On Writing, Looking for Alaska Turning 10, and Winning the Project for Awesome

2015-01-13 · announcement · John · 3:56 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing (also: Global development) · mode: Announcements · tags: self promotion, calendar ritual, community lore

John marks ten years since Looking for Alaska with a new anniversary edition and thanks readers, then announces the twenty Nerdfighteria-chosen charities receiving 2014 Project for Awesome grants.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Writing every day since the Paper Towns set; writing as escape from the prison of consciousness

• ★★ John says he has written almost every day since returning from the Paper Towns set and, much as he enjoys figuring out executive producing, likes writing more. — 00:00:03 · Paper Towns (film)
• ★★ John says writing is a massive relief because it lets you, even temporarily, feel you can escape the prison of your consciousness. — 00:00:14

00:00:24 — Part one: Looking for Alaska is ten; Temerity Jane's fifth-grader quip and her proposal, marriage and child

• ★★★ John says it has been ten years since his first novel, Looking for Alaska, was published. — 00:00:26 · Looking for Alaska (novel)
• ★ John relays Nerdfighter Temerity Jane's Twitter quip that Looking for Alaska is now like a fifth grader, and riffs that it could read itself. (playful) — 00:00:30 · Twitter, Looking for Alaska (novel)
• ★★ John recalls taking part in Temerity Jane's marriage proposal years ago and reports she and Nerdfighter Phil are now married with a child. — 00:00:46
• ★★ John says he feels incredibly lucky and grateful that the book has hung around so long, and thanks readers ten years on. — 00:01:08 · Looking for Alaska (novel)

00:01:13 — The Looking for Alaska 10th anniversary edition: paper, cover, endpapers, bonus content; thanks

• ★★★ John announces a new super fancy edition of Looking for Alaska out today, with fifty pages of bonus content and really nice paper, now in bookstores. — 00:01:13 · Looking for Alaska (novel)
• ★★ John, a self-described bookmaking nerd, says he disliked the original edition's candle cover (it is cigarette smoke), cheap paper and inexpensive binding. — 00:01:22 · Looking for Alaska (novel)
• ★★ John says the new edition has a beautiful cover and endpapers designed by Rodrigo Corral, plus a small, astonishingly expensive feature he always dreamed of (shown on screen). — 00:01:33 · Rodrigo Corral
• ★★ John says the endpapers carry 'I go to seek a great perhaps', François Rabelais's last words, and 'How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?', Simón Bolívar's last words. — 00:01:48
• ★★ John says the edition adds his new introduction, deleted and revised scenes showing how he and Julie worked on the book, a Michael Cart essay, and thirty pages of reader Q&A. — 00:01:57 · Julie Strauss-Gabel

00:02:20 — Part two: 2014 Project for Awesome results and the 20 Nerdfighteria-chosen grant charities

• ★★★ John says the half of the 2014 Project for Awesome that raised money for Save the Children and Partners in Health raised over $700,000. — 00:02:22 · Project for Awesome, Save the Children, Partners In Health
• ★★★ John announces the ten charities that, by viewers' votes at projectforawesome.com, will each receive $25,000 from the 2014 Project for Awesome. — 00:02:35 · Project for Awesome, This Star Won't Go Out (charity)
• ★★ John says smaller grants of still over $10,000 go to the next ten charities chosen by Nerdfighteria, and names them. — 00:03:16 · Project for Awesome, Nerdfighteria
• ★★ John says these twenty charities will use the community's money to decrease worldsuck in lots of ways, and thanks everyone. — 00:03:31 · world suck

00:03:37 — Back to writing; Hank's story news via Tumblr; the book is older than YouTube; sign-off

• ★★ John says he is going back to writing, and that he heard on Tumblr that Hank is also writing a story, joking that this is how he learns about his brother's life. (playful) — 00:03:37 · Tumblr
• ★ John marvels that the book is older than YouTube and older than some of the people watching. (playful) — 00:03:46 · Looking for Alaska (novel), YouTube

Threads in this video

• retold · The Nerdfighter couple John proposed for on air in 2009: marriage and first child (2009) — John recalls the marriage proposal of Nerdfighter Temerity Jane he took part in years ago (clip shown) and says she and Phil are now married with a child. (00:00:46)
• outcome · Looking for Alaska 10th anniversary edition (2014) — John announces the Looking for Alaska 10th anniversary edition is out today and in bookstores, with fifty pages of bonus content, a Rodrigo Corral cover and reader Q&A. (00:01:13)
• outcome · P4A 2014 edition — John reports the day-one half of P4A 2014 raised over $700,000 for Save the Children and Partners in Health, and announces the 20 Nerdfighteria-chosen grant charities. (00:02:22)
• result reported · John asks viewers to vote carefully for P4A 2014 charities at projectforawesome.com (2014) — John reports the outcome of viewers' votes at projectforawesome.com: the top ten charities will receive $25,000 each and the next ten smaller grants. (00:02:35)
• told · Hank writes An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, his first novel (2014) — John says he heard on Tumblr that Hank is also writing a story. (00:03:39)

Where the stories that moved here went next

• John asks viewers to vote carefully for P4A 2014 charities at projectforawesome.com (2014) — reported back; last: result reported, 2015-01-13
• Hank writes An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, his first novel (2014) — told 5×, last update 2024; last: retold, 2024-08-07

Mentioned

Central: Looking for Alaska (novel) · Project for Awesome

Also: People: François Rabelais · Kelly · Phil · Simón Bolívar

Works: Paper Towns (film)

Organizations: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention · Book Truck · Books for Africa · Days for Girls · Donate Life · Garczyńska's Foundation · Médecins Sans Frontières · Not Forgotten · Office of Letters and Light · Partners In Health · Pencils for Kids · Save the Children · She's the First · Sound of Hope · Stella's Circle · The Harry Potter Alliance · Thirst Project · This Star Won't Go Out (charity) · To Write Love on Her Arms · Tumblr · Twitter · Ultimate Peace · Water.org · We Need Diverse Books · YouTube

Terms: world suck

Events: National Novel Writing Month

Only in the description or credits: Julie Strauss-Gabel · Michael Cart · Penguin Books · Rodrigo Corral

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