[Toru-chan]

If I told you that in real-life I am actually a moderately-famous Science Fiction writer, would you be surprised? I would be to, because I am not but nevertheless I do find it interesting to comb through writers' notes. Many successful authors put out essays about writing that make interesting reading, because you realize just how much planning and/or technique goes into contriving a good story. (For example, I read one that said Strider in LOTR wasn't planned from the beginning, but thrown by Tolkien into Bree on a whim as a passing bit character. LOTR without the King of Gondor? Just imagine. I did read this but haven't confirmed it from elsewhere, so I don't know the accuracy of that, but I wonder if Tolkien's diehard fans insist 'Impossible! He planned it that way from the beginning!')

Anyway, you won't find these writers' essays in the bookstore, but these days it's pretty easy to get them off the internet. Here's an interesting summary of a Science-fiction writer's workshop:

http://www.sfwa.org/...turkeycity.html

I laughed loud a few times as I read this (*aside* from the above case), because I kept thinking of a certain bearded film maker with a penchant for flannelet shirts.

This post has been edited by Toru-chan: 08 March 2008 - 03:22 AM