A note from Jane
You’ve probably seen Facebook ads for Masterclass. It’s the site where you can learn from literary icons such as James Patterson, Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, and others. To be honest, I’ve had zero interest in it—until I discovered all the other categories it covers.
Like cooking.
Mark and I are now making our way through Gordon Ramsay’s Cooking I, along with another couple. We co-watch a lesson together on Friday night, then try to reproduce Ramsay’s results over the weekend, with varying degrees of success.
One technique that will stick with me for life: how to make creamy scrambled eggs. It requires no special skills or sleight of hand; it just works. Here’s how. (I skipped the sea urchin!)
Like others, I’ve been trying a range of new things in the kitchen I wouldn’t ordinarily bother with—e.g., I made chicken stock for the first time, and I now understand why it’s called “liquid gold.”
I’m also planning to try focaccia after seeing this New York Times piece, and trail mix cookies.
Are you undertaking any cooking adventures? Have a recipe to share? Hit reply and let me know.
Be well,
Jane
P.S. The most popular blog post at my site this month:
The 3 Ms of Character Setup by C.S. Lakin
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Jane’s Electric Speed List
Here are some of the latest things I’ve found and enjoyed. (I have not been paid to mention any of these resources.)
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Start easy co-watching with friends, or: have a virtual movie night
I’ve seen a series of software tools come and go over the years that help people watch TV and movies together from different locations. Vemos is (so far) the simplest and most direct solution I’ve found: it works as a browser add-on for Chrome. No accounts, no sign up. Possible drawback: everyone needs to have access to whatever show is being watched. (It’s not a screen sharing service.)
StreamYard helps you broadcast streaming video—great for live events on Facebook and YouTube
I was a recent guest on Draft2Digital’s “lunch and learn” series, for which they used StreamYard to broadcast. It couldn’t have been an easier or more pleasant experience as a guest, and it got me interested in creating my own account. StreamYard can support up to 10 different guests, with green room functionality too. It’s $25/month for hosts and comes with a free trial.
Nonfiction books recommended by successful people
Good Books is a beautiful site to browse: you can sort book results by topic, by recommender, and by recommender’s occupation. In the writing category, you’ll find suggestions from a diverse set of authors, everyone from Alain de Botton (my favorite!) to Cheryl Strayed. There’s also a “top 100” list.
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Need illustrations?
Here’s an open-source illustrations kit—free for both personal and commercial use. Right now, the kit includes virus-related and work-from-home imagery.
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Next online class: Getting Your Book Into Libraries: Digital Distribution with Amy Collins
On Friday, May 15: With budgets so tight and travel so limited, more people are turning to libraries for their ebooks, digital audio, and services. At the same time, large publishers are charging libraries more and more for their ebooks, making it easier for self-published authors and independent publishers to get their foot in the door and their books on the (virtual) shelves. Publishing industry vet Amy Collins walks you through the process of approaching libraries and getting your book accepted.
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Your turn: YouTube videos for fun
In the last issue, I asked you to share a favorite YouTube video that you return to again and again. I received so many suggestions—both specific and very general—that I’ve created a playlist to offer a sampling of the best, 17 videos in all. (I’ve added a couple of my favorites to the mix as well.)
Also recommended:
“We always watch Friends or Big Bang Theory blooper reels on YouTube.” —Trish “I love Newhart! (all episodes are on YouTube ...)” —Al Argo “Watching John Krasinski’s Some Good News is a joy. I’m convinced he’s his generation’s Tom Hanks. He’s funny, irreverent, and heartfelt, and the stories are beautiful.” —Vicki Stiefel
Next question: What’s your favorite source of new recipes? Hit “reply” and let me know.
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Classifieds
Classifieds support Electric Speed and get delivered to 33,000 subscribers each week. Place yours.
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North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books. 6th year. Grand prize: $5,000. Top winner in each category will win $1,000. Co-sponsored by BookBaby and Carolyn Howard-Johnson.
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Download a free copy of Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book by Tim Grahl. It has over 345 5-star Amazon reviews and has sold over 50,000 copies.
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Developmental Editor & Writer’s Coach Julie Gray. For fiction & creative nonfiction writers who want to set their writing apart from the sea of manuscripts competing for attention.
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Made for writers: 240 pages of beautiful paper wrapped in a lusciously flexible cover, bound to lay flat wherever you open it. Numbered pages and an index too! WriteWell Journals
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Where Jane Might Be Speaking Next
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Enjoyed this issue? Share it
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Electric Speed is a free newsletter published by Jane Friedman that’s been sending since 2009. It is read by more than 33,000 subscribers. You can support it by (1) sponsoring an issue or placing a classified or (2) sharing it with friends and colleagues.
“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan
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