What’s it like turning a blog into a book? Texts From Last Night has been an internet phenomenon and its success has warranted a book deal. How to transfer the digital experience onto paper? Texts From Last Night co-founder Lauren Leto talks us through it on this Witerary Wednesday.
The most surprising thing about writing the Texts From Last Night book was how hard it was for Ben and I. We were obsessed with making sure that we got the absolute funniest texts. Our book draws from the best of the website plus the best submissions that we didn’t post on the site so we could use them in the book.
We get over ten thousand texts a day so it is safe to say that we have a large pool to draw from for the book. And these texts are HILARIOUS! It was embarrassing trying to compile and edit the book in public because I’d be cracking up over a joke about pubestaches or something equally offensive.
The book has many different categories, such as “The Morning After” (the worst positions our readers have found themselves in after a night out on the town) and “Texter’s Teachings” (funny life lessons from people who probably shouldn’t be giving out advice).
We also created a “Death From Last Night” section where we eulogized our favorite deaths from 2009. The text we have for Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett is (325): I bet farrah fawcett is having words with michael jackson in heaven for stealing her thunder.
Right now we’re also working on a UK edition of the book, available to all those across the pond in Fall 2010 from the publishing house Square Peg but if you can’t wait that long, click here to pre-order the American version of the book, coming out January 26th.
When we were younger there were our older sisters, Disney stars and fairytale princesses. But who do we look up to now that we’ve grown up? Eschewing the drugged-out celebrities and philandering politicians, each week we seek someone who inspires. The talented, the hard-working and the unconventional are put on display here, giving us all something to strive towards.
Most of us know her as “John Lennon’s wife”, but there is plenty more to Yoko Ono that’s worth acknowledging.
She’s a long-time peace activist who experience the horrors of war first hand during WWII, during which her father was incarcerated in a concentration camp, leaving Yoko, her mother and her siblings to beg for food on the streets.
It’s her conceptual art that led to her relationship with John, which in turn led to a joint musical output.
Her unfailing optimism in life belies a sometimes difficult life – her first daughter was kidnapped by her then-husband; not to mention the murder of John Lennon, her third husband. “’We’re growing up together, the human race,” she says, “And we’ve discovered a lot of things that we didn’t know. We’re finding our way. Instead of thinking about doomsday all the time, think about how beautiful the world is. We’re all together and together we’re getting wiser.”
Say what you will about her “breaking up the Beatles”, but Yoko Ono is an extremely accomplished, determined artist of great convictions, who has fought on despite great personal tragedy.
What have I got for you this week? Lots! Check it.
This is one of the best photo essays I have seen in a while – for 27 months the Denver Post followed a young American soldier, documenting his enlistment, deployment and homecoming. It’s incredible stuff.
The Business of Fashion breaks down the copycat clothing industry. And it’s not just the cheap chains that are knocking off designers – big name fashion houses are stealing from lesser-known creators.
Lily and the Muse is a new curated video site featuring all things whimsical, playful and irreverant. It’s run by the gals behind Daydream Lily and English Muse, so you know it’s awesome.
Hassle Me is a web tool that sends you reminder emails so you can remember to call your mother, or whatever you need to be given a nudge about.
Lauren Leto (she’s one of the people behind Texts From Last Night) classifies people by their favourite authors, with startling accuracy! Anne Rice is for “People who don’t use conditioner in their hair” and Margaret Atwood lovers are “Women whose favorite color is hunter green.” Too funny!
It’s the Top Ten time of year – top albums, movies, books… Time Magazine has outdone everyone by doing a top ten of everything. Top ten new species! Top ten pariahs! Top ten untruths! All good reading.
A couple of my friends are doing amazing things at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. Matthew is reporting on the negotiations for Crikey and Josh is lobbying and then blogging about it. Show them some love, and check out what they have to say!
Hey, you! What’s on your holiday reading list, huh? I’m planning to read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder and The Best American Non-Required Reading, edited by Dave Eggers.
Any recommendations? What books are you looking forward to getting into over the festive season?
Ahh, the festive season – is there any worse time to be absolutely skint? When my funds are low, Christmas drives me into an absolute panic. How on earth I am going to afford to get something special for my loved ones?
The solution? Do it yourself!
If you want to get crafty, the internet is the perfect place to find out how. There’s a how to for just about everything!
Not exactly competant with a glue gun? That’s okay. Choose something reasonably simple, and if you haven’t made anything similar before, don’t go crazy and improvise too much. The key to any DIY project is a tidy workspace, and some good music to get you in the crafty mood. If you have cats, it might be a good idea to make sure they’re in another room – they have a great ability to find whatever you’re working on and either sit on it, or play with it! And finally, don’t drink too much coffee – jittery hands and scissors are not a good combination!
Looking for inspiration? Here’s my round up of some of the best crafty presents.
The Glamourai’s bib (or ‘candied crumb catcher’, as she calls it!) is a super-impressive statement piece, sure to complete any outfit.
If you know how to sew a straight line on a sewing machine, you can make a tote bag. Just find some awesome fabric, and get sewing! You could try your hand at this Market Tote from Design*Sponge.
Or how about this wine bottle light? I’m in a nesting mood at the moment, so this project from Wit & Whistle is pretty darn appealing to me.
Need something small to give to workmates? How about these cute marbled glass ornaments? They look complicated, but they’re not that difficult to make at all – promise!
Really, there are so many possibilities when it comes to handmade presents. You could make a terrarium, or some toffee, bunting or bookmarks. And then there’s the old favourite – a homemade photo album complete with photos of you and your loved one. Go on, give it a try!
Whoa, have I been MIA or what? Sorry ’bout that! My internet has been out of action once again. But in the mean time I have been busy!
I don’t have much time left here in France, so I’ve been catching up with friends.
The best thing about the colder weather? Mulled wine. Mmmmm!
It’s the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Light) in Lyon at the moment – a bunch of artists use the city’s buildings and landmarks as a backdrop for amazing light shows. The town really comes alive, it’s really something!
AM – my initials, tee hee!
While we were wandering home last night we happened upon this group of carolers, it made my night!
Thanks for sticking around despite the sporadic posting – Merci!!!
Every year, at around this time, magazines and websites set out to solve the following problem: what do you get the person that has everything?
A singing trout! Monogrammed boxers! A $75 scented candle!
You know what I say? Give them nothing. Yup. Instead of loading our friends and family up with more crap to fill our already over-clutted, stuff-oriented lives, how about making a donation in their name?
In fact, you won’t actually be getting them nothing. You’ll be giving them the satisfaction of knowing that they indirectly helped someone in desperate need. You’ll be acknowledging their depth and generosity, qualities that they might not have realised they had. They’ll probably even get a little card to note this fact. And it’s not just your friend that gets something – these are gifts that benefit countless numbers of people.
Buy a toilet for someone in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sudan or Tanzania. It costs $AUD70, and you don’t even have to call a plumber.
Pretty awesome what a little money can do to change someone else’s life, huh? It’s a little bit more meaningful than that new Dan Brown book you were thinking of buying your Dad. If you want to receive something as special as these presents then you can even create your own gift registry, and direct your friends and family there when they ask you what you want.
Many of us have got too much ’stuff’ in our lives. So instead of giving an uninspired gift, give something that matters.
(And stay tuned for Part 2 of the Further Ado Gift Guide: The Glue Gun Edition.)
Goat photo by Nancy B, genius photo manipulation by me. Colouring between the lines is overrated.
When we were younger there were our older sisters, Disney stars and fairytale princesses. But who do we look up to now that we’ve grown up? Eschewing the drugged-out celebrities and philandering politicians, each week we seek someone who inspires. The talented, the hard-working and the unconventional are put on display here, giving us all something to strive towards.
(Steph and I)
The people we look up to shouldn’t just be those we admire from a distance. When you surround yourself with people you truly respect, you learn so much more than you could from a stranger.
I’m lucky enough to have some really amazing friends. Take, for instance, my friend Steph. She’s incredibly hard working, and has the kind of self-assured intelligence that doesn’t need to be worn on her sleeve. Steph’s that person that makes you want to try and be nicer to everyone, because she’s just so infallibly kind. I always have so much fun with her, gossiping about celebrities, being silly and girly.
Last year Steph found out she had a brain tumor (a macroprolactinoma, for the detail oriented). At 21, it was the second brain tumor she’s had to fight. And she has done so with incredible strength and grace – all the while, she was studying and holding down several jobs, only telling people about her illness if she really felt they needed to know – she didn’t want people to treat her any differently. Thankfully, she’s now recovering quite well. In typical Steph style, she was making poor-taste jokes right after surgery.
When Steph faced this challenge with such courage, I realised that self created drama that consumes so much time and energy is of no importance whatsoever. Thank you, Steph, for being such an inspiration.
33 ways to start your day has some really great suggestions, like “Throw away a useless object”, “Sing a song” and “Forgive somebody”. You could have a piece of this great message toast, too.
This bear sleeping bag looks so darn comfortable, in addition to being all kinds of amazing.
“Youth culture is now practically sponsored by iTunes and Starbucks, and if that’s not a class statement, I don’t know what is. Every commercial features acoustic meanderings with a whispering, confessional androgynous voice. Entire movies are soundtracked by the supposedly self-aware acoustic stylings of Joe Latte. Percussion and humor are nowhere to be found. Neither is a pulse.”
Sophie Ward is busy, aligning disparate universes.
There are her home bases – Perth, the world’s most isolated city, and bustling New York, her adopted home.
And then there’s the modelling – for Italian and Australian Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Giorgio Armani and Diane von Fürstenberg, among others – which sits alongside her true passion, writing.
She sits in the highest of turrets at her publishing company, Paper Castle Press, awaiting the imminent release of her first book, The Beginning of an Inexplicable Journey, and shares herself with the world on her blog, Big Long Open Gash.
Sophie was kind enough to share her thoughts on writing with Further Ado.
Where do you find the inspiration for your writing? What do you do when you’re feeling less-than-inspired?
The inspiration comes from a place I can’t explain easily, it’s a spiritual place, but I think the main point of being inspired is to simply let it come to you from wherever it does. You can’t find it, but you can take away the obstacles you have in your path to it. That being said, it does strike at mostly randomized points in life –and after a while you start to notice patterns. For me it’s on trains, looking at nature, in airports, very late at night when all is calm and quiet, and through the experience of deep love, that I am inspired. The energy of inspiration is so intoxicating. I frequently get hangovers from the inspiration benders I go on! When I’m feeling less-than-inspired, I usually lay flat on my back and sleep, or read, or vent about whatever’s bothering me, which actually becomes an art form all in itself! (see “Wank-Off-And-Die!” on my blog). To every low there is a high.
Can you talk us through the process of starting your own publishing company, from conception to finding backers and writers, to completion?
I was in New York talking to a friend in Sydney when out of the blue he suggested we start our own publishing company. Because he had the resources and the means to print books, and I had the vision and the creativity to pair with him, we thought, why not? Backers? What backers?! The writing right now is all my own, however we have a series of books in the pipeline, including a collaboration of mine with the very talented artist Danny Roberts. Danny and I started our blogs around the same time in 2008 (after he sent me a message on Myspace) and from there, we’ve both seen our brands grow organically, which has been really exciting. At this stage I also have to share the quote: “All art is never finished, it just stops in interesting places.” That’s how I feel about Paper Castle.
What made you decide to run your own publishing company rather than get your books published at a pre-existing one?
I became aware that typical publishers wouldn’t be interested in my first book, which to them reads as “abstract”. My own experience of sharing it with people is that it’s in fact the opposite! I wanted to put something out that was as true to thought and emotion as I could manage. At the moment I’m not interested in fiction novels, or in celebrity biographies. What I wanted to see and to make room for, were books that might describe something of how it is to live in this world right now. The blog and online world are great for that because it’s so democratic and you can connect with people from all over the world and hear what they’re going through, without the filter of the media interfering. But besides the power of connection that the internet holds, I also wanted to create physical objects that stood the test of time, and as I said, tell something about humanity today.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
I have to say I don’t really experience too much writers block, because I just write when I have the urge to. I keep journals with me at all times, so I might write on the plane or the subway, or whenever I feel that need. I think I only get writer’s block when I’m working on a long story, and looking for a particular feeling or a specific word that needs to fit. If I get stuck on that, I just look out the window for a few seconds, or get up and do something else. I used to cook when I was studying and needed a break! The physical motions always take my mind off the problem and into something still creative, but nurturing instead of soul destroying.
How do you balance managing the business side of things with the creative side?
I have many business-minded people connected to Paper Castle, which I think will continue to balance it. At the moment it’s a pure vein of creativity, and I couldn’t do it without the advice and direction of my visionary friends and co-creators in LA and Sydney.
What has been your proudest achievement?
Moving from Perth, Western Australia, to New York City over the last year is a success I’m very proud of, especially because it’s all on the strength of my writing, modelling, and sheer determination. The 01 Visa that went along with that move was a proud achievement too. I think ‘Alien of Extraordinary Ability’ is an exciting title to have!!
Every business has its hiccups. What problems have you encountered along the way and how did you recover?
A great writer friend whose books we are publishing once said to me “Don’t dip your quill in company ink.” I should have listened to him, because I lost a great friend and colleague by crossing the line and becoming more romantically involved with him. He is a great creative soul and was my best friend, but work is work, and when hearts want different things, it’s hard to reconcile in order to do business, which is an apparently heartless creation of humanity. I wish it wasn’t.
How do you stay motivated?
Dreaming. As long as you consistently dream up new possibilities for your life, you’re never short of sparks for fires. I also love something Conan O’Brien (an unlikely hero of mine), once said in relation to James Lipton’s question “What turns you on….?” Conan replied with absolute certainty, “Enthusiasm. As long as you’re enthusiastic you can conquer the world, and I hate people who are too cool for school.” It was a great validation, because my enthusiasm can be overwhelming sometimes, and while I know where my motivations are taking me, it overflows into the atmosphere and overwhelms other people. I just love being excited about things. When something feels that good, you don’t intend to stop anytime soon.
You’re in the UK at the moment and you base yourself between Perth and New York, so you clearly travel a lot. But what’s an average day like for you – do you have a daily routine?
I do generally keep the same habits. I eat the same healthy foods and have always liked walking lots, wherever I am. When I’m in New York I tend to do my meetings and errands during the daylight hours, but have noticed that I habitually write more and better late at night. So I get a second day of work into the day after dinner (which I cook either with, or for Jon, an amazing man who I am blessed to be sharing the world with!!) when all is quiet and there’s nothing left to do but write.
Who are your role models: –the people who make you aspire to be better, do more, achieve your dreams?
I mentioned Conan O’Brien before. He epitomizes my belief that the more unique you are, the greater joy there is in being you and sharing that with other people. I used to think that being different was a curse, so his authenticity really inspires me: the fact that he hasn’t compromised who he is along his journey to sharing himself with other people. It might seem like an odd role-model for a writer to have, but I know that the moment my brothers introduced me to him I knew he was someone I could relate to. Sharing a sense of humor is incredibly important too, even though he often downplays the importance of his role in the world. My boyfriend Jon also knows exactly what I’m doing that I could be doing differently, and seems to recognize the road to my best self, more clearly than I can! So, having him around is a powerful force that inspires me to evolve and do things differently.
We all have big hopes and aspirations for our projects. What’s your ultimate dream for your writing?
I love creative people and partnering with talents that didn’t have an outlet for their dreams before. If I can make things possible for someone who thought things were impossible, that’s an incredibly rewarding experience, worth more than any material thing. One thing I have loved with my blog is that I’ve come to know my audience quite intimately, and the communication channels that I have opened up to the world have been powerful catalysts for new ideas and creations to come about. I have my hand in the Hollywood pond too, because I feel like film, theatre and television are mediums in which to share our experience of the world on a global stage. I’d love to share comedy, drama, adventure, child’s play, science, nature, history, and possibilities for our evolution, on a globally entertaining scale!
What’s next for Sophie Ward and for Paper Castle Press?
Right now the Paper Castle is a hive of activity, celebration, impetus, and birth. I have been putting the final touches on the cover of our first book (my own, The Beginning of an Inexplicable Journey) and talking to many of my readers intimately, which I adore. I used to want to be a Postman when I was about 5, so that dream came true! After the first book, we have a lot of projects lined up, as well as a novella I wrote for a concept created by (the artist) Danny Roberts. One day I’d love to put words to music too, which plays a huge role in inspiring me. I listen so closely to the words in music, I swear I’ve heard things nobody else has…. I also return to New York next week and am looking forward to putting the next pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in place in my life. I am so blessed and so happy to be able to experience life this way. An inexplicable journey, it continues to be.
Further Ado is about people who live their lives well, and with passion. It's spirited and surprising. It's full of fanfare, ceremony and pomp, empowerment and inspiration. Because, after all, we are all our own opinion columnists.
