'Scott Fitzgerald patched several gaps in his novels by appropriating parts of his wife Zelda's letters, articles, diary, and her first novel.'

Scott Fitzgerald... was frequently blocked. He patched several gaps in his novels by appropriating parts of his wife Zelda's letters, articles, diary, and Save Me the Waltz, her first novel, without her permission.

The post Sally Cline appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'I was slow to read but I loved books. Even now, after writing a dozen books, I still always look at the pictures first.'

I was slow to read but I loved books. Even now, after a literary education, followed by years of teaching literature, and writing a dozen books, I still always look at the pictures first and save the words for later.

The post Michael Bird appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'The list of Important Books That I Haven't Read is not as long as it was, but I'm now virtually guilt-free about not reading many of them.'

The list of Important Books That I Haven't Read is not as long as it was, but I'm now virtually guilt-free about not reading many of them, and I feel no guilt at reading so-called 'airport thrillers'.

The post Tim Ecott appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Procrastination can actually be vital to the writing; the key is to use procrastination as a well-earned break.'

Procrastination can actually be vital to the writing; the key is to not procrastinate before you start, but to use procrastination as way to give yourself a well-earned break.

The post Jonny Wright appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Suddenly, I'm shutting my eyes and plotting the distance as a story line, between the gaping dots, to shape structure.'

Suddenly, I'm shutting my eyes and plotting the distance as a story line, between the gaping dots, to shape structure; I need structure as a memory line, and once it's there, I have the freedom not to use it.

The post Vayu Naidu appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Georges Simenon had the breathtaking effrontery to turn one very long bar crawl, punctuated by chain-smoking stews... into that completely real, Parisian world.'

It's the fact that Georges Simenon had the breathtaking effrontery to turn one very long bar crawl, punctuated by chain-smoking stews, sulks, and sandwiches, into a door into that completely real, Parisian world.

The post Philippa Stockley appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'By the time I get to the boggy third quarter of writing a novel... I'm thoroughly sick of the 'guests'.'

By the time I get to the boggy third quarter of writing a novel... I'm thoroughly sick of the 'guests'; they've become the couple that you rashly agreed to go on holiday with over a drunken dinner.

The post Christina Hopkinson appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Then, one summer, everything changed; I discovered Cocteau, Sartre and Camus and left comics behind... for a while at least. '

Then, one summer, everything changed; I discovered Cocteau, Sartre and Camus and left comics behind... for a while at least.

The post Sally Kindberg appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'The almost daily drip-feed of doom-laden news that you children – my main readership – no longer read; you're too busy playing games, or texting each other.'

The almost daily drip-feed of doom-laden news that you children – my main readership – no longer read; you're too busy playing games, or texting each other or whatever, to actually pick up a book; let alone mine.

The post Jon Mayhew appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'When I'm reading novels for potential adaptations, or books for research, I can't read anything for pleasure... everything I read is potentially work related.'

When I'm reading novels for potential adaptations, or books for research, I can't read anything for pleasure... everything I read is potentially work related. I've had the same novel by my bed for over a year.

The post Rhiannon Tise appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.