Topic: Writing Outings
Tuesday 4July06 3:12pm
I've decided to be a smart money person and save up for the things I want to buy rather than buying in advance and being in debt. So in keeping with that, I have the money together for the Patron Membership that I want to buy for the International Festival of Authors in October. I'll buy the membership mid August to be prepared to get all the tickets I want.
I came across my notes that I've kept from the author interviews I've attended over the years and thought I'd post some of them. Most of the notes are just fragments that popped up at me, ideas I'd like to delve into in my own writing or just something to think about.
Pierre Berton:
He read all the books he could find on one subject before he wrote a book. He would read letters, original diaries and documents etc.
He wouldn't write a book that he wasn't interested in reading. "Would I buy this in a book store?"
Anita Desai and Bharati Muhkerjee:
Unexpected events - life going along and being blown apart.
Natural Property - doing what you are naturally supposed to do,
Anita:
You cannot live anywhere until you find out why you are there - delving into the past.
going back and exploring your roots.
it's an act of discovery to go back to your country of birth (your home) because it's new, a new country.
Anita spends time at her desk every morning. She writes longhand - writes on one side and corrects on the other side.
She read poetry to end writer's block.
She writes short stories between novels.
Bharati:
getting perspective on what's going on around me.
You never know how you are going to be tested.
Russell Banks:
Likes to start from certainty and moving out into uncertainty
Interested by the voices of working people.
"How come I escaped and they didn't?"
David Young
Everybody is born with two questions.
Round Table Discussion on Writing
Discipline is important
Write everyday, 7 days a week, when you are on to something.
Writing begets writing
A writer is a reader moved to emulation
Do your time.
If you want to be a writer - you write.
Writer's block is a fear of failure, a failure of imagination. Lower your standards.
Write what you don't know about.
"Finish it"
Your loyalty is to your book.
Convince the reader that the world is real.
Susanna Clark
gave up on 3 projects before completing her first published novel.
EY
