Elantris Paperback

[CtrlZed]

The class voted on what book to use . . . but I think some of them were anonomously paid to stuff the ballot box.  The amount was something like, I dunno, $2.50.

[MsFish]

Yeah, um, what I said was a joke.  I suppose it didn't seem like one unless you had context.  

Yes, Brandon, did you hear that?  I'm making fun of you.  Mark the date.

[Parker]

I was kind of hoping to get EOUL in here crying his innocence and defending himself.  Does he check the boards about once a week now, or every other?

[MsFish]

He's forgotten about us all.  I so called it.  

[Archon]

*Archon hands MsFish a cookie*

[Shrain]

Yeah, um, what I said was a joke.  I suppose it didn't seem like one unless you had context.

Yeah, I was sort of context-less on this one. Anyhoo, it's nice to know democracy was involved in the text picks.

He's forgotten about us all.  I so called it.  

*shrain sends MsFish a box of Every Flavor Goldfish Crackers (an exciting new snack introduced by Bertie Botts)*

[Fellfrosch]

I've never had a professor assign a novel he or she had written (probably because none of them were novelists), but about half of them assigned some kind of textbook they'd written. It's very common.

[Shrain]

Yeah, Fell, I know it's not unheard of or something. But I sure haven't had any of my profs do that, even though many of the profs I had were in fact published authors. And I've had a lot of school so far. (Just got my MA in American lit at BYU). So it's not like I haven't been around the academic block a few times. (Gee, I am so sick of school!) Anyway, at least where I've attended, I never had that experience. The prof I worked for over the course of four years has written almost ten books, most of which could easily be incorporated into her classes, but she chose not to. huh.

Anyway, from hearing my friends' experiences, it seems more likely for a prof to assign his own work to the class if it's a text book rather than a work of creative fiction, that's all. (shrug) Don't know why that is, though. Naturally, I can't prove it or anything. At any rate, I can't help thinking it would be kind of funny/weird to teach your own novel to a class, you know. Ah, if only all of us were even fortunate enough to -have- that option!

[Fellfrosch]

I agree, it would be very weird to teach you're own novel. At least he's doing it in a writing class rather than a literature class--maybe that's why so few literature teachers assign their own creative works.

[Parker]

And for all the ribbing I give him, he did argue against his class over this idea.  But he had told them they could choose, and that's what they chose.  It isn't really like he assigned them his novel--they assigned themselves it.  Probably because they're a bunch of underclassmen fanbois--or fangirls, in this case.  

[EUOL]

I did argue against it, and suggested (then voted for) Erickson instead.  

However, I will admit that there is some validity to the choice.  If they know ELANTRIS, I can use a lot of examples from my own writing to explain my process for creating works.  It's a little embarassing to assign my own novel, but it probably will be very effective.

[Skar]

See, that's the first thing I thought of when i heard about the book assignment.  What better text to use than your own when you're explaining how to develop characters, or pace the plot or whatever.  You know exactly why you did what and it's gotta be easier explaining  how you did it than trying to explain how somebody else did it.  As long as it's not the ONLY text it seems like a brilliant move.

[Bookstore Guy]

well geez - I wish I would have know about the "required reading" for your course before everyone went to Borders...I could have got a bunch in at Waldens for them.  We did get some in, but apparently after everyone already had it (this is Steve by the way).

On the topic of the paperback, if I managed to sell over 140 copies of the hardback to people in just the last 3 or 4 months, imagine what I'll do with the paperback once it's out!

[Chimera]

I'm glad EUOL is using Elantris. I told him he should over the summer--and he expressed the same concerns as above, in addition that he felt bad about "requiring" people to buy his book. Pfft. Professors do it all the time. And at least this is a good book. If the students are serious about writing good scifi/fan, then I doubt they'll regret the purchase or experience. And since it's in paperback, it's not even nearly as expensive as the huge $100 textbooks most professors require.

So I'm glad the class over-ruled him. It's a great book and a great tool to draw from to give specific examples of the things he teaches in the class. When we would discuss writing techniques, we often discussed what EUOL did in his own books. I found it helpful, and I think his class will as well.

[The Lost One]

Are you people telling me that there are professors that don't require student to buy the professor's book. If the students don't buy them, who would?

Now I may be ignorant about how it works in English and creative writing courses, but having over 300 college credits at  3 major universities and having taught college courses myself, I think EUOL can relax about assigning his own book to his students. If the students aren't use to buying the professor's book by now, they will be.