March 03, 2005

what can writers do for blogging

Mark Sarvas ( he of TEV fame) has taken the plunge and networked with the L.A. chapter of PEN to float the idea of a litblogging workshop for authors. I am a tad surprised as I thought the American scene was full of blogging writers - but it appears this is 'an idea whose time has come'.
Check out also the article he links to regarding an agent's fearful view of litblogging - quite alarmist, worthy of the most timid of '80s librarians. (No more books! No more publishers! he even says, no more gatekeepers...!!)

On our patch, Express Media, in conjunction with the Victorian Writers' Centre, are having an Emerging Writers' Festival in May which I intend to check out with a view to finding out more about where young writers see blogging going in this country. It is reasonable at this point to assume they will have a stronger interest than older writers - or is it? Perhaps there'll be blogging workshops at every main writing festival in 2006...The wave approaches, when and where will it break, I wonder?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The concept of a blogging workshop is pretty extraordinary.

What's to teach? Except codey stuff, and that's to be avoided by those who don't relish it.

What is to talk about, though, is what next for blogging, by people who take it seriously, like writers.

That is tied up with talent hunting and evolving group blogs.

btw - coming to spleen?

- dt at barista

genevieve said...

The what next and the how and why would be most of the work in the shop I think. Personally I'm pretty interested in the difference blogging has made to the book trade and publishing of fiction ( if any). Sarvas is writing a novel and could have some interesting insights on that, also he has worked as a journo and screenwriter and uses online resources very confidently compared to most of the litbloggers, who tend to have their faves and don't research as widely as he does.
I'm thinking loosely along the lines of putting more interviews with litbloggers on this blog in a category once I move to Typepad - have put it back a week, job interview, busted washing machine this week.
Will see how I am placed on Tuesday, thanks for the reminder!