06 Feb 2008 17 Comments
Appreciate Your Local Freelance Writer ?
So, someone left a big fat calendar book here at Greyhaven that gives you all the historic events, birthdays, etc. that have occurred on each day of the year. The natural response is to look up one’s own birthday and then the day on which one is reading the book.
Which is how I discovered that February 6-10 is “Freelance Writers’ Appreciation Week”. This appears to have been cooked up by the Public Libraries. At least they are the ones with a website about it–
http://papercuts.tscpl.org/2006/02/freelance_writers_appreciation.html
Exactly /how/ one is supposed to express this appreciation is not clear. My suggestion would be to go out and buy a book, or maybe visit a library and encourage /them/ to buy books from your favorite author. Maybe I’ll trot down to our local branch library tomorrow and give them a chance to appreciate me .
Actually, I did get a little appreciation yesterday at the voting booth, where the sweet young thing at the the table looked at my name and asked, “Are you /that/ Diana Paxson?” Turns out her mother reads my books. She herself is specializing in Victorian Literature and doesn’t, but she had me autograph her Survey of Literature book. Probably the only way I’ll ever get my name in one!
Feb 07, 2008 @ 02:19:24
And we do appreciate you. So- you’ll have copies of the Golden Hills of Westria at PCon, right? Got a $20 set aside to liberate one.
Feb 07, 2008 @ 02:20:35
And of course, you probably don’t remember, but I made the exact same response when I first contacted the Troth 8 years ago. Of course, I’d just finished reading The White Raven the day before. Good times. I need to reread that one one of these days. Been too long.
Feb 07, 2008 @ 16:49:20
Hehe. The first time I mentioned Diana’s name to my then-new-boyfriend (now husband) it was in relation to something or another that had happened at Trothmoot. He, being in the SCA, got wide-eyed and said, “You’ve met Diana Paxson?” with awe in his voice. I didn’t understand and replied something like, “Uh, yeah, why?”
We do appreciate you, Diana. Even those of us not in the SCA.
I think this would be a good week to buy a book.
Feb 09, 2008 @ 01:02:11
GOLDEN HILLS
Yes, I certainly will! There will be a few copies on the ANCIENT WAYS store table, but I’ll also have some at my booksigning at 12 Noon on Saturday.
See you there!
Feb 10, 2008 @ 07:37:10
Re: GOLDEN HILLS
12 noon on Saturday- I’ll look forward to it. I can guarantee I won’t be hungover, as I’m not playing till Saturday night (no alcohol the week before a show) so I’ll be there!
Also, in case there is some concern, while we will have a very energy intensive show, as always, we won’t be doing Baldur Rising (we haven’t gotten this one tight enough to perform well yet). So… it should be safe for anyone recovering from Seidr. We will, of course be doing Lamentation though.
Feb 07, 2008 @ 03:03:42
Color me ignorant, but how am I supposed to know if a book I’m buying to express my appreciation is written by a “Freelance” writer as opposed to…
Actually, what are the other kinds of Writers in this context anyway?! Guild Writers? Contract Writers?
–Ember–
Feb 09, 2008 @ 01:04:01
Good Question. I guess the other kind would be Work-for-Hire, in which you get a fee but no rights, or writing for an employer, such as being on the staff of a magazine.
Feb 07, 2008 @ 03:52:06
Hey…I’m a freelance writer!
*goes off to tell her husband that there’s a whole week dedicated to me and he better appreciate, dammit*
Feb 07, 2008 @ 19:53:14
I appreciated my Local Freelance Writer last night, and bought you dinner.
– Lorrie
Feb 20, 2008 @ 06:36:10
Happy Day
As the Sun rises tomorrow – I give a mighty HAIL to you on your day of birth! Thank you for your wisdom, thank you for your courage that has opened doors and eyes for the rest of us, and I thank the mother that birthed you and gave us the gift of YOU!!
Feb 20, 2008 @ 17:47:33
Happy Birthday!
Oak (from Wic-Can Fest.)
Mar 17, 2008 @ 02:59:56
Diana, I’d like to be added to your f-list. We have a couple of lj friends in common. Also, I own a metaphysical bookstore here in Denver, and we are pleased to carry your books.
Mar 27, 2008 @ 06:28:57
Dear Mrs. Paxson,
My name is Raquel, I’m a 21 years old brazilian girl and I just HAVE to tell to you: I love your work. I know a lot of people may say it to you, and ask you the same questions a thousand times, but I’m so happy that I found a way to get in touch with you that my hands are shaking!
(My English is not very good, sorry.)
I knew your work by the Avalon series (very popular here on Brazil) when I was 14, and I have a particular love for “Ancestors of Avalon”. I didn’t read “Priestess of Avalon”,but it’s in my reading plans for the vacations. (I study History, so there’s not much time for leisure readings…Reading books for college is, actually, leisure to me…But I think you understood what I wanted to say)
I have one question to ask you, but first I want to know if I can ask it. It’s not very polite asking things at the first contact…I think.
Sorry if I was some sort of…indelicate.
Best regards,
Raquel.
Mar 27, 2008 @ 19:11:54
questions and answers
Dear Raquel–
How wonderful to hear from someone in Brazil! I recently received a Portuguese translation of the most recent Avalon book (Os Corvos de Avalon), but obviously the others have been available in English–and please don’t apologize for your English, which sounds quite good to me. I read French and a little Spanish, and find that I can get through most literary Portuguese with the aid of a dictionary. Slang, however, is a different story.
I recently wrote a short story set in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. It’s called “Crossroads”, and is in an anthology titled LACE AND BLADE (available via Amazon), edited by Deborah Ross. I wish I had been in contact with you then, so someone could check my research.
I do my best to make the history in my books as accurate as possible. As you are a history major, that may be one of the reasons you like them. What area of history are you studying?
“Westria” is northern California in an alternate future (although the way Global Warming is going it is becoming less alternate every day). I’ve written seven books about it– they are all covered on a website:
http://www.westria.org — along with a photo gallery.
What was your question?
Mar 28, 2008 @ 00:30:11
Re: questions and answers
Dear Mrs. Paxson,
I live in Rio de Janeiro and it is quite exciting to know you wrote a story which is set here. I’ll look for Lace and Blade on Amazon, and ask to my dad to buy it for me (I don’t have a credit card. Self-protection *laughs*). I have a book with many photos of Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of 20th century. It’s incredible how the city has changed.
I am very anxious to read “Os Corvos de Avalon”; Lhiannon is one of my favorite characters of “The Forest House,” and Boudicca’s story is a theme I’d like to study, but here in Brazil we don’t have much material to go deeper in the subject.
Well…I’m in my second year of college; at this point, I don’t have to have a specialization yet. I’m currently studying Modern Ages, Pre-Columbian America, and Colonial Brazil. I want to specialize in Late Antiquity / Middle Ages and Inquisition – I’m addicted to these subjects. I’m starting a research about the Medieval Portuguese Queen Ines de Castro, who was crowned after her death. (Amazing love-hate story, by the way.) Being historically accurate is insanely difficult, but I think you do it very well. (I wish I had read “Priestess of Avalon,” because I think you had to deal with it all the time while writing it.)
Global warming frightens me. Here in Brazil, things get worse each day. The sky is gradually turning grey.
About my question: I’ve read the Avalon series many times. Every year, since I was 14, I have read the whole series at least twice a year. But I haven’t been able to follow some of the incarnations through “Fall of Atlantis” to “Mists of Avalon”. Obviously, some characters’ incarnations are very clear to me, like those of Deoris and Domaris. My main problem is following Micail, Riveda, Reio-ta, and Micon’s lines. After never-ending discussions with several of my friends, we still haven’t been able to reach a conclusion.
We have some theories, such as:
- Micon never reincarnated because he’s a pure soul that has already accomplished his karma, and that’s why Domaris’ incarnations don’t have a true love.
- Riveda cames back as Ardanos, as Allectus, and as Kevin.
- Reio-ta cames back as Gaius and Lancelot.
I have particular problems regarding the lines of Arthur and Uther, because Igraine has a vision that she is Tiriki (I love Tiriki. She is so active!) and Uther being Micail. But Micail was Son of a Hundred Kings, wasn’t he? As were Gawen, Carausius, and Arthur. So who were Arthur and Uther in past lives? It confuses me so much!
To sum up, my question is: What are the reincarnation lines of the major characters? (I have been wondering this for about…5 years, or more!)
Gratefully, Raquel.
PS: If you prefer, we can speak by e-mail. Mine is keshi.shirono@gmail.com
Mar 27, 2008 @ 06:30:12
By the way, I’m very very very curious about Westria. =)
Mar 31, 2008 @ 20:16:46
Mrs. Paxson!
Ravens of Avalon just arrived in Brazil’s bookshops!
I’m so happy! I’ll buy in the weekend!