I’ve been involved with Twitter for a while now and usually I write something pithy and relevant. (Twitter.com/Sheronwriting)
Well…most times. Okay, so it’s hard to stun people with my exciting life. I’ve selected several of my favorite authors to follow on Twitter in order to peek into their lives to see if a highly successful author has as much fun as I do putting out a book, and what their life might be like.
One of the authors that I picked to follow was William Gibson. William Gibson (if you’ve been in a cave the last twenty years) started the Cyberpunk sub genre in science fiction with “Neuromancer.” He is one of the very few, if not the only one, to win the trifecta of Nebula, Hugo and Phillip K. Dick Awards all in the same year. “He introduced the world to cyberspace and the world has not been the same since.”
Currently, he is on a book tour for his new book “Distrust that Particular Flavor” and tweeted Wednesday, “Snopocalypse now in Seattle.” He got a reply, “Beware of storms in Portland. Could be a long stay.” That morning Portland had been having snow, sleet, slush and general ugh weather. A lovely welcome for a famous author who was coming to do a book signing at Powell’s Book store downtown. (Turned out to be standing room only.) However, when I read the tweet, everything in Portland was turning to just rain. (doesn’t it always?) So I replied, “Portland is now free of ice and snow…just rain, rain, rain. Hope your trip is good.” Then I tweeted him and asked what was the deal on the new book’s title. I thought it was an odd title, “Distrust that Particular Flavor”? Definitely not one I would have thought of.
He tweeted me back, “Title is from text of my essay, “Time Machine Cuba” in the book. Flavor (the book’s title) is a catastrophist future mega-whine.”
So suddenly, I was having a conversation with a world famous science fiction author, and that only could have happened through Twitter.
Now I GET IT!
Do you think if I have a choice between buying his book or someone else’s, I would buy theirs? Not a chance. That’s what Twitter is all about for an author. It offers a direct link to readers and the opportunity to have a dialogue with them. Now I’m following C.J. Cherryh and John Scalzi..and keeping an eye on the weather just in case.
ScifiBook Review 