PurpleCar

11 QUESTIONS FOR MEDIA MAVENS ABOUT READING

Due to the little tiny bit of controversy in my “riding fences” post, I asked a few media mavens to answer a few quick questions about their reading habits and how they see themselves as readers.

A big thank you from me goes out to the participants from our small social media circle. Still waiting to hear back from iJustine, but here are the participants in this impromptu study: DYKC, CC Chapman, Annie Boccio, Julia Roy, Eric Rice, Amanda Gravel, Chris Brogan, and Jeff Pulver.
I am breaking the results up across several posts, in the interest of spacing.

Please leave a comment with your answers/thoughts; I’ve posted the questions below to copy and paste. Thanks, and enjoy!

1. In one (can be hyphenated!) word, how would you describe your career, culture or identity. E.g., “I am a(n) ________.”
2. Do you think this identity has been represented well in art (including fiction, film, poetry)?
3. What do you typically do on long trips (plane, train, auto) for entertainment?
4. What traditional paper & print media, if any, do you read on a regular basis?
5. What is the last fiction novel or short story you remember reading? When was this?
6. What is your preferred genre for fiction and/or non-fiction?
7. Would you rather read a novel or listen to it?
8. Approximately how many page books do you buy in a year for yourself or other adults?
9. Please pick up the book nearest to you now. What are the first and last words? What is the title?
10. You’ve just been given $300 gift card to Borders right before a 3-week trip to an ‘off the grid’ island. What do you buy?
11. What connections, if any, do you see between social media and traditional fiction?

1. In one (can be hyphenated!) word, how would you describe your career, culture or identity. E.g., “I am [a(n)] ________.”
DYKC: Black.
CC_CHAPMAN: Helper
2. Do you think this identity has been represented well in art (including fiction, film, poetry)?
DYKC: Not comprehensively enough.
CC_CHAPMAN: Sure, we see it over and over again in the person that is friendly and helpful to those around them. Sometimes to the point of their own self sacrifice.
3. What do you typically do on long trips (plane, train, auto) for entertainment?
DYKC: Watch the scenery while listening to music.
CC_CHAPMAN: My iPod is always synched up with the latest music and podcasts. I also always pick up a couple of magazines and bring a book with me. Almost always fiction if it is a long ride or else I’ll never get lost in it.
4. What traditional paper & print media, if any, do you read on a regular basis?
DYKC: Good Magazine, Harpers, Black Enterprise, XXL, GQ
CC_CHAPMAN: Sunday Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, Wired, Fast Company, Mens Health
5. What is the last fiction novel or short story you remember reading? When was this?
DYKC: Halting State, by Charlie Stross — last week.
CC_CHAPMAN: I read the last Harry Potter book as soon as it came out.
6. What is your preferred genre for fiction and/or non-fiction?
DYKC: Cyberpunk, or hacker related.
CC_CHAPMAN: If I’m reading non-fiction is is most likely a business book of some sort. On the fiction side I really read anything. Grew up reading tons of fantasy novels and they are still my favorite. I like to try out new genres based on great writers telling interesting and new stories. I’m a big fan of deep character development rather then rapid plot.
7. Would you rather read a novel or listen to it?
DYKC: I’d prefer to read it.
CC_CHAPMAN: ALWAYS read it over listen. I’ve never been audio book guy. I also can’t see me ever getting a Kindle or anything similar. I like the tactile feel of holding a book, flipping the pages. I may be totally digital in a lot of areas of my life but reading it not one of them.
8. Approximately how many page books do you buy in a year for yourself or other adults?
DYKC: Between 15 and 30, not including hardbound/softbounds graphic novels (i.e. Comic compilations).
CC_CHAPMAN: Wow, I have no idea. I buy lots of books. A good 10-20 a year easily and I love to give books as gifts to people because to do it right really shows you know that person.
9. Please pick up the book nearest to you now. What are the first and last words? What is the title?
DYKC: Laugh, Washington. Title, Laugh if You Like, Ain’t a Damn Thing Funny: The Life and Story of Ralph Waldo “Petey” Geene
CC_CHAPMAN: The, Chase. Title = Rules of the Red Rubber Ball
10. You’ve just been given $300 gift card to Borders right before a 3-week trip to an ‘off the grid’ island. What do you buy?
DYKC: Every book by William Gibson, Neil Stepenson, Bruce Sterling, and Toure’.
CC_CHAPMAN: I’d certainly get something philisophical and mind provoking to get my brain going. I always love doing that if I’m going on a back country trip of any sort because it gives your mind something to chew on during all the quality idle time. I’d also pick up some other travel adventure books since I find there is nothing better then reading about someone elses trip while I’m on one myself. I’d also probably grab a couple of the latest hot books since I hardly ever read these and it would be the perfect time to catch up on what everyone else is raving about. I also LOVE the bargin tables at any bookstore so I’m sure I’d spend every last time grabbing a couple of these gems.
11. What connections, if any, do you see between social media and traditional fiction?
DYKC: Social media is a lot like fiction, in that you are able to “read” everyones story (as presented) online. The trick, is to discern the real narrative (is it true, is it embellished, pure fiction? etc).
CC_CHAPMAN: Aren’t we all sort of making it up as we go along in both? *laugh* The key to good fiction is characters you can connect with and the telling of a good story. It could be argued that this is the same for social media. A lot of the people we connect with we have never met in the flesh so we only have their words (and photos, voice and video in some cases) to connect with them.

Here I still sit, straddling the fence between two worlds.

Social media mavens are usually high achieving business people who love marketing, technology and the fast lane of constant connectivity. Writers are lone warriors, working alone for hours a day, with fierce determination at times and horrible block and depression at others. I’ve been drifting between the tech/business and the writer/academic worlds for my entire adult life. Just recently, I’ve noticed that they are slowly beginning to meet. Well, “meet” is putting it nicely.

Most writers don’t have any clue what social media and ‘web 2.0′ are. They have never heard of Chris Brogan (who seemed to call everyone I know last night) or CC Chapman or Jeff Pulver or Twitter or Qik or Seesmic. Writers, then, are like most people. Still in the dark as to what is coming.

Social media mavens don’t have a clue, in general, of what is going on in the publishing industry. They don’t read books much. They are on-line, but they haven’t moved over to reading entire novels on a screen. Younger generations are more accustomed to this, but social media people would rather listen to a podiobook than go to the library to pick up page book.

Here is one example of a fence skirmish between the mavens and the writers I witnessed recently. Back in November, I wrote a post for my NanoWriMo friends about Book Trailers, mini-movie previews for your written novel (not a movie trailer for a feature-length film based on your novel, but a trailer for just the actual novel). I see it as a great development and marketing tool. It’s combining two arts, film and novel-writing; it could be a new way to get people excited to read. What’s not to like?

But a writer’s group I joined last week in Yahoo has some genuine curmudgeons insulting the new art and practice of the Book Trailer. I didn’t jump into the discussion; I can sniff out unchangeable minds in a listserv like a police dog screening for coke. I’ll allow them their culture and stay perched on the fence (the view is usually pretty clear from up here anyway).

If I thought the writers would listen, I’d say that a more relevant and useful discussion would be to address concerns about the reading experience. For example, let’s chat about casting. Many writers purposely avoid describing their character’s physical characteristics so the reader (i.e. ‘user’) forms their own mental picture. A trailer may hinder the novelist’s intent to engage the user’s imagination. We can also chat about plot twists and spoilers. A trailer, in using film’s unique way of portraying human nuance and slight communication, may give away basic plot structure. We could talk about human psychology and storytelling in film and novels for hours on these questions alone. But to get to these discussions, more writers have to approach the fence. Right now, it’s mostly back-turned resentment. On both sides.

As you know, I’m a big fan of social media, blogging, vlogging, and technology in general. But the mavens need to take a step closer to the fence, too. Writers study human nature. They tell tales that give insight and into our past, present and future lives. They speak to our spirit, our very core of existence. Just because you have your own .tv channel doesn’t mean you have the skills to produce that magic that comes from consuming a great story or poem. Reach out to some writers in your village, whether it be a webtown or hometown. Appreciate their talents, and they’ll adopt your strategies and include you. Social media stories will show up in literature that will be more relevant to your lives (which is why the soul seeks out art). I am writing my novel with social media in mind. I’m not the only one.

Writers, get involved. Get into blogging and podcasting, even if you are just consuming it. You belong in this social media wave even if the mavens wonder why you don’t “produce content.” It is up to writers to come out of their shells and accept new media into their space. Listen to the new stories and see the new art around you. These people can inspire you, get you work, and market your book.

Neither side is evil and neither side is sinless. But together, I think we can raise the level of literacy across all platforms and cultures. And, as we all know, more literacy means more peace.

I’m out. Gotta keep riding this desperado fence until I find a place I can call home.

Love. Literacy. Peace.

-PurpleCar