I’m declaring today #AppreciateAnAuthor Day

[swan_tower]

There’s been a lot of nasty stuff in the last week, what with the controversy over the Hugo Awards and all. I think we all need to cleanse our palates with some good, old-fashioned fannishness.

Pick an author whose work you love. Or more than one! (Living authors preferable: you can hold a seance to raise the ghost of a deceased author, if you prefer, but that’s a lot of effort.)

Send them a message telling them how much you like their work.

It’s that easy. Send them a tweet, if they’re on Twitter. Or email, if you want to say more than fits into 140 characters. Or post something to their Facebook page. Or make a blog post, and send them the link to the post. Hire a plane to do some skywriting over their house — wait, no, that one’s a bit stalkery. (Don’t call them, unless you’re already good friends. Again: stalkery.) Tell them about a character you love, or a plot twist that blew your mind, or a book that you imprinted on, or a short story that lifted your mood on a day when you really needed it.

Be a fan. Let them know.

You may just make their day.

Originally published at Swan Tower. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[kilerkki.livejournal.com]

This is a wonderful idea. Sharing with the Tumblr crowd (http://ninjaeyecandy.tumblr.com/post/116027352105/im-declaring-today-appreciateanauthor-day)--I hope it gains traction!

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

It gained quite a bit -- thanks for the boost!

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Well, *you* are one of my favourite writers, and you and your books are priced above rubies :-)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

And you are awesome as well! Just the other day, I was telling somebody about the conversation we did for Locus, and how much fun it was. I love that kind of thing, substantive conversation with someone as intelligent and thoughtful as you.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

It was, wasn't it? I hope we get to do something like that again, because it was, frankly, fabulous.

[teleidoplex]

Thank you for forging the path so I could follow. Thank you for letting me be an authorial friend-with-benefits. And of course, thank you for Cerenel :P

Now if we could just get a blitz book out of you >.>

Alyc Helms
Founder, President, and Sole Member of the Official Cerenel Fan Club

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Heh. Some day, perhaps . . . .

[tooth-and-claw.livejournal.com]

I sent Charles DeLint this message, and every word is true.

Mr. DeLint, I just wanted to say thank you for all of your works, but especially for Memory and Dream. Izzy's story so inspired me as a young woman that I kept at my art, no matter the challenge, and read the book every time I felt I couldn't do it. Today, I am a full time fantasy and children's book illustrator. I couldn't have done it without your words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I can only hope that someday I receive a similar fanmail. In some ways, I think inspiring another person like that is the most wonderful thing a story can do.

[sovay]

(Living authors preferable: you can hold a seance to raise the ghost of a deceased author, if you prefer, but that’s a lot of effort.)

Dammit! There go my weekend plans.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I am very glad I was at least able to send a message to Diana Wynne Jones before she passed away, even if I never met her in person.

[diatryma.livejournal.com]

Somewhat speaking of, awesome writer, did you get my letter back in February?

Also, your books are awesome, and so is your blog. So there.

Great Idea!

[(Anonymous)]

I know a number of talented professional writers who are often attacked, bullied, and belittled in social media, to the point where some have refused to write again, or their income and readership suffers as a result. Others have been forced to take legal action, or have committed suicide. No one is a perfect writer, or will be appreciated by all readers, but most writers strive to entertain readers, and they have best intentions at heart. When I see savage, vitrolic reviews, my heart break for the author. Of course, they cannot defend their work or respond to charges, or it becomes a firestorm, and they're the ones burned.

This is a really thoughtful project. Most writers barely eek out a living from their work, and a kind word is always appreciated.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I did get the letter! Did you not get my email?

Either way, the email needs an update, because the letter has resurfaced. I will try to get to it as soon as I can, and I apologize for the delay.

[diatryma.livejournal.com]

Apparently I did not get your email, or if I did, it was eaten by a filter. Yay, letter! And don't worry about the delay. Clearly you and Isabella are on an expeddition.

[raktajinos.livejournal.com]

This is a great idea!! (pops off to send a little message to Maria Snyder).

But also to you. I found 'Warrior' and 'Witch' in a tiny bookstore one afternoon a few years ago and I'm so glad I did! I skipped class to finish reading them, I could not put them down. It was so unbelievably creative and your characters were amazing. Plus, the ending of 'Warrior' completely threw me - I was not expecting *that* to be the resolution to the doppelgänger issue (leaving it spoiler free, just in case). And then 'Witch', I just LOVED; there were so many women doing things and talking to each other. I found it incredibly subversive and powerful that there were almost no men throughout the book - I don't think I've ever encountered that in a book before (lots of the other way around sadly). Just all these women representing the full range of human experience and emotion, not boxed into tropes and archetypes. I revelled in it and felt incredibly inspired. So, thank you.

I have since pushed these books at all of my friends and I'm currently reading 'A Natural History'.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

The preponderance of women in the Doppelganger books was honestly an accident. It wasn't until later that I looked at them and realized they pretty much fail the Reverse Bechdel Test . . . but I'm okay with that. :-)