I had a great time at the LA Times Book Festival today. My panel with Steve Cannell, Jan Burke, Robert Dugoni and Craig Johnson was a lot of fun — at least from where I was sitting (who knew Craig was so damn funny?). All the authors were funny but also had some very revealing things to say about their approaches to writing and crafting characters. Afterwards, at the signing, a woman came up to me and said:
"I think you're very funny, and that you have a great personality, but I can't stand Monk or your books."
I kid you not. Robert Dugoni is my witness. But her comment was more than balanced out by the couple who came up to me and told me how much they enjoyed my novel THE WALK. Now that made my day.
(Photo upper left, me and Victor Gischler. Photo on right, Gischler, Brett Battles, William Rabkin, Naomi Hirahara, and Denise Hamilton, all at the MWA/Mystery Bookstore party. You can click on the images or a larger view).
You are a very busy man.
I am impressed with people who regularly blog in the absence of feedback. How do you know that people are reading you when they don’t respond with a comment?
You mention remarks made by people you encountered at the book festival. What do you find to be the most rewarding experience for you in your writing?
Patricia
Craig Johnson is not only funny, he is also one of the greatest raconteurs I’ve met. His fiction is powerful and true.
Jerry Stahl was a riot on two panels. It was dark lit novels day Sunday for me. Great bunch. Even the humor panel where Tod informed us we were all going to die. You can’t buy wisdom like that. Hey wait…