A Nod to our Predecessors

Let's talk a little about the fear of imitation. All authors have it, or should. But a symptom of this fear is the belief that if one reads widely in their genre, they will wind up being "tainted" by this education, that the fingerprints of these other writers will be apparent when the reader tries his or her hand at crafting their own fiction. This is folly to me.

Ray Bradbury once advised hopeful writers to avoid reading stories in whatever genre they happened to be drawn to and read everything else, lest their own stories become derivative of other people's works. While I can appreciate the point Bradbury was trying to make, I do not agree with his advice. Obviously it is important for an author to read widely, but I am of the opinion that an ongoing education within an author's chosen genre is crucial. Without it, an author may toil on stories, oblivious to the fact their works are original only to them. Author X may think that their novel about a house built over an ancient burial ground is blindingly original, but good luck finding an editor who doesn't die a little inside when they read the synopsis.

The key, I think, is finding the middle ground where you can be versed in a strand of literature without being consumed by it. The thing to remember now is that are just so many stories in the world that a single lifetime is simply not long enough to read them all. But an author who enters a genre, even for just one story, is becoming part of a lineage, whether they want to or not. Contemporary fiction, like everything else in life, is built upon the foundation of its past. If authors do not feel the need to educate themselves, they should at least consider a cursory education for the sake of the genre's readers, who are often well-versed in, and deeply loyal to, their favourite style of fiction.

Just a quick thought for today before I return to labour over my latest manuscript...

My Draconian Holiday

I find myself in a good position today. I'm nearing the finishing line on a project that's been a long time in the making and I now have a bit of free time to really attack it.

So, I'll be lashing myself to a firm wooden chair for the better part of this week and diving headlong into my writing. To further my punishment, I've set up my laptop outside of my writing room, with only a few reference books on the table beside me. I shall also be unplugging my modem while I write. This way, if I do need to do a bit of online research, I'll be required to fiddle with plugs and wait for the connection to be made. A small inconvenience, true, but it's a nice little trick to help me resist simply clicking on my 'net icon and killing some time gorging on the myriad temptations that can oh-so-easily pull an author away from the task at hand.

It will be a few days before a new entry is posted here. I'm hoping that when I do return next week I'll have something to show for my efforts.

And with that, I'm off for several days of silence, unnerving isolation and complete mental anguish.

It's the kind of vacation Torquemada would approve of. See you all on the other side.

Supernatural Tales

I am happy to report that my story "The Language of the Nameless Region" has been accepted by "Supernatural Tales" magazine. As the story is distinctly wintery, ST's editor David Longhorn may hold on to it until the next winter issue. I will keep you posted.

What's most satisfying about this acceptance is that "The Language of the Nameless Region" was the half-forgotten treasure I'd described in my last posting. Sometimes a little distance is needed before the worth of a story can be appreciated.

Elsewhere: I was pleased to learn that Neil Gaiman was recently awarded the prestigious Newbery Medal for his tastily Gothic children's novel, The Graveyard Book. So, on the off-chance he should ever stumble upon this blog: Congratulations, Neil!