P is for Pratchett

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Sir Terence David John Pratchett (he has an OBE) was born in 1948 in Buckinghamshire, England. An only child, he spent hours at the local library and had a fascination with Astronomy. This led to an interest in reading science fiction and attending conventions.

He published his first short story at the age of 13, in his school magazine, but it wasn’t until he was 20 that he got his first break. Whilst working as a journalist he met a publisher and his first novel was published in 1971.

The first Discworld novel was published in 1983, but it wasn’t until 4 years later that he gave up work to write full time. The Times named him as top selling and highest earning UK author in 1996. To date the Discworld series of books (39) have sold over 55 million copies worldwide.

Known for his distinctive writing style, which includes footnotes and lack of chapters, the characters, place names and titles of his work often include puns and cultural references. A hallmark of his dialogue is the use of capital letters and no speech marks.

In the past he has dabbled in sci-fi and horror genres, but now, focuses entirely on fantasy. He has built an observatory in his garden and even has an asteroid named after him. In 2007 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Because of his condition he currently writes by dictating to an assistant or by using voice recognition software.

My favourite Pratchett quotes:

“You can’t build a plot out of jokes. You need tragic relief. And you need to let people know that when a lot of frightened people are running around, with edged weaponry, there are deaths. Stupid deaths, usually. I’m not writing ‘The A Team’ – if there’s a fight going on, people will get hurt. Not letting this happen would be a betrayal.”

“Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself.”

“I have to write because if I don’t get something down then after a while I feel its going to bang the side of my head off.”

“I like writing. I get cranky when I cant. Yes, I write books back to back, and I work very hard on them.”

“My own books drive themselves. I know roughly where a book is going to end, but essentially the story develops under my fingers. Its just a matter of joining the dots.”

Pratchett explains Discworld:

Pratchett interview from last year:

Im not a real fan of fantasy I have to say, but that’s probably because, apart from The Hobbit, I haven’t read any 😦 But im pleased to see a fantasy genre author with an OBE! Do you read fantasy, and if so, what is it about the genre that you like?

Dodger, Terry Pratchett (booksjadore.wordpress.com)
My Review Of Terry Pratchett’s “Wee Free Men”… (akrummenacker.wordpress.com)
Discworld: The Ankh-Morpork Map review (telegraph.co.uk)

O is for Orwell

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

George Orwell was born in 1903 as Eric Arthur Blair to English parents living in India but when he was 1 year old the family returned to England and settled there.

As a child he dreamed of writing a book in the style of HG Wells A Modern Utopia and whilst still at college produced the college magazine. Instead of attending University (the family couldn’t afford it) he returned to India as part of the Imperial Police and on a trip back home to England after suffering an illness he decided to quit the police and become a writer.

But it wasn’t until he visited his aunt in Paris and received her financial support that he began to write novels. On his return to England he began research into his a memoir entitled Down and Out in Paris and London, and changed his name for publication so that it wouldn’t embarrass his family.

The publication of Animal Farm in 1945 plunged Orwell into worldwide success and followed up by Nineteen Eighty Four in 1949 (which has sold over 25million copies to date) cemented his place amongst the great writers of the 20th century.

While he was alive, Orwell was best known for his essays and journalism. He died at the age of 46 having suffered from reoccurring symptoms of Tuberculosis (which troubled him for several years) leaving behind his own adjective “Orwellian”.

My Favourite George Orwell quotes:

“Rules on Writing – Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.”

“The best books…are those that tell you what you know already.”

“Good writing is like a windowpane.”

“For a creative writer possession of the ‘truth’ is less important than emotional sincerity.”

George Orwell’s Essay – Politics and the English Language

The first part of a documentary on Orwell.

Orwell went to great lengths to research his project Down and Out in Paris and London, to the point where he explored the slums of London, even staying the night in a common lodging house. You often hear of other authors who will go to great lengths to research their books. Personally, I haven’t, but what lengths have you gone to for research?

Who is George Orwell? (heaveyj.wordpress.com)
George Orwell- Down and Out in Paris and London (bookblog76.com)
6 Ways George Orwell Can Improve Your Writing (corporatellama.wordpress.com)
George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) (zoecarton.wordpress.com)

N is for Nabokov

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was born in 1899 in St Pertersburg Russia to a prominent wealthy family, his father being a lawyer, statesman and journalist.

As a child he was taught Russian, English and French and could read and write in English before he could in Russian. After the Bolshevik Revolution the family fled to Europe and after a brief stay in England, settled in Berlin.

He published 9 novels in Russian between 1926 and 1938 but it wasn’t until he arrived in America (fleeing the Germany army in 1941) and became a Lecturer that he was able to fund his writing career. The huge financial success of Lolita in 1955 (that has now sold over 50 million copies world wide) meant he was then able to devote his time to writing on a permanent basis.

Noted for his clever use of words and complex plots, he enjoyed using “Alliteration” in his work and suffered from synesthesia. He died in 1977 in Switzerland after suffering from severe bronchial congestion. At the time of his death he was working on a novel, which he requested to be burnt on his death. His son went against his father wishes and published it.

My favourite Nobokov quotes:

“I think like a genius, I write like a distinguished author, and I speak like a child.”

“Caress the detail, the divine detail.”

“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible.”

“Style and structure are the essence of a book; great ideas are hogwash.”

“Some people, and I am one of them, hate happy ends, we feel cheated.”

This is a really interesting documentary about Nabokov….it’s an hour long, but includes interviews with him….worth a watch 🙂

I don’t think I’ve ever used Alliteration in my writing, but it’s an interesting concept that I might explore one day. How about you? Do you use Alliteration?

Nabokov House, St. Petersburg (moderndayruth.net)

M is for McEwan

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Ian Russell McEwan was born in 1948 in Hampshire, England and was one of the first graduates of a creative writing course run by the University of East Anglia under Malcolm Bradbury and Angus Wilson.

He published his first collection of short stories at the age of 27 and his first novel 3 years later. He is often referred to “Ian Macabre” due to the nature of his earlier stories.

During his career he has been nominated for the Man Booker Prize 6 times, winning it for ‘Amsterdam’ and was featured on The Times “50 Great British Writers Since 1945.” The New Yorker named him as “Englands National Author.”

He writes “contemporary fiction” and has written short stories, novels, children’s books and screenplays, but critics, and readers seem to be divided on whether he is a master of prose or if his novels are so perfectly crafted that they are infuriating and beyond the enjoyment of the average man on the street. He is best known for his novel “Atonement”.

My favourite McEwan quotes:

“How often one reads a contemporary full length novel and thinks quietly, mutinously, that it would have worked out better at half or a third the length.”

“I often don’t read reviews.”

“I think of novels in architectural terms. You have to enter at the gate, and this gate must be constructed in such a way that the reader has immediate confidence in the strength of the building.”

“Im quite good at not writing.”

“You can spin stories out of the ways people understand and misunderstand each other.”

“You could say that all novels are spy novels and all novelists are spy masters.”

5 Minutes With Ian McEwan

I find it interesting what he says about reading “contemporary” novels, as personally, I found (whilst reading McEwans Saturday) that 7 pages to describe the main character leaving his house and arriving in the theatre of the hospital (the main character is a surgeon), a little excessive. So I totally agree! 😉 But isn’t that what defines contemporary literature? What is your interpretation of a literary novel as opposed to popular fiction?

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (opiniatedteens.wordpress.com)
Ian McEwan’s new novel (kimbofo.typepad.com)

L is for Lawrence

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

David Herbert (DH) Lawrence was born in 1885 in Nottinghamshire, England and used his working class background and tension between his parents as inspiration for his work.

During his childhood he developed a love of books and wrote poetry, but it wasn’t until he won a short story competition (at the age of 22) for a local newspaper that he gained any recognition for his work.

Qualified as a teacher, it was a move to London in 1908 where he met Ford Maddox Ford that was to be the start of his writing career. He spent time in Europe and America, and listed Huxley, Katherine Mansfield, TS Eliot and Ezra Pound amongst his friends.

At their time of publication most of Lawrence’s novels were considered controversial, especially Lady Chatterleys Lover, which was classed as obscene by many. Until 1960 it was only published in highly edited versions. Penguin Books decided to publish the full edition and found themselves embroiled in a court case, which they won, proving that the novel was an important work of literary merit.

His work centered around relationships, which fascinated Lawrence. He was particularly interested in “Haptics” (the way we communicate by touch) and although he is best known for his novels, he also wrote almost 800 poems.

He died at the age of 44 in France from complications of Tuberculosis but was working right up until his death.

My favourite Lawrence quotes:

“I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regret.”

“Oh literature, oh the glorious art, how it preys upon the marrow in our bones. It scoops the stuffing out of us, and chucks us aside.”

“I cant bare art that you can walk around and admire. A book should either be a bandit or a rebel or a man in the crowd.”

“I like to write when I feel spiteful. Its like having a good sneeze.”

“One sheds ones sicknesses in books – repeats and presents again ones emotions, to be master of them.”

“The novel is the highest form of human expression so far attained.”

“Never trust the teller, trust the tale.”

Good documentary, if you want to know more about Lawrence. Ive only skimmed the surface in this blog post lol

I found Lawrences comment on liking to write when he felt spiteful very interesting. Personally, I have to be in the mood to write, but im not too sure exactly what that mood is. I know I don’t feel like writing when im highly emotional, but then saying that, ive never tried it. Would my writing change direction if I, say, wrote whilst I was upset, or angry?Have you ever tried experimenting by writing through different moods?

DH Lawrence manuscript shows ‘enlightened’ attitude to women (guardian.co.uk)
New DH Lawrence manuscript discovered (telegraph.co.uk)
D.H. Lawrence Righteously Rages Against Misogyny in Newly Discovered Essay (jezebel.com)

K is for King

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

I was spoilt for choice when I was looking for an author for K, but, in the end, there was no contest, as my aim with the challenge was to highlight authors, I, as an aspiring author myself, could learn from. So please raise your glass, or coffee cup to….

Stephen Edwin King was born in 1947 in Maine and has published over 50 novels, 5 non fiction books and over 200 short stories…so far 😉 His books have sold more than 350 million copies.

He says that his inspiration for writing horror came from his uncle and finding a copy of The Lurker In The Shadows in his attic, but people have also speculated that the experience of whitnessing his friend killed by a train is what influenced the darkness in his work.

He spent his teens reading horror comics and his first story (serialized over 3 editions) was published in 1965 in a fanzine but it wasn’t until he was at University that he started writing short stories with the intent to sell them.

King published his first novel, Carrie, at the age of 26, but had initially thrown the first draft in the bin. Luckily, his wife retrieved it and encouraged him to finish it. And just like Dickens, 100 years earlier, it was to set him on a path of world wide success.

King has written extensively on “writing” and is eager to encourage aspiring authors. He sets himself a goal of writing 2000 words a day and doesn’t stop until he achieves that and considers “the finest word processor” to be a fountain pen and a notebook.

He often uses authors as characters, or mentions works of fiction in his stories, and sites his biggest influence as the author Richard Matheson. Love him or hate him, Stephen King is an icon amongst authors.

Again, I was spoilt for choice on Stephen King quotes, (thanks to his book On Writing) so heres a small selection I like:

“Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can’t expect to become a good writer.”

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”

“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”

“So okay – there you are in your room with the shade down and the door shut and the plug pulled out of the base of the telephone. You’ve blown up your TV and committed yourself to a thousand words a day, come hell or high water. Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want.”

“Reading in bed can be heaven, assuming you can get just the right amount of light on the page and aren’t prone to spilling your coffee or cognac on the sheets.”

“I’m a slow reader, but I usually get through seventy or eighty books a year, most fiction. I don’t read in order to study the craft; I read because I like to read.”

“If you’re not reading, then you’re not going to be a writer. Read things you don’t normally read. Read things you don’t want to read. Be open minded enough to look at work others don’t respect. Have you ever read a romance novel? Read one. Never read a horror story? Pick one up and read it. A western? Give it a shot.”

I was also spoilt for choice on YouTube for interviews and talks by King, but I chose this one, where he goes into a school and talks to kids about writing 🙂 Boy, what I’d give to do a class with him!!!!!

It did make me laugh to hear that he is a slow reader, but still manages to read 70-80 books a year! OMG, is that really a slow reader? I used to read a book a week, now, im lucky if I can finish one every 3 weeks to a month 😦

Going by Kings scale…..are you a slow or quick reader? How many books do you read a year?

Infographic: The Stephen King Universe (the-digital-reader.com)
Review: On Writing (Stephen King) (charlotteunsworth.wordpress.com)

J is for Joyce

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

James Augusta Aloysius Joyce was born in 1882 in a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century he wrote his first poem at the age of 9.

He attended University College Dublin and after graduating went to Paris to study Medicine, but returned to Ireland when he heard his mother was dying, where he made a meager living by doing book reviews after her death.

In 1904 he tried to publish an essay entitled “A Portrait of The Artist” unsuccessfully, and years later, completely reworked as a novel this became “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.”

After various stints in Europe (mainly Zurich and Paris) where he met Harriet Shaw Weaver (who became his mentor and gave him thousands of pounds to allow him to write and not have to work) he wrote his famous short story collections and novels such as “Ulysses” and “Finnegan’s Wake.”

Joyce perfected the stream of consciousness technique of writing and his fiction is centered on Dublin, his characters resembling friends and relations he had there.

An alcoholic, he died at the age of 59 due to a perforated ulcer.

My favourite Joyce quotes:

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

“No pen, no ink, no table, no room, no time, no quiet, no inclination.”

“When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.”

”I shall write a book some day about the appropriateness of names. Geoffrey Chaucer has a ribald ring, as is proper and correct, and Alexander Pope was inevitably Alexander Pope. Colley Cibber was a silly little man without much elegance and Shelley was very Percy and very Bysshe.”

Clip of Joyce:

Ok, so he pioneered “stream of consciousness” aka “interior monologue” in his novels, which means I have a lot to thank him for. I love using interior monologue (although i call it internal monologue) perhaps too much lol. Do you use interior monologue in your writing?

The variants and editions of Ulysses. (bobrbogle.wordpress.com)

I is for Irving

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jnr) was born in New Hampshire in 1942 and whilst still at school became a wrestler and coach. He published his first novel at the age of 26, which flopped.

In the late 60’s he took a class with Kurt Vonnegut at The University of Iowa and then produced two further novels, both of which sunk without a trace.

Now in his early 30’s he took up the position of Assistant Professor of English at a college and decided to approach another publisher with his 4th novel, which was obviously a good decision, as The World According to Garp became an international best seller.

“Garp” propelled Irving to success and his subsequent novels (The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany, A Widow for One Year, and The Fourth Hand, to name a few) have helped establish him as one of Americas most loved writers.

Irving’s novels usually center on characters whose stories are in the recent past and who are often outsiders, trying to find their way in life. He often uses the literary technique of “story within a story” and is currently working on his next novel.

My favourite John Irving quotes:

“I spend about two to three months planning the path of the book in my head before I write the last sentence of the novel. From there I work back to the beginning. From the day I think of the last sentence to the book’s publication date, not more than a semicolon has changed.”

“I can’t imagine what the first sentence is, I can’t imagine where I want the reader to enter the story, if I don’t know where the reader is going to leave the story. So once I know what the last thing the reader hears is, I can work my way backward, like following a roadmap in reverse.”

“The building of the architecture of a novel—the craft of it—is something I never tire of.”

“I’ve always preferred writing in longhand. I’ve always written first drafts in longhand.”

“I have pretty thick skin and I think if you’re going to be in this business, if you’re going to be an actor or a writer, you better have a thick skin.”

Interview with Irving…over half an hour long but do watch it, its very good 🙂

Oh gawd, yeah, a thick skin *gulp* lol. I’m not sure I have it, or rather, enough of one 😉 Anyone got any tips on developing a thick skin?

The World According To Garp, John Irving, 1978 (whatihaveinmindblog.wordpress.com)

G is for Greene

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Henry Graham Greene was born in 1904 in Hertfordshire, England. Born into an affluent and well-respected Brewery family, he was diagnosed with depression at just 16 years old. He produced his first work, a collection of poems at the age of 21 and after graduating from Oxford turned to journalism.

His first novel was published when he was 25 but it wasn’t until 3 years later when he published “Stamboul Train” (which was adapted into the film The Orient Express) that he began to receive mass recognition.

During WWII he worked for MI6 and many of the characters and situations he encountered ended up in his novels, but he was also fascinated with religion and the battle of good against evil, which is a reoccurring theme running through many of his novels. He kept a journal by the side of his bed where he wrote down his dreams.

Throughout his lifetime he suffered from Bipolar but produced 27 novels, some collections of short stories, autobiographies and travel writing. In his later years he moved to Switzerland, where he died at the age of 86 from Leukaemia

My favourite Graham Greene quotes:

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint, can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.”

“The great advantage of being a writer is that you can spy on people. You’re there, listening to every word, but part of you is observing. Everything is useful to a writer, you see every scrap, even the most longest and boring of luncheon parties.”

“My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball point pens are only good for filling out forms on planes.”

“A petty reason perhaps why novelists more and more try to keep a distance from journalists is that novelists are trying to write the truth and journalists are trying to write fiction.”

And if you haven’t seen this version of Brighton Rock….you really should!

I’m really showing myself up here aren’t I? Again, I haven’t read any Greene, but again, because I feel that I know his work so well from the film and TV adaptations. I know the story of Brighton Rock, The Ministry of Fear, The Third Man, The End Of The Affair, The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana and The Comedians. I have at least 2 of his other novels on my “Mount Toobie” and even one of his travel biographies *blush*

There are just so many books, and not enough days in my life 😦 I can see The Hubster rolling his eyes and thinking “Oh no, she’s not gunna buy more books!” Lol. I think my A-Z subject matter was a bad choice *snigger*

I love the fact that Greene preferred writing with a fountain pen. It’s definitely my preference as a writing implement, and so far away from Capote, who used to write in pencil. Shakespeare must of written with a Quill, so I’m glad we’ve moved on a bit lol.

What’s your favourite writing tool?

Written Interview: Graham Greene (gointothestory.blcklst.com)

F is for Forster

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Edward Morgan Forster was born in 1879 in London and at the age of 8 inherited a large sum of money (nearly £700,000 at todays rates) from an aunt. This enabled him to attend University and pursue his dream of being a writer.

The first of the 5 novels he completed (Where Angels Fear To Tread; The Longest Journey; A Room With A View; Howards End; A Passage to India; Maurice) was published when he was 26, but he was still working up until his death at the age of 91, leaving an unfinished manuscript (Arctic Summer). His biggest success was with the novel “A Passage To India” which stemmed from his love of the country, which he first visited after he left University. He returned again to India in the early 1920’s and in the 30’s and 40’s he was a well-known broadcaster on BBC Radio.

His novels and numerous short stories remain popular today and generally deal with class differences but also with elements of sexuality and symbolism.

My favourite E M Forster quotes:

“One always seems to overpraise a long book, because one has got through it.”

“Only a writer who has the sense of evil can make goodness readable.”

“I have only got down onto paper, really, three types of people: the person I think I am, the people who irritate me, and the people I’d like to be.”

“The king died then the queen died is a story. The king died, then the queen died of grief, is a plot.”

Forster was a “pantster” and liked his writing to happen, rather than approach it planned. “How do I know what I think unless I see what I say?”

I am again, ashamed to say that this is yet another author, who’s work I haven’t read (although I do have a copy of Maurice on my huge pile of books in the bedroom), but I have at least seen the film adaptation of A Room With A View lol. I found it interesting what Forster says about a large book. I personally just tend to avoid anything that has over 350 pages!

Are you a fan of huge tomes? Or do you avoid them like I do? 😉