Comments for Jincy Willett

Comment on Interview with ABC Radio by nicholas

nicholas — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:17:10 +0000

Shame they didn’t quite get the joke about ‘Winner…’

ps, I really enjoyed The Writing Class, which is why I’m here.

Comment on Reviews for The Writing Class by Abigail

Abigail — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:18:51 +0000

Thank you very much for writing “The Writing Class” - it was wonderful for me to read. Most of the time I have a hard time getting into books - usually because of the characters and the writer’s attitudes toward them, which are sometimes much different from mine - but with “The Writing Class,” I was impatient to turn the page, to read what happens next. I was honestly upset when bad things happened to good characters (or even not-so-good characters) because you had made them so human.

I don’t know if you see yourself as Amy Gallup - if you do, then I hope you don’t despise her. I think there are a lot of Amy Gallups out in the world, and we need more written about them. There are far too many books about Tiffany, and while she’s a great co-star, the real scenes belong to the Carlas, the Ednas, the Dots and of course, the Amys.

Comment on Funny-Looking Words by CARPER

CARPER — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:21:24 +0000

moustache

catawampus

Comment on Most Intriguing Opening Paragraphs of Real News Stories by The Actor

The Actor — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:49:57 +0000

The actor sat by the pool dangling his feet in the water and nursing a tumbler of Glenmorangie. The overpowering smell of chlorine and night jasmine pierced the September balm and floated upward toward a starless sky. The view had always brought to the actor’s mind thoughts of Fitzgerald, and much like Gatsby longing for his light, the actor’s thoughts were drawn beyond the pool, across a great expanse of lawn, to the guesthouse. Like an egg lit from within, the guesthouse radiated amber. My lover’s eyes are nothing like the sun said the actor, suddenly seized by such a sense of loneliness that tears sprang to his eyes.

The actor allowed himself to imagine making love to the writer. It had been years since he’d slept with a real person. With a woman who wasn’t a model, or an actress, or a model who wanted to be an actress. That the writer was almost entirely unattractive seemed to him a great advantage. There would be no judgement. No scrutiny of his waistline and the small, stubborn roll of fat that had so exasperated his first personal trainer she’d gone back to school to be a vet. Under the writer’s heavy lidded gaze, he might at last free himself of the ever present feeling of conspicuousness. She would see him for who he really was, the way he had been long ago, before his name was changed and his nose shortened.

The actor set the crystal tumbler on the lip of the pool and went to bed.

Comment on The Writing Class–Here’s the cover by Jincy

Jincy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:24:23 +0000

Hate to tell you, but St. Martin’s doesn’t do speaking sites for fiction writers. In fact, as far as I know, most publishers don’t. That’s why I just do a few readings/signings, and they’re all pretty close by, what with the cost of gas and all.

Comment on Cultural Notes from All Over by Jincy

Jincy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:22:33 +0000

What happened next?

Comment on The Writing Class–Here’s the cover by Cynthia Mosca

Cynthia Mosca — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:52:20 +0000

I just finished the book and loved it–couldn’t put it down…St. Martin’s Press should add speaking sites in places other than CA. We read in the mid-west too. What else is there to do????

Comment on Cultural Notes from All Over by Penny

Penny — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:06:37 +0000

Penny was the actor’s assistant. In the seven years of her employ, she had succeeded in making herself virtually indispensable. Having quickly graduated from making his travel arrangements, Penny now oversaw all of the day to day minutiae of the actor’s life, even going so far as to lay out his clothes in the morning. Penny thought of herself not as the actor’s right hand, but rather as his left nut. She was that important.

Penny hated the writer and complained bitterly about her presence. For her part, the writer seemed to bear no ill will toward Penny, whom she called Faye for no apparent reason.

The actor tried to explain to Penny that writers, because of spending so much time in their own heads, were socially retarded. They lurched through life like enormous clumsy children, making terrible first impressions and even worse second ones. Often mistaken as misanthropic or unfriendly, writers were at heart shy and gentle creatures. Normal people found writers disconcerting only because it was impossible to discern whether a writer’s reticence masked haughty superiority or immeasurable thickness. If only, keened the actor, one were able to penetrate that jungle of unknowability. Buried treasure would surely await. After all, writers were fiercely intelligent and extremely witty. Imagine, said the actor, cracking open a coconut and finding Oscar Wilde. All that was required was patience.

Penny didn’t have that kind of time.

Comment on Cultural Notes from All Over by Karen

Karen — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:54:09 +0000

eeek - my writers’ group is almost here. Must be quick.
I worshipped your book, The Writing Class. I want our wee writers’ group to be able to critique like that - even the woman who leads a class on short story writing can’t critique like that. DARN IT!!!!!!
I live in Vancouver, B.C. Can you come out here and inspire me? We have a lovely beach here that will not be cold and bitter until at least Sept. 10.
I laughed and giggled and chortled and etc. at the writers’ class stuff. So true, so true.
hee.
Can I send you all of my stuff so you can fix it for free? Hmmm, thought not.
My writers’ group is edgy and I think we are one potato chip away from killing each other. But not like in your book.
I’m rambling.

Comment on Reviews for The Writing Class by Laura Preble

Laura Preble — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:44:58 +0000

Thanks for the response, Jincy. It’s becoming clearer as I work it. Chris told me you were at the Claire’s gig…sorry I missed you! I was in Riverside talking to six people at a book signing who really came for the cookies.