Authors Behaving Fiercely

Lately I've run across a few authors I love behaving fiercely. Since that is one of my favorite traits in a book, a character, and an author, too, I wanted to highlight them together. When an author I've enjoyed for some time is interviewed and says something striking or blogs about something important or inspires me in some way to work harder or think harder or just be better in general, a little bell strikes somewhere in the back of my mind and I find myself straightening my shoulders. Here are the three that caused that bell to strike most recently:

1. The National Coalition Against Censorship interviewed Chris Crutcher as part of the Kids' Right to Read Project. Mr. Crutcher spoke about his experience as one of the most challenged authors ever, how he deals with the controversy, and reader responses to his books. My favorite bit comes at the end, when in response to the question, "What would you like youth to know about books that have been challenged or banned?" he says this:

That they aren't really banned. They can get them at the library or the bookstore or Amazon.com. This is America.

I just freaking love that response. This is America. You can't stop the signal, Mal.

2. Ilona Andrews answers a question about writing and motivation and feeling like a poser. She addresses the issue of self-doubt with crushing honesty and shares the four rituals she uses to ward off the writing demons: develop a routine, set a quota, keep an eye on the finish line, and my personal favorite--screw it. It's some great advice and she finishes by recommending you get all your doubts in a row and:

You just have to bash those suckers down and plow through their corpses. Ask yourself, do you want to do this? Yes or no? If you do want it, don't stand in your own way.

See what I mean? Fierce.

3. Last of all Robin McKinley had a delightful experience in which a lady noticed a Robin McKinley bookmark sticking up out of her book and came up to her to tell her she and her daughter read Robin McKinley books together years ago and loved them and had she read any of them herself? LOL. As you might expect, Ms. McKinley tells the story of this hilarious, short, and rather sweetly affirming encounter better than I ever could. You can read it here. Few authors rant as entertainingly as Robin McKinley and she did not disappoint this unwitting admirer:

This was too much for my self-control and I burst out into my little rant about how thirty years ago I assumed the shortage of strong female characters would be a thing of the past by now which is in fact far from the case, rant rant rantrantrantrant.

I do love a good rant. Shoulders straight. Ding goes the little bell.