Hello Beautiful People,
Recently I was able to chat with Andy Weir, author of the best-selling novel, THE MARTIAN. 
What I love about Andy’s story is that this is his first novel, which he self published. And oh wait, the story gets even better, because it’s now a major motion picture starring MATT DAMON. Did I mention that it’s also directed by Ridley Scott?! Talk about an entertainment jackpot. (If you missed it in theatres, you’re in luck – as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s THE MARTIAN, arrives on Digital HD December 22 and 3D Blu-ray™, Blu-ray & DVD Jan.12, 2016!)
But alas, I digress – let’s talk about Andy.
We chatted briefly about art, writing, and arts education. And I was immediately struck by his professionalism, passion for storytelling, and perfect interviewing skills. One of my favorite parts of the Q&A Series at thewriteteachers.com is when I am able to ask movers and shakers in the entertainment field what advice they’d give to younger artists just starting out. It’s like the circle of artistic life that just keeps on giving.
So when I asked Andy what pieces of advice he’d give to young writers, I was delighted to find out that he had a detailed list.
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If you want to be a writer, you have to actually write. You have to put words down in your word processor – you cant’ just imagine the story. It’s doesn’t become a story until you write it down.
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Resist the urge to tell your friends and family about your story. Almost all writers are driven by a deep down desire to have an audience – we want other people to enjoy the story we’ve created. If the only way anyone experiences this story is by reading it, you’re more abt to stay writing. If you share it verbally, it takes the momentum out of finishing the book or story you’re working on.
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There has never been a more important time in history to self publish. There’s nothing between you and the readers. You can write a book and put it up on EBooks, and Amazon, etc – there’s no financial risk. There’s no reason not to put your words out there.
When asked why we should advocate for arts education in schools, Andy left us with this pearl of wisdom:
The purpose of public schools is to have a comprehensive education. If you don’t give access to arts education – you’re pruning a student’s ability to go in that career direction. This might sound strange for a science and math guy like me to say, but I would rather reduce some of the higher ed math classes than art, for at beginner levels we should be more broad and less focused. There’s always time to pursue higher levels of a subject, but a student cannot pursue something if they never have any exposure to it.
Andy Weir, ladies and gentlemen, is a force to be reckoned with – he was first hired as a programmer for a national laboratory at age fifteen and has been working as a software engineer ever since. He is also a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. The Martian is his first novel, and I am confident that it won’t be his last.
Stay tuned for our review of The Martian (both the book & the film.)
And be sure to get your copy of the DVD on December 22nd, (and the fancy 3D version on January 12th!).
Live, Love, Learn,