Armchair Bea Day 2: Author Interactions & More Than Just Words

May 27, 2014

It's day 2 of the Armchair BEA and it is in full swing.

Today's Topics are very different from each other and should be interesting to explore.

Author Interactions
Let’s talk interacting with authors IRL (in real life) or online. This is your opportunity to talk about your favorite author readings that you have attended. Or, you can feature your favorite author fan moment (i.e., an author sent you a tweet or commented on your blog). Maybe you even want to share how your interactions have changed since becoming a blogger or share your own tips that you have learned along the way when interacting with authors as a blogger.

My interactions with authors started long before I ever started blogging. I'm about to giveaway my age...It started when email first became popular. That's right you young ones, it hasn't been around forever. :-) When this avenue opened up and I was in high-school, I had a desire to write, heck I still do, blogging helps that. So, I started to contact some of my favorite authors with questions and they were kind enough to respond back. I still have those emails with their words of wisdom. They have stuck with me.

Now with all the social media, connecting with authors has gotten so much easier. I now have connected with favorites on Twitter and through Facebook and GoodReads and I have been introduced to new to me authors as well. The social media platform has been great in that aspect.

Since becoming a blogger and with Twitter, it has also helped me to see that authors are just like you and me, they just write fantastic books! Before hand, I always thought of them as celebrities (still do, they are my rock stars. :-)), but now they are people to me as well. My perception has changed quite a bit.

Blogging has opened up opportunities to chat with these wonderful authors and it is a lot of fun. And, I always get a little giddy still when an author has been kind enough to post on my blog.

As for interacting in real life with authors, I haven't been able to get around to readings or signings much. I would love to though.


More Than Just Words
There are so many mediums that feature more than just words and enhance a story in a multitude of ways. Examples may include graphic novels and comics, audiobooks, or even multimedia novels. On this day, we will be talking about those books and formats that move beyond just the words and use other ways to experience a story. Which books stand out to you in these different formats?

This part of the bookish world I'm not as familiar with. I have enjoyed audiobooks, but finding a time to listen to them with my full attention is hard, but they are enjoyable and I have found that when I listen, I find parts of the story I either skimmed or accidentally skipped. It heightens the story.

I haven't gotten into graphic novels or comics. I know they have been around forever. Movies are popping up everywhere based on them...and that's not a bad thing at all. Thank you very much Marvel for the great movies! I'm slowly learning more about comics, the kid seems to enjoy them, so before she can read and look at them, I check them out first.

I know it isn't part of the original topic, but I do enjoy when a book is transformed into a movie or a miniseries or show on TV. Yes, things can be altered, but the visual presentation helps me sometimes to fully comprehend, all in part to my dyslexia, what was on the author's mind. Sometimes when details are given, it can be hard for my mind to wrap around the way it is written.

John Adams
Harry Potter
Game of Thrones
Hunger Games
Thor
Captain America
Iron Man

Coming Soon:
Outlander

All of these have offered me the ability to see what has been written, yes, changed a bit, but I can appreciate the work that it came from and look at the shows as a reference to the book.

21 comments

  1. Oh yeah. So looking forward to Outlander. Have taken part in a number of Twitter thrusts to get it into various countries. Haven't been successful with my own country, New Zealand yet.

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  2. Don't feel old: I mailed a real letter to John Cheever in high school and got a short reply back, years before anyone even thought of e mail! It always surprises me when an author finds my post on her own. Hope you enjoy Armchair BEA!

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  3. I was the same way -- contacting authors when I was younger to ask questions or gush about their work. It's always been marvelous to me that authors are so wonderfully approachable (most of the time). :D Happy Armchair BEA!

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  4. I love how Twitter in a way has bridged the gap between author and reader/blogger. I've never been to an author signing event or anything but Twitter in a way helps me take part even if I've never physically been in the same room as them xD

    Day 2 @ my blog

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  5. I feel like I could watch all the Marvel movies on a continuous loop and be so pleased! Love those!

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  6. I remember being little and realizing that individual people actually wrote each book I read--it was a startling revelation. Books just were, I didn't think of people making them. This was in the ancient days when most people still had black and white TV sets. Perhaps children were slower back then, perhaps it was just me. :)
    Your comment about books being made into movies helping you resonates with me. I never wanted to read Jane Austen until I saw the movie adaptations and fell in love with the characters, landscapes, etc. It really opened up her language for me.

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  7. I also remember when email was new (strange to think of a time before email!). I have a form response letter from a fan letter I wrote to the Babysitters Club author--haha

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  8. Social Media definitely has a negative side but I agree that connecting with so many people around the world is one major bonus. I had a friend recently who deactivated her FB page and she said after a month she didn't miss it. I told her the only thing I would miss about it would be the authors and bloggers I follow. I would miss those posts big time!

    Holly @ Words Fueled by Love

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  9. Great post, Kate. And I agree. I always had a different perspective on authors - they were more akin to celebrities in my young mind, and now (love how you say they're rock stars - they ARE!), it's been fun to interact with them. They're awesome, kind and so giving with their time. It means a lot. :)

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  10. Katheryn, Yay for another Outlander fan! :-) I hope that y'all will be successful soon.

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  11. Ms. Yingling, thank you for that. :-) It is fun for sure when an author visits. Thank you, I hope you enjoy the Armchair BEA as well.

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  12. Andi, I completely agree. It is a delight. Thankfully, the authors I've contacted have been very gracious. Hope you have a wonderful time with the Armchair Bea! :-)

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  13. JustCaffinated, Twitter has been a wonderful bridge, definitely. It is wonderful to have the ability to communicate. Hope you are enjoying the Armchair BEA!

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  14. Wesley, Oh, yes! They are fantastic and they keep getting better. So glad to find another fan. :-)

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  15. Chris, That is great. I don't know when I started to think that people wrote them. :-) Yes, to Jane Austen. The movies made the books so much more approachable.

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  16. Stephsco, That is great! :-)

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  17. Holly, Completely agree. There can be many negatives to social media, but the best part are the posts from favorite authors. It's so easy to find out about new books!

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  18. Rissi, Thanks! And I completely agree. They have been so generous and kind with their time. It is so much fun!

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  19. Nice post, Kate! Twitter has changed my interactions with authors since I became a blogger.

    As a reader, I never really felt comfortable sending an email to an author with a general question or just to say hello.

    Twitter made things seem more personal and leveled the playing field. If an author can tweet about her dog and breakfast, I can ask her a question about a character.

    You'll see in my ABEA Intro post, I am all over the new Outlander series.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  20. Skeeter, Woohoo for another Outlander fan! :-) Not to much longer for the new book and show.

    Twitter has been wonderful for blogging. There is so much ease to it. :-)

    Hope you are having a great time with the BEA!

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  21. I really like how they've done The Hunger games series so far... we'll see how I feel after Mockingjay though.

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