary

If you’re a writer, you might be used to your family and friends asking certain questions about the publishing process. Questions like, “Is your book out yet?” and “Why don’t you just send it to the publisher?” Generally, these questions aren’t intended to frustrate you or make you grit your teeth as you reply, “It takes a while.” Most people don’t know much about the writing or publishing process, and all they can base their assumptions on is what they see in movies.

YA Highway has a pretty great take-down of TV/Movie Publishing vs. Real Publishing, such as:

1. Books Are Published Over Night
I noticed this one most recently on Gossip Girl when Dan, one of the main characters, ended up with a book deal. The means by which he got that deal were one thing – totally unrealistic is an understatement – but even more ridiculous was the timing.  The book was published just two or three months later.  In reality, books usually take closer to a year or even two to publish after being sold.”

I would say that books usually take closer to two or there years to publish after being sold. There’s stuff to do, guys! Editorial! Marketing! Sales! It takes times!

Another I’d add would be that in movies/on TV, the first draft of anything is pretty much perfect. You write your novel, submit it to your editor, and you’re good to go. In real life, the revision/editorial process takes a lot of time.

Also, a lot of the time I see people in publishing depicted as cold and only caring about the bottom line. Even though publishers obviously have to care about sales, the majority of people I’ve met in publishing have been people who actively care about books. They got into the job because they love books, not to make a ton of money. For the most part, everyone is hardworking and encouraging and thoughtful. It’s a great industry, really!

Make sure to check out the whole list. It’s especially helpful if you’re at home for Thanksgiving and need an explanation for why people can’t buy your book at Barnes and Noble yet.

Reading with Rory Gilmore

When I was in college, my roommate and I were obsessed with Gilmore Girls. We borrowed seasons on DVD from the library and rewarded ourselves with episodes when we were done studying for finals. (Or, in my case, in the middle of studying for finals.) I still love rewatching episodes–the writing is quippy, the characters are quirky, and I like spending time in Stars Hollow.

Another reason I love Gilmore Girls–Rory’s a bookworm. I can’t think of many other shows in which the main character carries a book with her everywhere and deeply cares about her academics. As a pretty nerdy high schooler, this hit home.

So of course I love Rory’s Book Club, which lists all the books Rory read/referenced on the show. Or maybe more? There are a lot of books listed. Kind of want to go back through my DVDs and see how many books I can spot.

If you’re looking for some good movies or music, that’s around too. A girl can’t live by books alone (no matter how much we’d like to).

(via babble)