'The routes to possession of a book are many and various; you might, for example, have stolen it. '

The routes to possession of a book are many and various; you might, for example, have stolen it. Instead I will simply thank you for deciding to read it.

The post Elanor Dymott appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'When I simply consumed books with no aspiration to write one, every novel was a plus. It existed only to give me joy.'

When I simply consumed books with no aspiration to write one, every novel was a plus. It existed only to give me joy and if it failed there were plenty others.

The post Maria McCann appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Be outrageous! When I was your age my writing was very conventional. I wouldn't offend anyone or express any controversial statements.'

Be outrageous! When I was your age my writing was very conventional. I wouldn't offend anyone or express any controversial statements for fear of offending someone. Word would get around, I thought.

The post Morgen Witzel appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Novels, depending on the genre, allow the reader to bring much of their own personal life to their stories, whereas plays are a different beast.'

Novels, depending on the genre, allow the reader to bring much of their own personal life to their stories, whereas plays are a different beast and rely on a great production and great acting.

The post Shelley Silas appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'I was writing my first novel, a convoluted, pretentious and, as it turned out, unpublishable thriller. "How do you feel about it?" he asked.'

I was writing my first novel, a convoluted, pretentious and, as it turned out, unpublishable thriller. "How do you feel about it?" he asked.

The post Alex Martin appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'In an increasingly homogenised and uniform world rare and distinctive voices are especially needful. '

In an increasingly homogenised and uniform world rare and distinctive voices are especially needful. Sometimes those voices may be complex, difficult, troubling, but who wants to read a bland book?

The post Nicholas Murray appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Between my laptop and a thriving aloe vera plant is my hand-drawn map of the world of my current novel; I have to control that space.'

Between my laptop and a thriving aloe vera plant is my hand-drawn map of the world of my current novel; I have to control that space before I can know how the story will unfold there.

The post Katherine Stansfield appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'I feared these books would be dull, staid and part of the establishment that I was so busy rebelling against; and then I read Wuthering Heights.'

I feared these books would be dull, staid and part of the establishment that I was so busy rebelling against; and then I read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

The post Sanjida O’Connell appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Would I be guilty of destroying the serious intent underneath the humour, with this 'coffin' stunt?'

Would I be guilty of destroying the serious intent underneath the humour, with this 'coffin' stunt? Would I be guilty of stripping my protagonist of his dignity?

The post Ray French appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Writing is a craft, not some divine gift, and the thing about crafts is the more you do them the better you get at them.'

Writing is a craft, not some divine gift, and the thing about crafts is the more you do them the better you get at them; so if you want to call yourself a professional writer... you really have to put the hours in.

The post Neil Hanson appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.