The myth goes something like this. Writers work alone. They are solitary beings who eschew human company to toil day after day on their craft. Invite them out to lunch, and they decline. Disturb them at their work, and they are fierce!
Admittedly, I Do have this sign on my study door:
I love spending hour upon hour blissfully alone working on my novels. And while my husband says, “My wife sits at home all day plotting and scheming.” The truth is, I do leave my work cave occasionally. You may be shocked to learn many authors and illustrators can be social creatures. You just have to know what (aside from chocolate) lures us away from our desks.
Critique Groups
Most of us meet weekly or monthly to share our work, give and receive critique, and help each other reach our writing dreams. We work hard in these groups, reading and marking up our manuscripts. But we go wild when one of us sells to a publisher. Recently, my critique group, the Diviners, celebrated Peggy King Anderson’s sale of her middle-grade novel Two Moon Journey with cheers and pom-poms.
And here’s the coveted Diviner Award we’ve been passing around for years — the Nancy Pearl shushing librarian action figure.
Writer Organizations
We join important organizations like PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) and SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). This means we attend monthly meetings, crowd to conferences and meet up at retreats.
Book Parties
We go wild for book launch parties.
Janet in polka-dot boots for Kevan Atteberry’s PUDDLES!
The Diviners in costume at Janet’s book party for IN THE TIME OF DRAGON MOON.
Celebrating at Martha Brockenbrough’s latest launch.
Office to Office
Sometimes we stop our work to contact each other and talk about . . . well . . . our work. Here’s my recent Creative Conversation with Wendy Wahman.
Creative Groups
We gather together to talk shop, celebrate our successes, ponder our failures, and tinker with the mystery of creativity. (Tinker we must, but it will remain a mystery.)
Sometimes we work in large groups at all-day writing retreats.
Some Mouse House members. How many OAVers can you see in this photo? (I count 4.)
Many mice were present at our recent Mouse House retreat at Dia Calhoun’s house by the river. OAVers Laurie Ann Thompson, Dori Jones Yang, Dana Sullivan, Suzanne Williams, Moi, and more worked silently in the house and outside, breaking for lunch, and later for Happy Hour.
Meeting Readers
Hands down, we all love meeting readers — at book signings, and at schools, libraries, and bookstores here in the US and abroad.
Janet and OAVer Trudi Trueit sign books at Borders.
OAV’s Dave Patneaude talks with students during a school visit.
Author Lois Brandt visits a classroom.
OAVer Dori Jones Yang gives a book talk in Beijing.
Janet visits a school in Japan.
Online Author Visits
And if you contact us here at Online Author Visits, I pinkie swear we will answer your call. The best part is, we don’t have to leave the office. You can get past that sign on my door and see where I work. More dragons await within the inner sanctum, but they gobble stories, not readers.
All of us here at OAV would love to meet you in your book group, library, or class. We might even say yes to lunch!
- Set up an Online visit with Janet: [email protected]
- Set up School Visits
- Read Interviews with Librarians: Library Lions Roar
- More Creative Conversations with Authors and Illustrators: DreamWalks
