LECTURES | Lecture Life (Part II)

The week has kicked off with a zzzzzz......

For me to get anything out of these lectures, I enjoy them best when the speaker is able to speak about some experiences that led them to where they are or offer a window of insight into what it's like to be a working/ established author/agent.

So long as these criteria are met, I don't care much for other factors.

The bloke that spoke on Monday put a few off 'cos according to them he came across as aloof and arrogant. Didn't bother me - each to their own. I found it quite interesting that he wrote so much fiction that was so obviously about him.

I even stated as much in my question at the end.

I might have touched a nerve 'cos a fair chunk of his reply was 'Oh, that character is so different to me'.....which it wasn't!!

Yesterday's speaker was the least interesting for me. First of all he had such a terrible delivery that even before he was introduced, we were encouraged to sit as close to the front as possible....

So we could hear him!

Then he spent the whole 50 mins just reading from his 2 published novels (very quietly). Which to be honest were bloody boring! He and Monday's speaker spoke in monotone which is an effective way of warding off insomnia.

The shame was that the 2nd guy has self-published his stuff so he had loads of interesting experience to impart and surely is a bit of an entreprenuer to be able to get that off the ground.

I like that the speakers are prone to reading from their work, but it needs to be measured. I mean, if I wanted samples of that length I'd just go to Blackwell's around the corner and buy 'em!!