As a writer, I tend to come up with lots of ideas for how not to spend time writing. A blog is of course a very basic first step to avoid your novel (perhaps only beaten by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Coincidently you can also find me there). One of the less smart ideas was to have two blogs – one in English, one in Sweden. I’m not very good at working consistently on a project over time (I exceed in the first weeks, that magical burst of inspiration, and then I tire). This, I admit, does not speak well for my ability to write an entire book, but I usually trick myself into thinking about it as a couple of hundred tiny projects that eventually ends up in one big one.
Anyway. The two blogs have never been a great success. I’ve blogged in English (mainly about bookshops), and ignored the Swedish part. I’ve blogged in Swedish (mainly about killing all my plants and/or other everyday challenges for a full-time writer) and ignored the English part. I’ve sat in the sofa reading books and ignored both the blogs. I guess in the end it will balance out somehow.
This means that I am appallingly late with some great news: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend was on the New York Times Bestseller list (Place 15 out of 15 on the Trade Paperback section)! It’s a miracle. Or it was, two weeks ago, when it happened.
For me, The New York Times Bestseller, are magical words that appear on paperbacks by American authors (Lee Child, John Grisham). And apparently they bestow a sort of identity on the authors. More than just nice news, I can now claim that it’s part of who I am. I am A New York Times Bestselling Author.
I am also a #1 Denver Post Bestselling Author, although that is perhaps a more local honor. It means almost as much to me; it’s the bookshop Tattered Covers Book Store (I love that name. It’s just as well I didn’t know about it when I wrote my book, or I might have “borrowed” it). They appear to be hand-selling my book with great success, and it makes it all so much fun, to think that local independent bookshops like my book.
According to the people that have as of yet nominated and voted for their favourite bookshop to win Sourcebooks sweepstake. It’s not too late to make sure your local bookshop gets some much deserved love!
Here’s the list so far: http://books.sourcebooks.com/readers-recommend-your-bookstore-sweepstakes/
I have been surprisingly effective these last couple of days, often spending as much as three or even four hours writing. This in itself is not worrying.
For example, today I have:
– Written for about four hours
– Made lunch
– Answered questions from American book bloggers
– Bought dental floss
– Used dental floss (!!!!)
I did all of this without really thinking about it, until I sort of woke up and realized I was standing in the bathroom, calmly cleaning out the bathroom cabinet.
What has happened to me, I thought, terrified. Am I suddenly living in some frightening version of the Stepford Writers?
If I wake up tomorrow and look great, dressed in great-looking clothes and with suddenly perfect hair, someone will have to stage an intervention.
PS. No need to worry today: my hair is all over the place and I’m dressed in an old pair of jeans and a thick and equally old sweater.
Washington Post has reviewed The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, calling it “charmingly original”. I have never seriously considered the question of a sequel, especially since by definition, the first thing you have to do is destroy all your happy endings to create new problems for characters that have already, in my opinion, been through enough in the hands of a sadistic writer (and you have to be sadistic as a writer).
But I have to admit, the idea of a serie is surprisingly fun – especially when it comes with great suggestions such as these:
Alongside their scheme involving Sara, the readers of Broken Wheel have their own matters of the heart to attend to, including unresolved grief, unresolved child custody and unresolved sexual orientation. In fact, there’s so much material here, it might be easy for Bivald to write a sequel to this novel or spin it into a series. “The Readers of Broken Wheel” could “Celebrate,” “Demand” or “Travel” next.
