'I wanted access to people, places, cultures, different from my own; and reading, especially fiction, seemed to give me that.'

I wanted access to people, places, cultures, different from my own; and reading, especially fiction, seemed to give me that.

The post Sue Roe appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'I'm resistant to fiction that thinks itself extravagantly imaginative; magic realism, say. Because there's usually no narrative tension.'

I'm resistant to fiction that thinks itself extravagantly imaginative; magic realism, say. Because there's usually no narrative tension, no humour, and the dialogue is unbelievable.

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

'My first draft, or brainstorm, tends to be a bit of a mess, with lots of crossing out. I put every thought I have on the subject down. '

My first draft, or brainstorm, tends to be a bit of a mess, with lots of crossing out. I put every thought I have on the subject down as it comes to me.

The post Trish Cooke appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'This fundamental change in the way books are published gives both author and reader far more influence in the industry.'

This fundamental change in the way books are published gives both author and reader far more influence in the industry. The classics of tomorrow will come from a range containing literature previously considered commercially unviable.

The post Alison Bruce appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'George MacDonald Fraser's phrasing and structure are so fluid and smooth that reading his sentences always makes me feel happy. '

George MacDonald Fraser's phrasing and structure are so fluid and smooth that reading his sentences always makes me feel happy. Second, he's the absolute master of making historical details seem real.

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

'I was not lacking ideas, rather I woke to find that I had lost the ability to express them. '

I was not lacking ideas, rather I woke to find that I had lost the ability to express them. There seemed to be a physical blockage between my brain and hands.

The post Susan Fletcher appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'In my version of Brideshead Revisited Cordelia would be the narrator, not Charles; he would be seen for what he is, a kind of parasitic growth upon the family. '

In my version of Brideshead Revisited Cordelia would be the narrator, not Charles; he would be seen for what he is, a kind of parasitic growth upon the family. Her stint in Spain would open her eyes to the horrors of fascism.

The post Brian Keaney appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'The writers who inspire me are the writers who know its the writing that matters, not the writer. '

The writers who inspire me are the writers who know its the writing that matters, not the writer.

The post Tania Hershman appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'I had to throw off the shadows of Samuel Johnson's perfection before I could write. But they have not left me. '

I had to throw off the shadows of Samuel Johnson's perfection before I could write. But they have not left me. Often I feel their tug as I struggle to craft a sentence.

The post Anita Mason appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'That unknowability of others is a central theme of my writing; the desire to overcome that hurdle within, and through, the stories.'

That unknowability of others is a central theme of my writing; the desire to overcome that hurdle within, and through, the stories, is an endless, addictive drive.

The post Lizzie Nunnery appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.