Some practical tips for living with a writer

Fantasy author Jane Lindskold has published more than 20 books and dozens of short stories. In the writing advice book Wandering around writingit deals with topics such as doing research, not being limited to certain topics, and organizing your work time.

“This book is, in many ways, my reaction to so many written books that promise — they don’t make suggestions, they promise.” – Read my book, follow in my footsteps and you’ll be a best-seller, ‘and it’s a real betrayal for me, that’s because it won’t happen, ”Lindskold says in section 471 Guide to the Geek Galaxy podcast. “There’s no golden key, there’s not a single answer, but you can find what the answers are, what suits you, and that will make you the writer you want to become.”

A memorable section of the book discusses the relationship between writers and non-writers, a topic that is rarely explored in books about writing. “I’m a writer, and I lived with a writer, Roger ZelaznySo I know very well that living with a writer is a strange experience, “says Lindskold.” This person is dedicated to spending a lot of time alone, immersing himself in a place you can’t leave, people who don’t exist, places that don’t exist, but still people and places for them. the most important ones at that moment. “

Many relationships with writers suffer because of the hope that the writer will read and appreciate his or her work. Lindskold believes that such an appropriate attitude is a big mistake. “If they lived with a very careful accountant doing a very complicated access agreement all day, would they expect that person to go ahead and read the access agreement?” he says.

Another major source of friction is when writers get angry when their partner interrupts their thinking. Lindskold’s system is to communicate about when she is thinking about a story with her husband Jim. “I felt like I owed him ‘Yes, now you can make a mistake of me, I’m just sitting here playing solitaire’ or ‘Please don’t bother me. I’m playing solitaire because I’m trying to work on this very elaborate argument,'” he says. the difference if I don’t tell you? “

Listen to the full interview with Jane Lindskoldi in section 471 Guide to the Geek Galaxy (above), and see some notable points in the discussion below.

About Jane Lindskold’s “Relief” story:

“‘Relief’ appeared in Heaven Sent, Edited by Peter Crowther. I think it was one of the coldest posts I saw in a trade magazine. They were looking for stories of angels, and I came up with the idea of ​​“Relief”. I had to be in a meeting of all the teachers. I was a very small teacher, which meant that if I didn’t show up, it would reflect me badly, and if I showed up, I didn’t really expect to have a hot body. So I had a blackboard and I had the idea to make a story, and I was happy to sit around a truly unhappy unhappy woman. And I’m sure no one in my department thought I was taking notes on the meeting. “

Jane Lindskold role-playing games:

“George RR Martin he was playing a stranger, ‘Rock’. And I felt in my blood and bones that Rock would try to pull something. So I wrote him a note [Carl Keim] saying, ‘[My character] he will consult with the medical department and find a route that is not a dangerous element that will be placed in the food of the rock because I want to be able to track the rock. ‘… And, one stage or so, when Rock came down to the planet and did the fission, as I was preparing to do the harmful thing in my head, I looked at Carl and said,’ I turn on the scanners and follow him. ‘ And George said, ‘You can’t! I’m too small! ‘Carl just gave him a note, and George looked at me and said,’ You didn’t! ‘ ”

About Jane Lindskold Roger Zelazny:

“He loved talking about writing in the abstract, but he never picked up any of my stories and said, ‘You know, if you fit in this way and that way, it would probably sell better.’ He let me know what my voice would be like on my own. … No I’ve never seen a story angry than when I sent it cold to an anthology, and the anthology editor called me and said, ‘It would sell much better if Roger’s name was put on Roger’s name. Or put it as a collaborator. Or he could write a couple of paragraphs. , and that would be a real collaboration. “I’ve never seen him angry. That person never realized how much they hurt themselves in their estimate of that.”

About Jane Lindskold Archeology:

“In some cases, there was a huge flood that cleared an area under some tree roots and revealed a skeleton in a stream, and law enforcement knew Jim and his crew were working around it, and they came and said to me,‘ Will you give me would you give us your opinion on the age of this particular thing? Should we start looking for a killer or not? ‘Jim had an archeological osteologist with him in that drilling, and he went out into the street and looked at him and said,’ No, this is really old. ‘ was the moment Jim was relaxing at home one evening (this happens before he meets), and he knocked on a door.He was one of his friends, who was walking, in an area outside Albuquerque, and he came across a skull that seemed rather strange to him, and he brought Jim to him, “Old or new?” Jim said, “This one still has bone fat. It’s new. Call the police.”

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