| The Internet has given a new twist to the cult of the Solitary Author. Even though writers continue to be just as guarded as before about their privacy (especially when they're working on long-term projects), a number of them have started using their own websites, online journals or blogs to interact with fans, solicit feedback and suggestions, and even share works in progress. Examples: |
| Eddie Campbell http://eddiecampbell.blogspot.com/ |
| Scottish comics artist/cartoonist Campbell is probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of the voluminous graphic novel From Hell, but his other work includes Bachchus, an adventure series about Greek gods living in modern times, and the acclaimed The Fate of the Artist. His blog, also called The Fate of the Artist (http://eddiecampbell.blogspot.com/), is a treasure trove for anyone who's interested in his working methods, influences and back-stories. |
| As a huge fan of From Hell, I always wanted to know about the nature of the collaboration that must have taken place between artist (Campbell) and writer (in this case, Alan Moore) in bringing such an ambitious, intense book to life. Many of my questions were answered by Campbell's blog in a series of fascinating posts where he provides transcriptions of the briefs sent to him by Moore, detailing the action in each comic panel. This is a priceless firsthand look into the artistic process "" the back-and-forth shuttling of inputs, the gradual accumulation of ideas that eventually produces a finished work. |
| Since Campbell generously decorates the site with jpeg images of his artwork (which, is strongly influenced by the work of the Impressionist painters), this is also one of the best-looking author blogs around. Also check the comments section for his interaction with other artists, fan comments "" and even some friendly banter with the producer of the mediocre movie version of From Hell! |
| Scott Adams http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/ |
| Dilbert creator Scott Adams is a cartoonist too, but his minimalist drawings are as far removed from Campbell's intricate, multilayered artwork as it's possible to get. However, Adams' great talent resides not in his illustrations but in his devastating sense of humour. He is one of the world's great funny men, with a seemingly inexhaustible talent for exposing human foibles and making acerbic observations on just about any aspect of modern life. |
| Though Adams has been lampooning the corporate world through his immensely popular comic strip for over a decade now, the canvas of his blog (http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/) is much larger than that of the strip. There's a huge variety of topics on view here: he holds forth on stem cell research, illegal music downloads, fashion, intelligence vs happiness, nerdiness, the misuse of technology, and inevitably succeeds in angering chunks of his readers (surely that's the best measure of a humorist's success?), especially with his observations on organised religion. |
| There are plenty of Dilbert-related posts too. He discusses his encounters with the whimsies of cartoon censorship and often puts up different versions of the same strip "" the one he originally drew and the toned-down one which actually appeared in print (almost invariably, the original is much more potent). He also holds forth on what works and what doesn't when drawing a strip, writes about the "six elements of humour" and discusses other comics like Calvin & Hobbes and Pearls Before Swine. Don't expect him to answer any personal queries though "" he gets hundreds of comments each day! |
| Malcolm Gladwell and Steven D Levitt/ Stephen Dubner http://gladwell.typepad.com/ http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/ |
| Two of the iconic non-fiction blockbusters of recent years "" books that deal with the mechanisms influencing various aspects of contemporary life, written in an easy-to-read way and aided by real-world examples anyone can relate to "" are The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and Freakonomics by Steven D Levitt and Stephen Dubner. |
| The former is about "that magic moment when ideas, trends and social behaviours cross a threshold, tip and spread like wildfire". It identifies three types of people "" Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen "" who help an idea to grow beyond all expectation, until it becomes a defining force in our lives. The latter is by two self-described "rogue economists" who set out to analyse "the hidden side of everything" (including the reasons for the fading away of the Ku Klux Klan and the deeper significance of the names parents give their babies). |
| The Freakonomics blog (http://www.freakono mics.com/blog/) and Malcolm Gladwell's website (http://gladwell.typepad.com/) can be seen as living, breathing extensions of the books in question. They provide a first-rate illustration of how the ideas set down in a book can be shifted to a more interactive forum and how authors can engage in meaningful debate with each other and with their readers. Read the authors' published work and if you're hungry for more, just head over to their virtual hubs. |
| Meg Cabot http://www.megcabot.com/diary/ |
| On a lighter note, there's popular chick-litter Meg Cabot, the author of more than 40 books that are mostly targeted at young adults. It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that someone who's best known for a series called The Princess Diaries should have a regularly maintained online diary (http://www.megcabot.com/diary/) of her own. |
| Cabot has been blogging consistently for nearly four years now "" on this casual, chatty website you'll find everything you want to know about upcoming releases , book tours, interviews and advice for her teen readers. All this is in addition to the personal posts. |
| Surfing these sites, you'll also find a surprising point of commonality between authors from a variety of genres "" they all like to put up photographs of their pet cats! |
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