The tale raveller's life
May. 15th, 2019 08:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rich_jackoIn-between trips to Leeds last week, I went to a lecture at Sheffield Uni by Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveller's Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry.
It had the slightly long-winded title, "Work habits: creative procrastination, endless coffee breaks, some thoughts on headphones, or how I eventually managed to overcome inertia and finish the darn book". That's a pretty good summary of what she talked about (plus an immortal cat, an ultra-long-distance relationship and the terror of writing circles).
It was an insight into the writing of The Other Husband, the unexpected (not least to the author) sequel to The Time Traveller's Wife. But it won't be a "more of the same" sequel; some of the ideas in it sound completely bonkers. The first draft was due in January, but probably won't be ready until next January. It will have taken six and a half years by then, averaging just 58 words a day. "Which I think we can all agree is ridiculous", its author admits.
The talk itself was a bit odd. She says normally wings it, but this time thought she'd better write a proper lecture. This meant she was mostly reading from a script. It was funny, sweary and illuminating, but still reading from a script. The best bits were when she looked up and deviated from the page.
This part of the evening was only 30 minutes though. Much better was the 45-minute question and answer session which followed. Having talked about the editing process and about writing character snippets she always knew would never make it into the final draft, I asked if she had a favourite idea that never met the cut. So I learned about Meema, the genetically engineered cat/girl, who won't be appearing in The Other Husband (See, I told you it sounded bonkers), but might appear in some other form in a different future novel.
I got her to autograph my copy of The Time Traveller's Wife at the book signing afterwards. She was there with her husband, Eddie Campbell, who is also famous in his own right as an illustrator (of Alan Moore's From Hell, among other things). I bought a copy of their collaborative short story collection, Bizarre Romance, which they both signed.
Overall, an intriguing and enjoyable evening.
It had the slightly long-winded title, "Work habits: creative procrastination, endless coffee breaks, some thoughts on headphones, or how I eventually managed to overcome inertia and finish the darn book". That's a pretty good summary of what she talked about (plus an immortal cat, an ultra-long-distance relationship and the terror of writing circles).
It was an insight into the writing of The Other Husband, the unexpected (not least to the author) sequel to The Time Traveller's Wife. But it won't be a "more of the same" sequel; some of the ideas in it sound completely bonkers. The first draft was due in January, but probably won't be ready until next January. It will have taken six and a half years by then, averaging just 58 words a day. "Which I think we can all agree is ridiculous", its author admits.
The talk itself was a bit odd. She says normally wings it, but this time thought she'd better write a proper lecture. This meant she was mostly reading from a script. It was funny, sweary and illuminating, but still reading from a script. The best bits were when she looked up and deviated from the page.
This part of the evening was only 30 minutes though. Much better was the 45-minute question and answer session which followed. Having talked about the editing process and about writing character snippets she always knew would never make it into the final draft, I asked if she had a favourite idea that never met the cut. So I learned about Meema, the genetically engineered cat/girl, who won't be appearing in The Other Husband (See, I told you it sounded bonkers), but might appear in some other form in a different future novel.
I got her to autograph my copy of The Time Traveller's Wife at the book signing afterwards. She was there with her husband, Eddie Campbell, who is also famous in his own right as an illustrator (of Alan Moore's From Hell, among other things). I bought a copy of their collaborative short story collection, Bizarre Romance, which they both signed.
Overall, an intriguing and enjoyable evening.
