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Beautiful if Damp: Answering Questions in Melbourne

2018-08-31 · Q&A · Hank · 3:41 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: self promotion, on location

Walking around rainy Melbourne during VidCon Australia, Hank answers questions about An Absolutely Remarkable Thing put by Australian voices for his publisher Hachette: his routine, little subtext, how writing changes reading, the hard part of stopping, a possible movie, a sequel in the works, and the dream that seeded the book, out September 25th.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Hank in Melbourne during VidCon; Hachette's questions asked by Australian voices

  • ★★ Hank is in Melbourne, Australia, by the convention center where VidCon is happening as the video is released. — 00:00:00 · Australia
  • ★★ Hank's Australian publisher Hachette asked him to answer questions about his book, out in under 30 days, and he does so with Australian voices because he loves the accent. — 00:00:12 · An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Australia

00:00:29 — Questions on routine, April's name, writing and reading, songs, stopping, a movie, a sequel, where he writes, John's car chase

  • ★★ Asked whether naming his protagonist April is a metaphor, Hank says he is an on-the-page writer with little subtext; there are reasons, not metaphorical, that readers don't know. — 00:00:31
  • ★★★ Writing a book changed how Hank experiences books: he compares himself to good writers and sees more of the process, a deeper understanding but less immersive, different not better or worse, as with video and music. (hedged) — 00:00:45
  • ★★ Hank can't listen to anything but maybe white noise while writing, but a number of songs inspired the book, as reading it will show. (hedged) — 00:01:18
  • ★★ The hardest part of writing was stopping: it is terrible knowing he can't change anything, and an improvement he thought of last night won't be in the book. — 00:01:40
  • ★★ Hank added one thing to the book after it went to press; it will be in the second edition and maybe the digital editions. (hedged) — 00:01:47 · An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
  • ★★ Asked if he would let An Absolutely Remarkable Thing become a movie, Hank doesn't know: he hasn't said yes yet; it would be cool but, he has seen, a lot of work. (unsure) — 00:01:47 · An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
  • ★★★ Asked whether a sequel to his book is in the works, Hank says yes. — 00:02:17 · A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
  • ★★ Asked for the robot car chase scene John will never write, Hank says he is looking for ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere, so maybe. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:17 · John Green

00:02:54 — Why he wrote the book and the dream that seeded it

  • ★★★ Hank wrote the book because he wanted to talk about things he hadn't found good ways to, and it was a good way to tell a story he was excited about. — 00:02:54
  • ★★ Somewhat embarrassingly, the seed of the book was a literal dream that Hank found interesting. — 00:03:08

00:03:20 — Release date and pre-orders; damp Melbourne; sign-off

In the description and comments

  • ★ The description says Melbourne is great but Hank is still jet-lagged and confused, and nervous and excited that his book is out in 25 days. — video description

Humor (significant)

  • Asked about his writing routine, Hank gives the most literal possible answer. — 00:00:29

    “Open my laptop. Unless it's already open. And then I type.”

  • Asked where he spent most of his time writing, Hank names the furniture. — 00:02:17

    “I mean, in chairs, most?”

  • Asked at what point he decides an idea will become a book. — 00:02:17

    “About when I'm finished.”

  • Hank sums up the rainy city he has been walking through. — 00:03:20

    “This is a beautiful city. It's damp.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Also: A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor · April May · Australia · dream · Melbourne · VidCon Australia

Only in the description or credits: Georgia Productions · Hachette Australia · jet lag · Mathew McKenna

Replies to

  • continues · The Book Was Better? — “the robot slash car chase scene that John will never write”

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