Into that world inverted...

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

The time has come, my friends, to talk of many things: snippets of suffering, and the giveaway of four advance copies of Untold!

Every generation suffers in Untold, I like to think…

( The May SnippetCollapse )

So what must one do to win all this suffering?

(Also, the font of the cover was based on the polkadots on my dress in this picture. Check skirt and font. True story!)

So. Four books. Four challenges. No waiting.

1. Art Challenge. Drawing, manipped photo, tumblr gif with hilarious words on, anything Unspoken-related visual and artistic, and I shall give the most artistic artiste a prize!

2. Words Challenge. Song, poem, story: anything Unspoken-related under a thousand words. We wordsmiths must stick together.

3. Picture Challenge. Take a picture of yourself reading Unspoken somewhere–the weirder somewhere it is, the better.

4. Surprise Me. Everyone tends to be better at this than me, so if you think up something that doesn’t fit in the three categories, by all means–hit me! (Street/library posters. Pictures of people mildly concussed by Unspoken. Cosplay as the unicorn princess. Anything. Hit me! (DO NOT LITERALLY HIT ME.))

I will post the books to anywhere in the world. The contest will end at the end of this beauteous month of May. Just put links to your entries in the comments to this blog post, or its mirror on livejournal. I am looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with!

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

So on Wednesday I fly away off to America (again! good lord is the woman never at home!). To Kansas City, actually, for the Romantic Times convention, where I can wander about and talk romance novels and young adult fiction and books books books with everyone in sight.

http://www.rtconvention.com/

THE TIMES WHEN YOU CAN FIND ME (and my Untold chapter ones!)

THURSDAY May 2

The Professional Liar Panel

Moderator: Kelley Armstrong
Panelist(s): Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Caine, Leanna Renee Hieber, Colleen Houck, Jeri Smith-Ready, Rachel Vincent
Location: Ballroom Level
Room: Chicago A

(We give away prizes if you can tell we’re lying! Also, reveal awful secrets about our lives. I believe that nobody will ever think I’m lying because whatever terrible thing I’m accused of will seem pretty plausible.)

FRIDAY May 3

Stop Wasting My Time

‘We had such a resounding demand for another marketing panel that we’re once again tackling the ever-shifting publishing landscape for YA authors. From e-books and anthologies to group tours and conventions, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of some of these options, as well as the more traditional library and store signings.’

Moderator: Kelley Armstrong
Panelist(s): Sarah Rees Brennan, Heather Brewer, Rachel Caine, Sophie Jordan
Location: Mezzanine Level
Room: Chouteau B

(Other brilliant authors talk about strategy. I will also share my strategies. I will perhaps at some point be quietly smothered by the rest of the panel, for my own good and the good of others.)

And on Saturday May 4, I will be sitting in the Teen Alley hoping people come chat to me, and at the Teen Day Partay!

But I shall not be in America long. I am in fact going to be in London very soon.

On Tuesday the 14 May, at Foyle’s in Charing Cross at 6:30, to be precise!

I am lucky enough to be emceeing for the lovely and talented Rachel Caine, and I shall also be happy to answer any questions and sign any books for me. (And I shall have prizes there also. )

http://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Events/Detail.aspx?eventId=1908

Also, the first of The Bane Chronicles, the series of e-short stories starring Cassandra Clare’s (powerful, immortal, bisexual and snarky) Magnus Bane, is out. What Really Happened In Peru, by Cassandra Clare and, well, me.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bane-Chronicles-Happened-ebook/dp/B00C9ZHZOS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367264361&sr=8-1&keywords=what+really+happened+in+peru

Not only is it out, but it hit number four on the New York Times bestseller list.

I have said this elsewhere, but know not what else to say: I am so humbled and grateful, I feel like there should be another word for it. Gratebled. Humbful. ANYWAY. Cassie and Maureen have been fancily bestselling before, for they are beautimously fancy ladies, but this is my very first time on the New York Times list. It is awe-inspiring. Cassie called me to tell me and I screamed down the phone: I maybe took all her hair off with my screech.

I know that I owe this to all the loyal fans of Magnus, and to my lovely Cassie and Maureen.

Moreover, the audiobook of What Really Happened In Peru was read by Cabin In The Woods star Jesse Williams, who did an absolutely fabumazing job, and the audiobook of The Runaway Queen, written by Maureen and Cassie and out in May, is going to be read by Les Miserables and Vikings star George Blagden, who we met at Wondercon and who is a dote.

Who can even cope with all these things? I just put my head down and try to finish Tell The Wind and Fire in a timely fashion, but I did want to say that for all those who come to see me and read my writing, I am truly thankful.

And of course if you have any questions about any of this, I am here.

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

So the time has finally come to reveal to you guys the new covers for the Lynburn Legacy series! I hope you liiiike them.

And the cover of Untold…

Here is also a little more about Untold…

‘Free from bonds, but not each other

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?’

Untold comes out September 24th.

The Booksmugglers very kindly hosted the reveal and are currently doing a giveaway of Unspoken> http://thebooksmugglers.com/2013/04/two-smugglerific-covers-giveaway-unspoken-and-untold-by-sarah-rees-brennan.html

And now, A Note On Kami’s Boobs on Unspoken. For posterity.

The boobs are my fault.

We knew we wanted a silhouette cover, to go with the old Unspoken cover and Gothicness theeeeematically. Silhouette pictures are hard to find, and posed professional pictures of people who are not super skinny are hard to find, because Society.

This girl is thinner than Kami in my head—but she does look like she’s got some badonkadonk going on, and I liked that. It would have felt very wrong to have the silhouette of Kami slimmed down.

LOVELY EDITOR: I was thinking we might, er, bring the boobs down a notch. (Just because they are prominent!)

SARAH: I BEG THAT YOU DO NO SUCH THING.

SARAH: *sends textual evidence of Kami being a well-fleshed young lady.*

EDITOR, PROJECT MANAGER, COVER DESIGNER: Others send us messages about the themes and colors… and Sarah has just sent us a giant email all about boobs.

I had lunch with my Random House peeps in March, and we were discussin’ the covers, and this happened…

SARAH: I was wondering if you could change the color for the Untold font.

LOVELY PROJECT MANAGER: Let’s put that on it. *gestures to front of Sarah’s dress*

SARAH: My… boobs?

SARAH: … I mean you can if you want…

PROJECT MANAGER: Um, no. The turquoise polka dots on your dress.

SARAH: Oh that makes more sense.

PROJECT MANAGER: It’s always boobs with you, Rees Brennan.

Welp, my petals, let me know what you think. And now that you’ve seen the covers of Untold, soon it will be time to set up the competition for the Advance Readers’ Copies…

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

So, as you may or may not know, the first instalment of the Bane Chronicles is coming out on Tuesday! What Really Happened In Peru by Cassie and I, featuring cranky warlock roadtrips, the magic of song, and piracy.

Maureen, Cassie and I got started on writing the Bane Chronicles through chatting to each other, and we thought it might be fun to have a chat about the Bane Chronicles after the release of each story.

So… you want to talk to me, Cassie and Maureen on Thursday at 6 PM EDT? We are around, my lovelies, and here is the link to where we will be:

The Cassie, Maureen and Sarah Chat

Hope to see you there!

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

So recently I’ve had a few people tell me, on twitter and the like, that they’re reading the Untold snippets without having read Unspoken. I was puzzled because I couldn’t figure out why people would know who the characters were or care about what was happening to them!

Obviously, I want people to read my books, because that is what keeps me in cheese and electricity and the more people who read my books the sooner the better for me and it makes me feel all sad and useless when people do not, but I also think that probably it’s a better experience to read the snippets when you know the characters and with luck care about them, and where they are in their story. Plus snippets are there to be dramatique, and you’ll be missing out on the casual and funny bits and the bits that only make sense in context, and those are my own favourite bits to read. When reading. Other books, that is.

So it would be my expert opinion that it’s better to read Unspoken and then the Untold snippets. HOWEVER, I am not the boss of anybody, this is the internet which is Freedom Central, do as you wish!

I did think to myself, maybe time to take a break from being a princess of evil, though, just in case there are those who did read Unspoken (hi guys love you!) and yet who are worried there may be no casual or funny or SLEUTH-y bits in Untold. For there will be!

So I thought I would ask on twitter which character people would like to see happy.

SARAH: So I thought I’d put up a happy snippet–
TWITTER: WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH SARAH REES BRENNAN?
TWITTER: What evil game are you playing now, wanton mistress of the night?
TWITTER: Back devil, we know your tricks!
TWITTER: Is this some kind of cruel joke?!
SARAH: Whoa, who hurt you guys so you’re all so afraid and untrust…
SARAH: Sorry, no, I remember now, it was totally me.

… Eventually it emerged that people wanted Jared to be happy. I presume this was for the novelty value. So here is a short piece in which Our Heroes steal stuff from evil sorcerers. Enjoy, m’dears. Evil princessing will re-commence in 3… 2…

( Untold SnippetCollapse )

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

I am so sorry this is late! I know I promised it on the 19th, but the internet on Cassie Clare’s Fancy Tour Bus has been dodgy–though it is extremely worth it to be on a beauteous bus with my beauteous friends, being taken from event to event. Getting to meet some of you guys!

(Worth it even though Maureen Johnson says the desert around us is snake country…)

I have been extremely flattered by the many messages I have received reminding me to send it along. I sometimes worry I am too cruel to you guys. But I see now, you enjoy it.

I hope you enjoy this. I made Holly Black pick this, because I felt that her pick last month went well…

( March Untold SnippetCollapse )

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

I thought I would talk a little bit about public appearances. For it is part of being a writer, and a very different part: mostly writers sit around their caves in their pyjamas fiddling on their computers. But sometimes they have to put on real clothes, make themselves presentable, and then speak in a not-offputting fashion to an audience of people!

I like doing appearances! As with all things, I learned by trial and error (that time the bookshop was expecting someone different and the poor babies got me instead, that time I fell off the stage) that I can’t give a practiced speech, and cannot be counted on for, like, any wisdom. At all. Whatsoever.

But I do like having fun around lots of people who love books, and celebrating books with people. I love talking books and telling stories. People who love books are my people, and seeing them fills me with a sense of hope and community.

And the fun hardly ever… well, sometimes… occasionally doesn’t… gets out of hand.

So, I wrote Unspoken, and I thought to myself: Self, you love this book and would like to spread the word about it a bit, maybe you could arrange some sort of… touring event… style thing? I am sure not TOO MANY disasters will take place.

This is what happened next…

THE SMART CHICKS TOUR

So, Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong organised, for three glorious years, an annual Smart Chicks event where they gathered many writers to celebrate awesome fictional ladies and awesome real-life reader ladies. I came on the 2010 one, couldn’t come on the 2011 one, and thought to myself that I sure would like to come on the 2012 one.

So, while hanging out with several author ladies in Arizona, I decided to cunningly and coolly bring this up.

MELISSA: Any Smart Chick author of the past is always welcome.
SARAH: Can–can I come?
MELISSA: Of course you can-
SARAH: *casually backflips into a pool to escape any awkwardness*
MELISSA: Is she dead?
ROSEMARY CLEMENT-MOORE: I think she might have hit her head.
MELISSA: I think she drowned.
ROSEMARY: O God what will we tell her mother.
SARAH: What’s up, my homies?
MELISSA: Of course you can come on the tour! That’s what I meant! You’re invited! But please don’t do that again.
SARAH: Do what? Why do you all look so upset?

On one of the memorable Smart Chicks tour stops, Charles de Lint, who is a Fancy Person who brought modern urban fantasy to the masses and other fancy things, was there.

Also, there was a very large, carved desk. Now, when I am doing an event, I like to move about. Other writers, they are very fascinating people, they have a lot of compelling stuff to say, they are awesome no matter where they are, but I like to be moving around a bit. Maybe doing actions. Dances. Mimes. I think you see where I’m going here.

Later he and Holly Black were somewhere, hanging out. I don’t know where fancy people hang out. Let us say they were in Fancylandia.

HOLLY: I think you just met Sarah?
CHARLES DE LINT: No, I don’t think so.
CHARLES DE LINT: Let me tell you who I DID MEET! A crazy lady who climbed over this huge desk in a floofy skirt and high heels. She went right over it, Holly, like a squirrel on stilts!
HOLLY: … Oh you met Sarah, all right.

MELISSA: It’s always fun to have you at events, Sarah.
SARAH: *genuinely touched*
AUDIENCE: What is Melissa’s Carnival of Souls about?
SARAH: Oh, oh I’ll do an impression!
WRITERS: Oh boy she’s rolling around on the floor.
AUDIENCE: She’s stolen a child! Call the police, she stole a child!
MELISSA: I mean it’s always such an interesting experience.

Possibly our moment of deepest shame was shared by all my fellow writers save one.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Who’s your favourite member of One Direction?
KELLEY ARMSTRONG: Is that a band?
MELISSA MARR: Are there boys in it?
ROSEMARY CLEMENT-MOORE: I think so but I don’t know their names.
SARAH: Guys, I’m pretty sure they’re fictional, I’m pretty sure they’re on Glee.
MEL DE LA CRUZ: Oh my God. I apologise for them. I apologise for everything. HARRY STYLES, and what is WRONG with you people?

When my little brother heard about this, he was deeply shocked at my ignorance. I have now been taught all about One Direction.

THE AUSTIN TEEN BOOK FESTIVAL

I was super honoured to be invited to the Austin Teen Book Festival, and to be appointed moderator for two very fancy panels!

Now, a moderator is someone chosen to run the discussion for a group of writers. Keep them in line, as it were. I took this duty very seriously.

RAE CARSON: She’s standing on a chair and giving commands. What should we do?!
LIBBA BRAY: I’m going to hold that chair. (Always kind, Libba.)
LEIGH BARDUGO: She’s strangling Margi Stohl. I don’t understand and I have to understand because I don’t want to be strangled!

As I understand it, no other moderators strangled people that day. I scorn their lack of commitment to the cause.

Also, there were signing lines for each author, and I totally had one. A line. I love you, Austin! For the beauteous people in my line, I had drilled English penny necklaces. (For those who have not read Unspoken: this gift will make sense only if you have read Unspoken.)

LOVELY LADY: Can I have a penny necklace?
SARAH: Uh… nope.
LOVELY LADY: Oh, you’ve run out, never m-
SARAH: I cannot lie to you, lovely lady. I haven’t run out.
SARAH: *produces several chains which have become hideously tangled*
SARAH: I can’t untangle them. I don’t know what to do!
SARAH: THEY’RE LIKE MATING SNAKES–WHICH CAN NEVER BE TORN APART-
LOVELY LADY: It’s cool, the book’s fine.
SARAH: Thank you for understanding.
LOVELY LADY: I hope the snakes will be very happy together.

I also now own a bright pink T-shirt proclaiming ‘KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.’ I’m pretty sure I didn’t make it any less weird.

THE POWELL’S PORTLAND EVENT

At Portland I did a lovely event with several authors much lovelier than I: Cindy Pon, Malinda Lo, Mette Ivie Harrison, Janni Lee Simner. (And Kate Elliott came because she is fab.) And maps of Sorry-in-the-Vale were being printed to give people who came. So, we walked into Powell’s bookshop, and…

BOOKSELLER: There has been a terrible incident!
EVERYBODY: *looks at me*
BOOKSELLER: Yes, it does have to do with Sarah Rees Brennan! … How did you all know that?
EVERYBODY: *shrug*
BOOKSELLER: The maps were sent to the wrong bookstore!
SARAH: I will go get th-
BOOKSELLER: And that store is closed on Sunday.
SARAH: noooooooooooo
BOOKSELLER: What should we do?
SARAH: I HAVE A PLAN.
EVERYBODY: What did she say? Stop her!
SARAH: Quickly bookseller, take me to the back room.
MALINDA: Did Sarah just drag someone into the back room literally within minutes of walking in the store?
CINDY: Well, we all saw that one coming.

I dashed in the back, logged into my email and performed a tricky maneuver which got me into the site where I could print off the maps. I forgot to log out, so: Powell’s bookstore, I like you guys very much, I hope you are enjoying my emails, I’m sorry if you were expecting more literary insight.

A thing I like to do when there are a bunch of authors (and the more the merrier, always, because then it feels more like a fun conversation, and also I can rely on someone else to say something wise) is buy all the books so I can give them to an audience member as a Gift Package. So I nipped the books up really quickly after the Maps Incident, and promised to pay for them later, and then with all the carry-on (excellent writers saying excellent things, me pretending to be buried alive behind a bookcase, me being the worst at recognising people–HI JULIE–me being given a beautiful gift of cookies) I forgot. We exited and bundled ourselves into a taxi to the airport, and then I let out a shrill scream.

SARAH: I MUST GO BACK I STOLE THE BOOKS! I STOLE THEM ALL!
CINDY: What’d she say?
MALINDA: She committed a crime.
CINDY: Well, we all saw that one coming.

I was going straight from Portland to my tour in England, and this meant a series of flights that added up to two nights and a day on a variety of airplanes. DEAR GOD I WAS SO TIRED. And the airplane food was a special kind of dreadful.

However, at Powell’s bookstore a lovely lady presented me with cookies, baked with chocolate chips and sea salt for all the tears people cried at the end of Unspoken. (That’s a direct quote. Good cookies and a rapier wit. ) What I’m telling you is that I lived on those cookies for two nights and a day. Those cookies were my only friend.

A MAN WHO WAS MY FELLOW PASSENGER ON ONE FLIGHT: Did you bake these yourself?
SARAH: No! *proudly* a fan baked them for me.
A MAN: Wow. Are you famous?
SARAH: *preens* Well, no, but-
A MAN: Yeah I thought not, because famous people travel in first class. And also you just fell asleep on my shoulder and drooled.
SARAH: …
A MAN: There were some cookie crumbs in the drool.
SARAH: Well, I’m not sharing my cookies with you now.

THE LIBBA BRAY AND HOLLY BLACK EVENT

HOLLY: I’m doing an event in September, too! With Libba.
SARAH REES BRENNAN, INVITING HERSELF ALONG TO EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE FUN SINCE THAT TRIP OUT OF THE HOSPITAL IN 1983: Can–can I come? Ask Libba! I mean if it’s cool.
LIBBA: It’s cool. *plays a chilled out tune to herself* Everything is cool, bro. (Musical people are more relaxed and friendly. I think that’s science.)

Of course, at the event, I shamed myself as I always do.

SARAH: Do you guys want to know what Libba’s book is about?
HOLLY: Why–why is she dancing?
SARAH: This is FLAPPER dancing. I’m being a JAZZ BABY. (note: Libba’s The Diviners is set in the 1920s, I didn’t just take a funny notion into my head.)
LIBBA: Shhh Holly, I want to know how the book ends.

But I scored cupcakes (it was my birthday… I don’t demand baked goods everywhere I go) and I think everybody had fun. I call it a win!

So you can see why I think of book events as times to celebrate books, have fun with friends, talk about books with new people, and generally have a gloriously nerdy time.

So I am much looking forward to travelling about in the charming Cassie Clare’s fancy, decorated bus next month. I have such plans: to do mimes that will embarrass her, to do impressions that will embarrass her, to make fun of her bus (I’m going to be working on a theme here). The glorious Maureen Johnson will be accompanying us on several stops, and so those stops will be even more fun.

I will be there the whole time! I hope to see you there. http://sarahreesbrennan.com/appearances/

I will sign everything presented to me. I hope I will have prezzies.

I cannot promise to behave.

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my sweetest readers: I love you because you are the best!

And I have brought you a gift! HOWEVER, you are not to blame me for this gift, because Cindy Pon and Holly Black chose it. They felt it was absolutely the right one. So if you don’t like it… come after them…

Thus without further ado…

( The Valentine's Day Snippet of UntoldCollapse )

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! (Sorry!)

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

It made me so sad to see, in an article about Jane Austen, that even though Jane Austen remains super popular there has been a decline in respect for her as a serious artist. Because it’s ‘chick lit’… as if any genre is Automatically Bad. And as if anything a woman created that a lot of women really like… is Automatically Bad.

I was reading some fan responses to the Vampire Diaries over the weekend (sharp left turn from Jane Austen! Also, yes, I’m very cool!) —and I started to get viscerally uncomfortable about how often the women involved in creating it were named and hated on. Julie Plec and Caroline Dries were brought up time and again, with a constant refrain that they shut up, drop out, SHUT UP, if only Kevin Wiliamson or Jose Molina would save the situation. The dudes’ names only ever came up associated with praise.

The stuff the fans didn’t like which was masterminded by dudes, was talked about differently: that episode sucked, that season had this off time. Never, ever ‘this dude sucks.’

It reminded me of how I used to see the same hatred of Marti Noxon on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Which really sharply contrasted with the refrain of ‘Joss Whedon is my master now.’

Look, I am no expert on television here: I never know who’s written an episode, or who’s behind a certain plot arc. (I also barely know how to turn it on or change the DVD player settings, but that’s shame for another day.) I’m sure all these ladies are imperfect. Maybe all these ladies have done terrible things to their shows! Please do not tell me all the details of any of these women’s awful crimes against fiction.

My point is that I doubt that the dudes were flawless in their handling of fiction: the problem is the insistent pattern that goes ‘SHUT UP, WOMAN’S NAME, SHUT UP!!’

I remember looking at one site and seeing a female YA author being discussed. Her appearance, her manners, whether she’d written too many books, too many books in one series—I have seen at least six female authors called ‘whores’ (OH. I. SEE.) and ‘money-grubbing hacks’ for writing a long series. I have never seen similar criticism for, say, Rick Riordan (don’t stop writing Rick Riordan, that’s not what I meant! I like a long series! I’m just making a point!)—whether she was grateful or gracious enough.

Then I looked at what they had to say about a male author in the same field… apparently his worst offense was being friends with the female author… (Kind of like how the most criticism I see against Neil Gaiman is actually against Amanda Palmer, asking why he doesn’t get her to… guess what… shut up.)

It’s so much easier for people to hate on a girl than a guy. A lady’s success will so often be looked on with dark suspicion, while a dude’s success is looked on as his due.

Of course my opinion here is personal: I’m a lady creator, though not as fancy as the ones I’ve been discussing. I’ve had my appearance criticised, and the company I keep, and how I conduct myself, and that all sucks. Quite recently I remember a blogger described my behaviour at a public event as ‘attention-seeking’ (no! good gravy! who do I think I am, up on a stage talking?)… I’ve seen that word used for a lot of women, but I’ve never seen it used for a man. It’s almost as if… people see a dude up on stage talking and think ‘Yes, things are as they should be.’ And they see a lady and think ‘SHUT UP, WOMAN’S NAME, SHUT UP.’

I’ve said snarky things and been roundly criticised for my rudeness. (Like, this weekend.) So have many ladies! While snarky dudes are celebrated, quoted, applauded: while we all know that dudes can get away with a million more things than we can.

Having a semi-public job means a certain amount of scrutiny. Creators are always going to get critiqued, because that’s what people should do with art, and if people don’t care about your fiction you’ve gone wrong somewhere! That’s all fine.

But I wish, wish, wish there wasn’t that obstacle for women, that kneejerk ‘SHUT UP!’

Pride and Prejudice is two hundred years old today. Jane Austen wrote in another book, Persuasion, ‘Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story… The pen has been in their hands.’

The pen should not be seen as solely belonging in their hands.

(Wow, this got long.) (Maybe I should shut up.) (But I hardly ever do.)

…

I saw and much appreciated the responses to this impromptu rant from writers I know and love like Maureen Johnson, Holly Black, Seanan McGuire and Kiersten White… and it reminded me of a point that seems applicable!

Here it is: groups of writers, as well as individual writers, and how they are perceived.

This is probably not going to surprise you: when they are groups of ladies, or groups that include ladies, NOT SUPER WELL.

Let us consider the Inklings: a group of writers including J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, which is often considered a fantastic example of writerly communion and community. But lots of people want to be very clear that mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers may have been Tolkien and Lewis’s friend, but she wasn’t one of the Inklings. She didn’t attend meetings! Okay maybe one but it didn’t count! They were all, all dudes. (Okay. Maybe so. But chill yourselves, why is this so hotly contested? … Oh wait I know why.)

But everyone is definitely sure the Inklings read aloud from this other lady’s bad writing.

(Q: Have I ever mocked bad writing, sometimes by women, in a group of writers?

A: BOY HAVE I EVER. I have done nothing else for a week straight. But I STILL think the Inklings could’ve decided to mock a dude as well as/instead of this lady.)

There is an old boys’ network which exists, especially in Literary Fiction Circles, i.e. the most highly regarded and best paid. 83 per cent of the books reviewed in the New York Review of Books are by men… and 83 per cent of reviewers are men, too. (What a highly interesting coincidence!) When questioned about the Super Sketchy Numbers, the editor of the Times Literary Supplement (surprise: he’s a dude) said ‘The TLS is only interested in getting the best reviews of the most important books.’ (Oh. I. See.)

These dudes with this power are able to silence any silly praise of ladies. Remember me talking about Dorothy L. Sayers above? This is what a dude writing for the New Yorker said about her: ‘I have often heard people say that Dorothy Sayers wrote well… but, really, she does not write very well.’ (Thanks for clearing that up, buddy.) Dudes are more likely to get awards, shiny objects that say ‘Here is your Well Done for Speaking Up, Dude. NONE FOR YOU, LADY.’

Dudes are more likely to get praise because of this network: they’re more likely to get awards because of this network. It provides a loop of infinitely helpful feedback for dudes, and so the praise dudes give other dudes is listened to, is given more of an official voice, whereas the message sent to ladies talking about books by ladies is too generally (stop me if you’ve heard this before) ‘Shut up, Woman’s Name, shut up!’

The Bronte kids, Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell, had a writing group: they all wrote collectively about a land of their imagination. Later, Charlotte, Emily and Anne all went on to write classic works of literature (under dudes’ names of course). Branwell went on to take a bunch of drugs. Critics at the time floated this brilliant theory: WHAT IF THE DUDE OF THE GROUP TOTALLY WROTE ALL THE BOOKS? (Shut up, the actual geniuses of the group!)

One of my great Writing Group inspirations is that of Jenny Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Pat Gaffney, Anne Stuart and many others. I’ve never seen anyone talking about that group except for the ladies themselves. (Because they’re romance authors?) (Shut up, ladies writing about lady stuff, shut up!)

So, my closest writer people and critique group, mostly ladies. I’ve heard us called a ‘clique’ (like Mean Girls, sure! Ladies=clique!) with suggestions we’re ‘pretending to like each other (For Some Reason) (you know how those catty insincere ladies are!)’

People talk about us as if what we do is sit around plotting pettily and doing each other’s hair. (It’s a fair cop: I have done Holly Black’s hair. Her whole kitchen was purple afterwards, it was like I murdered a giant grape. Will not make it as hair stylist: must stick to writing.) Shaping each others’ writing, talking about each others’ writing, talking about our literary influence (almost every lady writer I know: hella influenced by Robin McKinley)… any discourse we have is ignored or dismissed as untrue. ‘Shut up, ladies, shut up!!!’

Oddly, I haven’t seen anyone suggesting that Neil Gaiman is pretending to like/forming a clique with John Green because he was a guest at his Carnegie Hall event. I haven’t seen anyone suggest that the overwhelmingly male critics of literature, writing overwhelmingly about dudes, are a) lying about how great these dude books are or b) being mean by talking about only dudes/dudes they’re friendly with/majority dudes/more positively about dudes.

And I’m not saying that dude authors, or any dudes, or any ladies buying into the ‘Shut up, woman’s name, shut up!’ thing are being mean, either. I’m saying, there’s a pattern we’ve all, to some extent, unconsciously adopted. I’m saying that when we think ‘SHUT UP’ about a lady we should examine that impulse.

Because until then, for all ladies… Our words aren’t as valued, and that doesn’t just mean our books: it means our critique as well, and our community.

Okay. *glances around* Uh. *hopes has not alienated all dude authors ever and shot all (slim already) chances of ever being asked to write a piece for a major publication or shot all (slim already) chances at an award*

I maybe have to both shut up and change my name to Benedict Cumbersnoot. Excuse me…

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

In the spirit of the New Year, thought we might have something new from Untold, and some lovely people seemed interested in where Angela and Holly were at.

K hope you guys enjoy you know I love you xoxo!

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