tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.comments2023-04-03T06:59:08.022-07:00Ask the WriterBarbara Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-67491960640385859062015-12-24T11:50:00.736-08:002015-12-24T11:50:00.736-08:00Thanks so much for your lovely comment, oh-so-enco...Thanks so much for your lovely comment, oh-so-encouraging to a lazy blogger. I promise to write more here.Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-82305515829321013672014-03-23T13:45:31.896-07:002014-03-23T13:45:31.896-07:00Thank you for leaving your comment, Tracy. My hope...Thank you for leaving your comment, Tracy. My hope, as a writer, is to simply do the best work I'm capable of doing, at any given point in time; to become the best writer I can be--and to let Time judge the worth of what I've done. (That's not my job!) I would never, ever aspire to fill anyone else's shoes. Odd the way male writers mostly seem to feel the need to write the Great American Novel... Would they feel differently, I wonder, if they were capable of having babies?Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-87642506778208010242014-03-23T13:35:10.460-07:002014-03-23T13:35:10.460-07:00Nancy, I so appreciated reading your comment tonig...Nancy, I so appreciated reading your comment tonight (it's night now, here in Luxembourg, where I'm very briefly visiting with the orchestra...). Readers like you are what keep writers like me energized and encouraged. I think it's magical that strangers like us can talk to each other about things that matter. You sound like a writer to me. Longing--nostoi, the longing for home--and a sense of exile are two very good ingredients for making a poet or a novelist. Do you think about writing? I hope you'll visit my blog again--and keep in touch.Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-17653728764124726682014-03-23T12:56:36.403-07:002014-03-23T12:56:36.403-07:00Very interesting comments that brought up a lot of...Very interesting comments that brought up a lot of emotion.<br /><br />I read The Marriage Plot in a book group and agree with your comment, "Try as I might to care about them, I simply couldn’t." Most of the others in the groups did not care for the book either, but the leader (a retired college professor) very aggressively defended it as "insightful" into the contemporary life of college students. Interestingly, the group consisted of all women. (At least one asked if we could read Dostoyevsky and the classics instead!) <br /><br />Your post also reminded me of how I felt as a girl who idolized authors and revered books but realized no one talked about books by women. I remember it was the only time I regretted being a GIRL. Even as a lit major in college we read few female writers. Fanny Burney in an early novel survey. And I had a honors course on Jane Austen (in 1978, long before she became a media sensation). I know things have changed by the books my son read in college. But it was part of a movement to rectify past errors, not indicative of inclusiveness that does not separate writers by sex, color, or culture.<br /><br />And then your comments on the publishing world...I notice that if writers sell they can publish anything. Good editing and holding writers accountable seems to have disappeared. <br /><br />Nancy A. Bekofskehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00355758776083934586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-34836389290601078212012-10-08T05:19:37.924-07:002012-10-08T05:19:37.924-07:00This is a fantastic post. Thanks so much for your...This is a fantastic post. Thanks so much for your insight and the curious way you have of making us think. Maybe the most profound thing you said was our desire to fill Tolstoy's shoes...our concern that there will never be another Tolstoy. Tracyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01731777158043597496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-82527477116419401432012-02-15T12:40:38.392-08:002012-02-15T12:40:38.392-08:00Thanks for stopping by, Susan. I had so much fun w...Thanks for stopping by, Susan. I had so much fun writing this post--and loved recording it for KRCB. Long live readers, writers and community-sponsored radio!Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-2008500055339938722012-02-15T12:31:52.724-08:002012-02-15T12:31:52.724-08:00I LOVE this post Barbara. It is a compelling, inf...I LOVE this post Barbara. It is a compelling, informative read with a great lead in to the story. Nice! I think many, many authors will share your view here - unless they are like the authors you mention here with the big advances but not necessarily big talent (to keep with the size theme).Susan Haleyhttp://www.haleyproductions.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-8379020422839074492011-07-08T08:13:34.573-07:002011-07-08T08:13:34.573-07:00There is certainly an ecology of consciousness, pa...There is certainly an ecology of consciousness, parallel to the ecology of Nature. (I'm no scientist - but I'm convinced of it!) We're all connected to everyone who's ever lived and dreamed. What each of us does and says affects humanity's march through Time just as much as one leaf falling affects the earth's ability to sustain and nurture life. Strong arguments for thanking each other and all the abundance and beauty inside us and surrounding us. Thank you, Whitney! You've made my world a better place with your words.Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-25722482427849308242011-07-07T16:04:25.850-07:002011-07-07T16:04:25.850-07:00Barbara,
I just finished your book, A Golden Web....Barbara,<br /><br />I just finished your book, A Golden Web. I read that the model for the book cover has several things in common with Alessandra. What a coincidence! Or perhaps not. Maybe Alessandra's way of righting a wrong from the other side - from 700 years ago. I was surprised to hear the girl on the cover was a model and not your daughter because there is a strong likeness in your faces. I consider myself a true, modern femenist, and this story appealed to me for that reason. What a long way we have come as women, and thank goodness! <br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Whitney Yeager<br />Denver, COWhitney Yeagernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-80098423286713407882011-06-20T18:10:41.875-07:002011-06-20T18:10:41.875-07:00You're very welcome, Sarah! I hope that other ...You're very welcome, Sarah! I hope that other writer friends of yours and mine will also weigh in with their views. I do so wonder whether traditional publishing is soon to become a relic of the past. (But maybe Virginia and Leonard Woolf had the same thought in mind when they started the Bloomsbury Press?)Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-32423879727928894852011-06-18T09:03:59.684-07:002011-06-18T09:03:59.684-07:00Thanks for stopping by by blog, Deborah! I hope th...Thanks for stopping by by blog, Deborah! I hope the spring has unfurled many flowers for you. Now that I'm home from my travels, I'm realizing how very much at home I've begun to feel here. As I get older, I'm learning that all the best things require patience (never my strong suit!).<br /><br />Warmest wishes,<br />BarbaraBarbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-42712038115674712962011-06-17T07:02:10.148-07:002011-06-17T07:02:10.148-07:00Thank you Barbara. I really enjoyed Vivaldi's ...Thank you Barbara. I really enjoyed Vivaldi's Virgins, especially since Vivaldi is one of my specialties! I agree that the writing is the most rewarding part of the whole process, and to be honest often seems the easiest part. My printer takes care of storage and inventory, and distribution, so fortunately that's not something I've had to deal much with. I too would be horrified to have to handle the marketing aspect on my own, but I'm lucky to have a husband with a strong background in both publishing and marketing, so he's been a huge help. The internet is a great sales tool, but the teacher in me also loves meeting readers in person. Book signings, school and book club visits, and fundraising events are great for that and are often a welcome contrast to the lonely writing process. Isn't it wonderful that we have so many options these days? Thanks so much for offering a forum for this discussion, Barbara. I wish you all the best!Sarah Bruce Kellyhttp://www.belcantopress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-9122707205177246832011-06-16T19:16:36.959-07:002011-06-16T19:16:36.959-07:00How lovely to hear from you, Sarah! That's tru...How lovely to hear from you, Sarah! That's truly thrilling news about how well your indie books have been doing. Every writer these days must wonder whether publishers aren't becoming obsolete. And yet it's quite daunting to contemplate trying to take on everything HarperCollins has done to give my novels legitimacy. All I want to do is write the books! I like meeting readers. But having to worry about inventory, storage, marketing and (worst of all!) sales sounds really ghastly to me. I will say, though, that you've given me pause. I hope we'll hear from other writers on this issue! In the meantime, you have all my very best and warmest wishes.Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-67853778713997420422011-06-16T17:13:53.960-07:002011-06-16T17:13:53.960-07:00This is one of the many reasons I chose the path o...This is one of the many reasons I chose the path of indie publishing. I received lots of positive feedback from agents, as well as editors of major publishing houses, to my first manuscript, but in the end I decided to retain the rights to my work. Since then I've published three books under an independent imprint and sales have been fantastic. I've received emails from all over the world from readers who have read and loved my books. And because I own the rights I'm also able to use my books as fundraisers for worthy causes, which I consider a real blessing. I'm about to publish my fourth book and already have orders from bookstores and speaking engagements across the country. I couldn't agree more that the internet--website, blogs, amazon, facebook, etc., is the way to go now with marketing. The Santa Fe Opera, who ordered a shipment of my books recently and invited me to give a lecture this summer, found me in that way. The sad fact is that unless your name is Danielle Steel or John Grisham you're going to have to do most of the marketing legwork yourself anyway. So why should the big publishing conglomerates make all the profit from our years and years of hard work?Sarah Bruce Kellyhttp://www.belcantopress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-43302737797312023412011-05-15T15:10:38.213-07:002011-05-15T15:10:38.213-07:00Hello Barbara, I too have just moved house and I a...Hello Barbara, I too have just moved house and I am now settling in to a different place. I will try not to take old friends for granted and to make some new connections.Your post has cheered me on, thanks!Deborah Swifthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594174632573628818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-82205505192829132502011-05-04T09:22:50.171-07:002011-05-04T09:22:50.171-07:00All of these comments are so meaningful to me! Jul...All of these comments are so meaningful to me! Julia, I'm still waiting for this story of Anna and Alessandra to be discovered by the wider world. (Maybe the story in itself would be a good subject for a novel?) There's a certain realm, in the world of, let's call it the collective unconscious, where there are no coincidences. I hope to have the pleasure and honor of meeting Anna someday. I look forward to seeing her put the letters "M.D." after her name. There's a thread connecting your family to my imagination. Maybe that thread will become a pathway to something that none of us can see now. In the meantime, thank you so much for writing to me! All best wishes to you, Anna and the rest of your family. -BarbaraBarbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-47766560587053979772011-05-03T20:58:43.469-07:002011-05-03T20:58:43.469-07:00Anna's my sister ! When I read this novel, I w...Anna's my sister ! When I read this novel, I was shocked about how her profile and passions were matched almost perfectly by those of Alessandra. It is an insane coincidence that this happened and knowing my sister, Anna, I could easily relate to how Alessandra felt about med school and pursuing her dreams. Amazing.Julia Kobylianskinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-29632803900176931062010-10-24T10:20:15.968-07:002010-10-24T10:20:15.968-07:00A sou'wester is the (usually bright yellow) sl...A sou'wester is the (usually bright yellow) slicker and hat traditionally worn by fishermen and sailors.<br />http://www.leitten.com/blog/dgc/sailor.jpg<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by to read my blog!Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-62410684395945942852010-10-23T02:49:16.237-07:002010-10-23T02:49:16.237-07:00what does "sou'wester" mean?what does "sou'wester" mean?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-68832811066605641202010-09-04T16:04:27.857-07:002010-09-04T16:04:27.857-07:00For those of you who aren't lucky enough to kn...For those of you who aren't lucky enough to know her, Grace Cavalieri is a spectacular poet, playwright, and (by my lights) bonafide fairy godmother who radiates magic, grace (of course!), beauty, and a wicked sense of irony wherever she goes. I feel proud to walk in the wake of light that follows her.Barbara Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12760283374186721846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-86969856274953204772010-09-04T13:11:09.488-07:002010-09-04T13:11:09.488-07:00I wish this frog/blog has been about 100 more page...I wish this frog/blog has been about 100 more pages; for Barbara Quick has not only found her Prince, she has found her reader. How I love the sight of expresso cups on the terrace, the smell of the lemon trees, the sound of her yelp at the little webby critters. She makes everything more alive than it ever was before-and in living color-and I love her. GRACE CAVALIERIGracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03457349216452358678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-61797566180848938052010-07-04T21:20:36.233-07:002010-07-04T21:20:36.233-07:00This is such a beautiful story. The fact that Anna...This is such a beautiful story. The fact that Anna is so much like Alessandra is amazing. I can't wait to read your book after reading this post.<br /><br />misskallie2000 at yahoo dot commisskallie2000https://www.blogger.com/profile/09235631978482541630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-66634281643348249962010-06-24T18:06:16.120-07:002010-06-24T18:06:16.120-07:00I love that you make the effort to write to blogge...I love that you make the effort to write to bloggers that review your books. That's makes me feel that the reviews WERE worth our time.<br /><br /><br />alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com<br />http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/Lisa Richards/alterlisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00347858402988565314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-32614148697531814282010-06-22T19:55:51.915-07:002010-06-22T19:55:51.915-07:00Barbara -
What a beautiful story! It only shows t...Barbara -<br />What a beautiful story! It only shows that the universe works in a mysterious manner. I would love to read about Alessandra, that you were able to bring her to life on the cover of the book also is amazing.dancealertreads.blogspot.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01102782825980833388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7293947846561085209.post-23667045162309153692010-06-16T11:58:51.543-07:002010-06-16T11:58:51.543-07:00Lovely poem.
Thanks again for commenting on our bl...Lovely poem.<br />Thanks again for commenting on our blog today. I've added a link to your blog in our sidebar.<br />All the best,<br />Carmela<br /><a href="http://www.teachingauthors.com" rel="nofollow">TeachingAuthors</a>Carmela Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.com