I think I am a bit of an odd duck in that I have not been much of a reader. But a few writers have made a big impression on me. I’ll leave off the well-known as it would seem (to me) self aggrandizing to list Hemingway and such, but here are a few: John McPhee, whose non-fiction prose is so masterful, Craig Childs, an American desert rat with incredible adventures, and Neil Gaiman, not so much for his fantasy, but for his rare talent as a teacher and for short storytelling. If I have an internal muse, she has not formally introduced herself yet. I must mention not a writer, but a reader and primary editor-in-chief. My foundational strength to do more than post trash on Facebook is my wife, Jeanne. A consumer of thousands of books, she has a taste for what makes good writing, a depth of knowledge, and the integrity to tell me when fail.
I love Neil Gaiman! I did his Masterclass during the pandemic, which was super helpful. Yes, he is a wonderful teacher and storyteller. And I love that you credit Jeanne. Now that I've finally met her, and read some of her story on Grace's Knights page, I can understand why she is a marvelous partner for you ☺️ Thanks for your thoughts, Dante.
"Is there someone whose writing you especially admire and either consciously, or perhaps subconsciously, channel while you are writing?" What a strange question, Kristin. It raises enormous questions. Can I decline to answer, or even to think about it? : )
My maternal grandparents are right there at my shoulders, cheering me on. 🙏🏽 thank you. You may appreciate my grandpa’s advice: https://heartsquest.substack.com/p/fishing-for-stories
That's great to hear, Christine! I enjoyed reading about Grandpa Grumpy :)
Thank you, Kristin. Grandpa's happy to share his story smarts :)
I hope you can get the other book published. I would love to read it.
Thanks Leslie~
I'm thinking of publishing it independently, just as soon as I finish this one up!
I think I am a bit of an odd duck in that I have not been much of a reader. But a few writers have made a big impression on me. I’ll leave off the well-known as it would seem (to me) self aggrandizing to list Hemingway and such, but here are a few: John McPhee, whose non-fiction prose is so masterful, Craig Childs, an American desert rat with incredible adventures, and Neil Gaiman, not so much for his fantasy, but for his rare talent as a teacher and for short storytelling. If I have an internal muse, she has not formally introduced herself yet. I must mention not a writer, but a reader and primary editor-in-chief. My foundational strength to do more than post trash on Facebook is my wife, Jeanne. A consumer of thousands of books, she has a taste for what makes good writing, a depth of knowledge, and the integrity to tell me when fail.
I love Neil Gaiman! I did his Masterclass during the pandemic, which was super helpful. Yes, he is a wonderful teacher and storyteller. And I love that you credit Jeanne. Now that I've finally met her, and read some of her story on Grace's Knights page, I can understand why she is a marvelous partner for you ☺️ Thanks for your thoughts, Dante.
"Is there someone whose writing you especially admire and either consciously, or perhaps subconsciously, channel while you are writing?" What a strange question, Kristin. It raises enormous questions. Can I decline to answer, or even to think about it? : )