Journalism fail
Posted by elena | Posted in General | Posted on 23-02-2010
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Oh yeah btw this was the book they were all talking about for some reason...
Journalism fail No. 1: Going to author event with intention of blogging about it and not taking a camera.
Journalism fail No. 2: Going gonzo and inviting myself along to post-event dinner; sitting at dinner table with writers and grilling said writers with questions, without means of recording their responses.
But more to the point…
Elena fail No. 1: Introducing myself as a writer, and then fumbling awkwardly when asked what I actually write (still don’t know quite how to answer this one).
Elena fail No. 2: Tagging along unashamedly to dinner at lovely Vietnamese restaurant on King Street and eating a half rice-paper roll.
Elena fail No. 3: Trying to explain the name of this blog without sounding like a wanker.
Elena fail No. 4: Smiling non-stop. (I’m seeking therapy for this.)
Elena fail No. 5: Telling everyone I reviewed Mic Looby’s book last year to make clear I wasn’t just some random tag-along…even though that’s what it was.
But then there was
Elena win No. 1: Meeting Soph from Avocado and Lemon who is very cool and has some fantastic ideas about literary endeavours…
Elena win No. 2: An awesome conversation (and writing advice) from novelist and screenwriter Virginia Duigin.
Elena win No.3: Discovering a new bookshop to stalk. Gosh Newtown, you really know how to spoil a gal for choice.
All in all, I believe I sufficiently made an arse of myself. But at least I learned that I don’t have any desire whatsoever to become a travel writer.
EDIT: Err, reading over this latest post, realised that I’ve given you NO details of the actual event itself.
Mic read an excerpt from his book, exposing the ridiculousness of one of his main characters. He was interviewed by travel writer and soon-to-be-published-author Ben Groundwater, about the horrors ups and downs of travel guidebook writing, and the importance of leaving the best stuff out.
It also turns out Mr Looby sufficiently pissed off enough embittered guidebook writers and guidebook publishers to deem his work a success. Agreed.
The term ‘value judgement’ popped up a lot, from the author and the audience.
Mic and I anguished briefly about the difficulty of writing a truly funny book, something he seems to have accomplished.
My epic fail last night was to just go home — I definitely should have come to dinner! And I would have been able to eat the other half of your rice paper roll.
Sounds like you had some great conversations though! So any awkwardness surely paid off there.
It was lovely to meet you too!
This was probably not your intention but your ‘Elena fails’ made me sigh with relief! All points I can totally relate to except point 2. I would have probably tagged along halfway and then, out of sheer fright or the return of senses, would have ended up bolting down the other way and end up looking like a maniac. :-p
I’ll have to check out Beaukelouw when I’m next in Syd.
[...] book (and reviewed it, in fact), has a slightly more informed and amusing review of the night up here. Hopefully there’ll be some more events like this one for us to go to [...]
Epic fail 4 simply cannot be allowed to be a fail, let alone an epic fail!!
Sounds like a fantastic time, all-in-all.
Soph: Hehe there’s always next time ;)
Mae: Glad to hear I’m not the only awkward turtle type
Cookie: It can be a fail when you look like a grinning idiot :P But yeah I guess it was fun in the end – I wasn’t too mortified to blog about it.
I’ve started to take one of those mini pads of paper and a pen around with me for note-taking.
J.T.: That’s a good idea. Mini = convenient right?I should get one. Also my mum bought me a book on short-hand for my birthday last year. Hrrrmmm
Elena win No.4 – blogging about it! Thanks, it’s good to know there are others out there like me.
Suzi: Thanks! You’re welcome :P We should form a club – ‘people who get really awkward around talented people’ …but with a better title.