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On becoming an author

Posted 12-10-2008 at 03:59 PM by bibbi
Updated 12-12-2008 at 07:53 AM by bibbi

For sometime I've been thinking about writing a novel. I have taken great inspiration from my favourite author Farley Mowat. I also have taken inspiration from Dirk's autobigraphies as well. My family and friends have encouraged me to write a novel. I've already completed six chapters. I'd really like to hear from any of you who are authors or those who'd like to become one.

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As an author of a few books (mainly mythological or poetry) I can tell you that writing it may be the most rewarding part. Regardless of whether or not it's ever published should be a secondary goal...don't do it for commercialism. Sharing your work is different than using a talent to gain a net profit. You have to care about what you're saying and the feelings, ideas, and emotions you're conveying. I worked on a book that centered around a researcher and a weather station in the frozen reaches of Greenland for some years before I completed the text.

Posted 12-11-2008 at 05:38 PM by Nacky Nacky is offline

Congratulations Anne on your book so far. I hope you are able to complete it.
I like Nacky's comment about not doing something for commercialism!

Just a small point, I think you have a typo Anne in your OP, you mention Dirk's 'novels'. I understood 'novel' to refer to a work of fiction? I didn't think Dirk had written any novels, perhaps I'm wrong?

nov⋅el
–noun
a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity, portraying characters and usually presenting a sequential organization of action and scenes.

Of course I think Dirk should seriously try his hand at novels - he has written screenplays hasn't he? I guess they are fiction?

Posted 12-12-2008 at 03:49 AM by deebeelicious deebeelicious is offline

	Thank You both for your comments and both very nicely said. When I think of novels, I think of autobiographical novels and fictional novels. I meant to say autobiographies for the books Dirk has written. The typo has been corrected. I also think Dirk would be a terrific writer of fiction.
	Posted 12-12-2008 at 07:38 AM by bibbi Updated 12-12-2008 at 07:55 AM by bibbi

Stephen King, famous horror-story writer, you know him...when he writes, he'll just start on a piece of paper and write down whatever comes to mind and just continues and writes 100s of pages of just whatever springs to mind. So imagine that all those books came from his train of thought.

And after going through 100s of pages of just mundane stuff, and rambling as he puts it, he'll see a story here or maybe there and begin a story from little bits and pieces from just sitting there and writing down what he's thinking or pondering upon. Even if he's thinking about laundry, or a childhood memory or a place he's been. He just writes it down and goes from whatever springs to mind from it.

Then finds a story in a mess of pages. Maybe two or three stories...

In his book 'Cell', which is about cell phones that turn people into diabolical maniacs, he quotes in the preface a line from the Verizon network slogan 'Can you hear me now?'. So he will even write down simple, meaningless things like TV commercials and form something, elements of his everyday life, into his books.

Posted 12-14-2008 at 01:50 PM by Nacky Nacky is offline