Ten-Minute Blog Break - 13th January

In the wake of the shocking Paris attacks, this week's column should probably be renamed "The Ten-Minute Freedom of Speech Break". Be warned though, this is one debate that's going to take a lot longer than ten minutes to reach a resolution.

Those looking for books to help them, and their children, understand the world in the wake of this week's events should check out the excellent list by Sita Brahmachari on the Guardian Children's Books site, which includes SCBWI writers such as Miriam Halahmy and Sam Osman.

One of the authors at The Edge uses their weekly blog slot to mount a robust response to the recent violence, arguing for the continued importance of unfettered freedom of speech.

K.M. Lockwood takes a more cautious (but no less thoughtful) approach in her blog post, and focuses on the risk of polarisation in the debate on freedom of expression.

Sarah McIntyre blogged her own detailed reaction to the Charlie Hebdo killings, and voiced her hopes that the events in Paris could ultimately lead to more people around the world taking up cartooning/comics to tell their stories. Commendably, Sarah then wrote a second, even longer post called I Want to Make Cartoons & Comics But I Have No Idea Where to Start, which is full of useful advice on how to make that happen.

As for me, I deliberately haven't weighed in on the subject up till now. But I will say that I identified most strongly with that Joe Sacco comic that Sarah includes in her first blog post - free speech is all very well, but what do we want to achieve with that freedom?

OK, time to leave the weighty topics for something lighter. And what could be lighter than snow? Catherine Friess has a list of snowy picture books to cuddle around while dodging the winter weather outside.

Larisa Villar Hauser has decided to stop juggling and just "be". It all sounds very zen, but it's really a way to cope with being a writer, publisher, translator, mother etc. without going completely mad!

Finally, Liz Flanagan has an interview with someone who "popped over for a cup of tea." That doesn't sound very exciting, until you realise that Liz has Melvin Burgess in her living room! In an entertaining blog post, Melvin talks about the current state of YA and shares some tips on writing for teenagers.

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is an Undiscovered Voices winner who writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine.

On his blog, Nick is thinking about flashbacks, and their use as a narrative device: Flashback to the Future.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 18th November

Diversity is a word that gets bandied around a lot, and I hope we can agree that diversity in children's books is generally a good thing. But moving from that concept to actually bringing more diverse books to the market seems to be a tougher job.

K.M. Lockwood takes on the diversity question this week, in a blog post that starts with dressing up and ends with the challenge of trying to write a character who sits outside of your own cultural experience. This is something I've been tackling in my own writing (with much trepidation), and K.M.'s post has made me think and reflect more than anything else I've read this week.

The checklist that Kate Peridot uses to evaluate her picture book ideas is immensely useful for pinning down what makes a story work. But it also strikes me as a little controversial in its focus on the commercial appeal of an idea over its creative merits. How do you choose which ideas to develop and which to put aside?

There are more picture book happenings at Story Snug, where Catherine Friess is interviewing SCBWI US illustrator Hazel Mitchell. Hazel talks about her process and the inspiration for her illustration work on Imani's Moon by (fellow Scoobie) JaNay Brown-Wood.

A lot has happened in Larisa Villar Hauser's life since we last checked in with her. In particular, her self-published book has gone out into the world and been received pretty well. Read Larisa's insightful blog for her reflections about launch week.

NaNoWriMo is motivating for sure, but also a big ask in terms of commitment. Those seeking a somewhat gentler November may appreciate Julie Day's approach, which focuses on good process rather than strict word count.

Show don't tell - this simple mantra hides a multitude of complexity, especially for a novice writer struggling with character, dialogue, structure and everything else in-between. Thankfully, Dr Vanessa Harbour has put on her teacher's hat for a succinct and illuminating post that explains when to show and when not to. Thanks, Doc!

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is an Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine.

Nick's most recent blog is all about the reasons Why You Should Support Stew Magazine, in their Kickstarter campaign.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 28th October

Attribution is an interesting subject in publishing. The writer is often credited as the sole creative force, but what about all the editors and designers behind the scenes? And what if the book is illustrated as well?

Attribution certainly became a big issue for Sarah McIntyre, when her book Oliver and the Seawigs was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, but only her co-creator Philip Reeve was listed for the award. You don’t need me to tell you that Sarah did not take that lying down, as her crusade to change the submission rules proves!

I know I featured the fight against Liverpool City Council’s plan to close eleven of its libraries last week, but:
A) You can never make enough fuss about library closures
B) I was much taken by Paula Rawsthorne’s letter to Mayor Joe Anderson, which argues the case for public libraries both from the heart and the head.

To live your creative life fully is to accept a constant process of evolution. To that end, I’m very much enjoying watching Maureen Lynas (who I once saw as primarily a writer) spreading her artistic wings. Her Klimt-inspired Red Riding Hood is a lovely image.

Marie Basting is getting in touch with her inner small person this week, in a bid to perfect her voice and point of view. Prepare to tie a towel around your neck as a makeshift superhero cape when you dive into her blog post.

Finally, a couple of SCBWI bloggers are focusing on the importance of reading to improve your writing. K.M. Lockwood provides her own take on the Kathleen Hale story about stalking book reviewers (which appeared in the Guardian recently). As a writer and a reviewer, K.M. gives a very positive perspective on the perks of being a reader. Elsewhere, I found myself nodding in agreement with Vanessa Harbour, as she complains about some writers of children’s fiction, who somehow think it’s appropriate to claim that they don’t read other children’s books. Not big and definitely not clever!

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is an Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine (September issue out now).

Nick's most recent blog post takes a look back at a year of Stew Magazine stories and teases out the common threads that bind them. What's the Story?

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 2nd September

Hello! I'm here and I'm fine. Better than fine, actually, due to a whole lot of SCBWI love sent my way over the weekend. So that's enough about me, because it's time to focus on what you clever people have been doing this week...

The triumphant return of Kate Bush to the stage has certainly fired up our bloggers this week. KM Lockwood contributes a wonderfully empathetic piece that delves into Kate's thoughts and motivations for her great comeback. Sue Hyams also avoids the concert review route, examining how the power of heartfelt emotion binds Kate Bush and her audience together.

Encouraged by proximity and her very obliging family, Sarah Broadley threw herself body and soul into the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Her exhaustive (but far from exhausting) post takes in many literary luminaries, including Scoobies such as Sarah McIntyre, Dave Cousins and Stephanie McGregor.

Another well-deserved success at the Edinburgh Book Festival was Nicola Morgan, whose signing queues have now swelled to rival those authors who seemed to overshadow her in past years. But it's not just a matter of ego, as her blog post makes touchingly clear.

I know I claimed I wasn't going to say any more about me, but Space on the Bookshelf did a whole series of posts about Stew Magazine last week and I was very proud to be interviewed, as was fellow SCBWI member Lisa Mann. You can also read the thoughts of editor Ali Fraser and Grace Sandford, who is one of the fine Stew illustrators. Remember, it's never too late to subscribe ;-)

Finally, here's a technological departure for the Blog Break, our very first vlog! For the uninitiated, these are video blogs, and I've embedded Olivia Bright's whiteboard-tastic introduction to her self-publishing process below:



Olivia also posted an accompanying blog about the wider process of bringing her book to the market. And I say good luck to her!

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is an Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine.

Nick's most recent blog post is "less a cry for help, more a squeal of frustration" as rejection and dejection find him Falling Back.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 29th July

Hello there - a new voice on your Ten-Minute Blog break this week: Nick Cross has mysteriously transmogrified into a Yorkshire lass. The blog posts that caught my imagination all feature creativity - an essential for all of us.



First off, I present to you the joyous colours of the Dream Football Kits featured on Dave Cousin's blog. Young people are so free with their design work. Someone really should make these.

I suggest you follow this with Layn Marlow's visit to the Pencil Museum - it's full of unexpected uses for pencils, cake and splendid vocabulary for us not-professional-artists. Unsurprisingly, some pretty cool images too.

Then have a look at how illustrator  Heather Kilgour has speeded up her work - only to find new outlets for her creativity - or possibly a smidge of procrastination? I love how the layers all work - but combine to make something so intense - like the best writing.

Sam Zuppardi certainly used his time creatively at Scarcroft School - I hope you enjoy his results as much as I did [and get the reference to one of the best school tales ever written].

Finally - and before you think I am an illustrator manquée - read our own Nick Cross's piece on Writing Flash Fiction. It's a practical guide to using up all those scraps and offcuts of creative ideas we writers have stashed away.

Now inspired by all these ideas, I'd better get on on with creating myself . Nick will be back next week.
Philippa

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K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. As well as being a regular contributor, Philippa (@lockwoodwriter) is also part of the Words & Pictures team as the @Words8Pictures Tweetmaster, growing our following and maintaining our 'Industry news' feed.

The Road Goes Ever On

An inspiration piece – with thanks to J.R.R. Tolkien for the title 

Horton Scar Lane by David Sykes

Some years ago, I volunteered to walk the Three Peaks for charity (24.5miles and three mountains in twelve hours). When the day came, we all set off with enthusiasm over the sheep-cropped turf of Ribblesdale. Lots of collective jollity got us through the first stretch over Pen-y-Ghent.

Then came Whernside. Following the routes of those before you was a great help – but when the peat bogs spread out in brown squelching patches, you had to find your own way. Walking side-by-side was not possible.

Sometimes I found inspiration in the hardships of the navvies who built the Ribblehead Viaduct. Other times, only stern self-talk kept me going. There were moments when other walkers’ relentless cheerfulness just plain annoyed me.

The last peak was the killer – Ingleborough. I desperately sought out Pennine features I loved to get through the endless slog. But even Primula Farinosa and clints-and-grykes can lose their charms when your boots rub on blisters.

The last ascent is a deceptive beggar – you think you’ve got to the top, push yourself up a mother of a slope – and find there’s another incline to go. And another . And another. Till you get there.

So you pop a bit of scree on the cairn at the top, celebrate – and realise another ‘there’ is ahead of you.

Pen-y-ghent Cafe (Creative Commons)

And that feeling, I am sure is familiar to all creative people – writers, illustrators and many others. There is always more to learn, other fells to scramble up. We are always ‘nearly there’. I hope that thought fills you with joy – and commitment.

A suggestion for you. 

Take a breather. Look back over the moorland to rejoice in what you’ve done so far. Listen to the curlews.

Now list ten milestones that are nothing to do with getting published.
 

Ascent to Whernside (John Lucas) / CC BY-SA 2.0

 

[Thanks to Writer Unboxed for this task– do read the rest of the post.]

By Philippa R Francis, who writes as K. M. Lockwood- and is still tramping.

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K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. As well as being a regular contributor, Philippa (@lockwoodwriter) is also part of the Words & Pictures team as the @Words8Pictures Tweetmaster, growing our following and maintaining our 'Industry news' feed.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 15th July

Some weeks, compiling the Blog Break is hard - usually because there are too few good blog posts or too many. It's definitely a case of the latter this week, so apologies go to anyone I've missed out for reasons of space!

Who do we write for? And why? A couple of our bloggers come at this issue from different directions this week. On The Edge, Sara Grant is reliving her teenage years (with a shudder) and analysing why she writes teen fiction. K.M. Lockwood, meanwhile, finds herself trying desperately to follow an agent's advice to write for the child-of-now, when she really wants to write for the child-of-then (herself).

Space on the Bookshelf have rustled up a rather spiffing 3D review of Robin Stevens's 1930s boarding school mystery Murder Most Unladylike. Robin is a SCBWI member herself, and answers questions in an interview, while her editor Natalie Doherty gets a grilling of her own. There's also a review of the novel by both an adult and a nine-year-old reviewer. Top hole!

I'm very glad this week that we get to see the long-awaited results of Candy Gourlay's graphic novel course. Candy's sharing a terrific comic strip with us, an alternately funny and dramatic rendition of the revolution that brought her and her husband together!

I missed YALC (the UK's first YA Literary Conference) at the weekend, but luckily Sarah McIntyre was there with her camera. Check out her unbelievable costume and unbelievable schmoozing!

Nick.

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Nick Cross doesn't think he can come up with a biography this week that's anywhere near as exciting as last time, so isn't going to try.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 8th July

There will be those amongst you who thought that Sarah McIntyre couldn't possibly top the insane headgear that she wore to launch Oliver and the Seawigs (a six-foot pink confection with a sailing ship on the top). You were wrong.

For the press launch of Seawigs follow-up Cakes in Space, Sarah sports a... well, I'll let you read the blog and find out. I particularly love the transformation that Sarah has wrought on Philip Reeve, who was such a quiet, reserved man when I first met him a few years ago, but is now wearing blue lipstick and dressing like 1970s David Bowie!

There's more good news with another SCBWI book launch, this time for Cliff McNish's Going Home. In fact, it's a double SCBWI success, because Trish Phillips has illustrated the book and blogs about the launch over at Big Little Tales.

K.M. Lockwood starts her latest blog post in something of a quandary. Should she be honest about a subject that's troubling her, or keep quiet for fear of making a bad impression? Fortunately for us, she plumps for the former and reveals her struggles with an unexpected problem - receiving praise for her work.

Sarah Broadley is doing some hands-on research this week, at her local children's library. But after being thrown out by the librarians(!), she returns home to share her own list of top 5 favourite picture books.

Finally, Dave Cousins is reliving his days of being in a rock band by taking his latest book on tour. Charlie Merrick's Misfits is all about football, and Dave's school audiences have a lot of fun with felt-tips making some dream football kit designs.

Nick.

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, ex-zombie and part-time superhero who was born with an intense phobia of Twiglets. Twice voted President of the Universe, Nick has been married on no less than twelve occasions and is a black belt in ju-jukebox (the ancient martial art of compiling playlists). A formidable sportsman, Nick was runner-up at the 2014 world tiddlywinks championship (he also holds the world record for wrapping sellotape around a small child). Nick's other hobbies include embroidery, chainsaw juggling, writing environmentally-sound haikus for Porridge Magazine and telling lies.

Roald Dahl the inventor - an inspiration piece

Willy Wonka

‘Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.’ 

Willy Wonka in the 1971 film of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 

This month’s ‘Words & Pictures’ celebrates the genius that was Roald Dahl on the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In this inspiration piece, I want to focus on just one aspect of this far-from-cuddly but many-faceted man – his inventiveness. 

Immediately, many writers will think of his invented words – who would not love or at least admire such creations as horrigust, frothbungling and snozzcumber? Look how he has carefully separated the working parts of different words and then made a kind of cut-and-shut that actually works. All great fun.

But Dahl himself was also a practical inventor – and sometimes of serious things. He worked with an engineer and a neurosurgeon to create a ‘cerebral shunt’ – a valve for draining fluid from the brain. You can read more about it here in an article from the British Library. 

The "Little Dragon Carpet Sweeper" from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" © Elliott Brown

Since he loved gadgets, I wonder if he ever met Rowland Emett, the man who made the contraptions in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Dahl was involved in adapting the script from Ian Fleming’s story and the 50th Anniversary is in October. I mention the eccentric Mr Emmett because there is a joyous working exhibition of his machines on at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery until 21st September. I wouldn’t want you to miss it – think W. Heath Robinson in three dimensions. 

Girl inventing

Over to you Could one of your characters be an inventor? Could she make a life-saving device – or something wacky with a touch of Wallace and Gromit? Might there be invented words for this funky new technology? It doesn’t have to be the main character – maybe the antagonist makes fiendish devices. Like Dahl, let your inventiveness loose. 

By Philippa R. Francis who also writes as K. M. Lockwood

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K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. As well as being a regular contributor, Philippa (@lockwoodwriter) is also part of the Words & Pictures team as the @Words8Pictures Tweetmaster, growing our following and maintaining our 'Industry news' feed.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 10th June

Hello Blog Breakers, I hope I'm not distracting you from the breakdancing baboons and singing goldfish that are doubtless populating your entries for our marvelous Chalkface Challenge? Remember you only have until Sunday to enter!

Richard Dawkins would probably disapprove of breakdancing baboons, since his quote (or misquote) about the dangers of telling children fairy tales generated a lot of column inches last week. K.M. Lockwood has a more measured approach, and rather than taking potshots at Dawkins, decides instead to write a post that celebrates "the love for fairy tales and fantasy I share with thousands of others." Personally, I thought the whole Dawkins furore was quite funny and wrote a story in response, which I hope to run on my blog on Friday.

Even more of a fuss was caused by the Slate article chastising adults for reading YA books. I didn't spot any SCBWI bloggers tackling the issue, but there was a very lively discussion thread over at the SCBWI-BI Facebook group.
Update - Non Pratt just had an article published on the Guardian Children's Books site responding to this controversy.

Extreme weather is a key feature of Nick Cook's Cloud Riders series, so what better way for him to research than to talk to a genuine tornado chaser? Nick's managed to get an interview with storm chaser Jesse W. Walters, who talks on Nick's blog about hair-raising escapes and the altruistic side of driving into danger rather than away from it.

The big news this week is that Sarah Broadley has decided not to eat carrots. Actually, make that metaphorical carrots. Actually, ignore those last two sentences and read Sarah's post all about how she's turning away from submission temptation and not letting her WIP (Work In Progress) escape until it's quite ready!

Finally, just a reminder that Space on the Bookshelf are continuing their Carnegie shortlist reviews - they've added three more since I mentioned them last week. Is it me, or are the Carnegie books a bit of a grim bunch this year? More singing goldfish required, I think.

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is a former Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine.

Nick unleashed "The Large Hadron Collider of storytelling" on his blog this week, an amazing contraption called The Massive Mash-Up Machine.

State of Independence

A Words & Pictures Inspiration piece

First off, apologies to all those who now have the Donna Summer hit wriggling into their ears.

The roots of independence as a word also relate to ‘pendant’ – there’s a sense of ‘not hanging onto something’. Our development from baby to child to adult often means letting go. We release our grip on our parents’ fingers to stand by ourselves, we stop clutching the side of the pool to take our first swimming strokes.

That can be as much of a severance for the adult as the child. Repeated small separations make it easier for both. The child used to coping with things that are just a little stressful grows to take larger steps in her stride. The adult who loves a child enough to allow her a succession of freedoms feels less anxiety.

Adults have to give up control in order for the children to develop self-control – and accept they may do it in a different way.

          You may give them your love but not your thoughts, 
          For they have their own thoughts. 
          Kahlil Gibran – On Children

Perhaps we could think of our creative work a bit like that.

Let it go out there little-by-little. By soliciting constructive criticism from our colleagues, we can develop the individual strengths of our tales – and how we tell them. Like all good teachers, good critique partners, editors and the like seek to bring out the best in our creative progeny.

By separating ourselves from the work, letting it stand on its own paws, hooves or talons, we could give it enough space to thrive. Maybe then we might not feel too hurt if it lives differently in someone else’s imagination.

A state of independence might not result in what we first imagined – but it could be equally remarkable.

Some questions to consider in your current work

• Is there a point in your tale where a character makes a bid for independence?
• What action or object is emblematic of this?
• Is it a gentle relinquishment or a violent rejection?
• A reaching-out for something way beyond, or a tiny moment of courage?
• How will your reader or viewer know?
• Does it end well or is another attempt needed?
• How will it feel for those around?
• Could it be funny –or disastrous – or both?

By Philippa R. Francis - who writes as K. M. Lockwood

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K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. As well as being a regular contributor, Philippa (@lockwoodwriter) is also part of the Words & Pictures team as the @Words8Pictures Tweetmaster, growing our following and maintaining our 'Industry news' feed.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 29th April

What does it take to get a book published? Is it simply a matter of persistence and luck? Can we writers/illustrators influence the process at all, or should we just get out of the way and let the gatekeepers decide?


These are the questions that the first of today's Blog Break selections had me pondering. Mike Brownlow's Ten Little Pirates has been a great success, yet it came very close to not happening at all. Mike's candid and fascinating article is the first of two great posts from Picture Book Den this week. The second comes from our Regional Adviser Natascha Biebow, who shows us Ten Really Cool Picture Book Openings.

Sam Zuppardi is pursuing a rather different project than children's books at the moment, illustrating the pieces for a board game called Stormy Weather. It looks like a lot of fun, and in an attempt to get you to stump up for the Kickstarter campaign, Sam has been posting his illustrations of various weather-controlling machines. Check out The Light Sharpener, The Thunderiser and The Solar Wind Tunnel.

I mentioned Patrons of Reading last week, and Jane McLoughlin has just become one! Her first duty for Kincorth Academy in Aberdeen has been to write the foreword for an anthology of pupils' work, and she shares those inspiring words on her blog.

The writing process blog tour is unstoppable. It cannot be stopped, I tell you, until it has consumed every creative person with a Blogger or Wordpress account! This week's poor unsuspecting innocents are Maureen Lynas, K.M. Lockwood and (making his Blog Break debut) James Nicol. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to tag Mark Jones, who tries his best to make the blog tour implode by writing his entire entry in the persona of a "crazy mutant shrub."

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is a former Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine.

Nick's life as an author is filled with ups and downs, so he made a graph of them! Ride The Roller Coaster of Writerly Emotion.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 22nd April

Hello Scoobies, I hope Easter brought you lots of chocolate/non-fattening alternatives. My thanks go to Nicky Schmidt for holding the fort last week, though my being away was (of course) all part of a secret plan to feature on the Blog Break myself!

The ever-prolific Sarah McIntyre has a very practical post about picture book layouts this week, using the roughs from her own There's a Shark in the Bath to illustrate the process. And if that's whetted your appetite, you can find a whole lot more advice in our Words and Pictures Picture Book Basics series.

By coincidence, Sarah's Verne and Lettuce is one of the graphic novel recommendations for those unfamiliar with the form, which Katriona Chapman lists at Big Little Tales. Those new to comics may also find the free booklet Raising a Reader helpful, as it explains all about how to navigate those tricky panels and word balloons.

Katie Dale is investigating the Patron of Reading scheme over at The Edge. After finding out all the positive things that Patrons do for their assigned schools, Katie quite fancies becoming one herself (as do I now I've read the article!)

Something that I definitely won't be eligible for is the WoMentoring Project, which asks professional literary women to help up-and-coming female writers. But K.M. Lockwood has volunteered, as she tells us on her blog.

Finally, the piece of writing that resonated most strongly with me this week was Robert Muchamore's article for the Guardian. His description of a horrifying descent into depression, insomnia and psychosis mirrored my own (slightly milder) experience from a few years back. Staying awake for four days might sound rock and roll, but trust me, it's no fun at all!

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is a former Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine.

Nick's most recent blog post was about creative ambition - should you always Reach for the Sky?

Jiggety-jig

Marketing and the artist – a Words & Pictures Inspiration piece 


1. Consider 
As creative people, writers and illustrators often have an ambiguous relationship with marketing - at best. We have a tendency to see it in Gerard Manley Hopkins’s words
seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil 



We associate advertising in particular with crass commercialism: hours of creative endeavour spent to sell people things they don’t need.

But there are other ways to look at it.

As we are increasingly made aware, publishing is currently going through a sea-change. There are many markets out there – and they are all in a state of flux – very like what has happened in the music industry. So the example of a successful musician [who also happens to be married to a best-selling author] should be of interest.

Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman

"There is no marketing trick. There is human connection, and you can't fake it. It takes time and effort and, most importantly: you have to actually LIKE it, otherwise you'll be miserable." 

Fundamentally, she is exhorting us to share.
To share because we love what we do.
To share liberally and with enthusiasm.
To share without cynicism, and without stinting.

Here’s a summary of her key points with additional links:
I've Seen Marketing's Future, and its Name is Amanda Palmer 

This talk "Connecting The Dots" - Amanda Palmer talks art & controversy @ Grub Muse Conference is longer, deeper and well worth watching. It’s more specifically aimed at writers – but any creative person can relate to it. About half-an-hour of good stuff to ponder, especially the garret and the marketplace for this theme. [Language warning.]

2. Create 

Goblin Market by Arthur Rackham

• Choose a character in your work.
• Imagine them going to a market or souk or shop.
• List, doodle, draw, collage, or even scrawl in wax crayon what they would buy.
• What do their choices say about them?
• How do they relate to the seller?
• Haughty, friendly, suspicious, polite?
• Would they splash-the-cash, scrimp-and-save, haggle or even steal to get the goods?
• How do they get them home? Bags, crates, donkey?

You don’t have to use this scene – but it can reveal personality and drama.

By Philippa R. Francis - who writes as K. M. Lockwood

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K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. As well as being a regular contributor, Philippa (@lockwoodwriter) is also part of the Words & Pictures team as the @Words8Pictures Tweetmaster, growing our following and maintaining our 'Industry news' feed.