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Brotherhood 2.0: April 2: A Day in the Writer's Life

2007-04-05 · John, Maureen Johnson, a guest · watch on YouTube · Books & writing · personal update

After Maureen Johnson urges Hank to take the Hummer punishment, John answers a commenter's request by showing a writing day in a hotel room with author friends: mostly staring at screens, interrupted by chatter.

What is said

00:00:00 — Maureen Johnson's 'special message': do the Hummer thing; a commenter asked to see John working; writing in a hotel room with friends

  • ★★ Maureen Johnson's 'special message' for Hank: she thinks he's great, and he should 'do the Hummer thing', taking a Hummer for a ride and telling the whole world why Hummers suck. (playful) (hedged) — 00:00:11 · Maureen Johnson
  • ★★ Because a commenter asked several weeks ago to see what it is like when John is working, John shows Hank a day of writing in a hotel room. — 00:00:11
  • ★★ John says he writes a lot with his friends Maureen Johnson and Scott Westerfeld; today they were joined by Justine Larbalestier and Lauren McLaughlin. — 00:00:11 · Maureen Johnson

00:00:56 — The writing day: joined by Justine Larbalestier and Lauren McLaughlin; staring at the screen, deleting sentences, chatter about bald spots, ankle cancer and whether a floodlight has a beam, a cone or a skirt

  • ★★ John says writing mostly means sitting and looking at the computer; he has just written about three new sentences of his novel, all of which he expects to delete. (playful) — 00:00:56
  • ★ John describes the day's rhythm: after a while he puts stuff in his eye, then the group inevitably starts talking, works a while, and talks again. (playful) — 00:00:56
  • ★ Someone in the group asks whether a floodlight can have a beam rather than a cone for a passage about insects dancing in light; the group suggests a 'skirt' of light. (playful) — 00:02:11

00:03:03 — FunkyPenguin402's question about the Looking for Alaska movie's rating; zit; sign-off

  • ★★ Answering FunkyPenguin402's question about what the Looking for Alaska movie will be rated, John says the more important questions are when it will be made and when principal photography will start. (playful) — 00:03:03 · Looking for Alaska

Humor (significant)

  • Maureen Johnson's message that Hank should test-drive a Hummer and tell the world why Hummers suck. — 00:00:11 > «H for Hank, H for Hummer.»
  • John films himself sitting and looking at his computer. — 00:00:56 > «See, it's a non-stop thrill ride.»
  • John has just written about three new sentences of his novel. — 00:00:56 > «All of which I will eventually delete»
  • Signing off, John looks at the zit on his face again. — 00:03:03 > «It's not even a zit so much as it's a character flaw.»

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