'The prerequisite for me is to keep my well of ideas full. This means living as full and varied a life as possible, to have my antennae out all the time.'
So said Michael Morpurgo when asked by The Guardian to lay out his rules for writing. He's a writer who knows what he's talking about, and this idea - that you have to live life in order to write well - is, I think, vitally important.
I've blogged before on the benefits of travel for writing fiction - emphasizing, I hope, that I mean travel in its broadest sense (that of going to new places and expanding your mind) and not just in an expensive, exclusive way. It's something I really believe - that adventure, the desire to move, to grow, to experience life outside your normal routine, gives your stories life in a way they couldn't have otherwise. Yes, writing takes place in solitude, hunched over a desk, sometimes late at night, but the things you're writing about - where do they come from? All fiction, in the end, springs from the writer's own life. That is why an adventurous spirit can make such a difference, and that is why living a full life matters.
What does that look like, though? Who gets to judge what a full life is, or what counts as an adventure?
You, in the end. Travel doesn't mean leaving your neighborhood, and adventure doesn't mean getting into trouble. Instead, it has to be an attitude, doesn't it? A sense that staying completely still won't quite do; that being content with things as they are might be dangerous; that, turning to Neil Gaiman's Stardust, ‘There are shop boys, and there are boys who just happen to work in a shop for the time being.’
Writers think, and they have a duty to think big.
Matthew Crow, a somewhat relation of mine (we found out we're related, in the way of these things, on Twitter) was celebrating the paperback release of his book a few weeks back, and offered up some of his own writing advice. This one caught my eye:
‘Read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ because it’s so good. Do not read any other writing guides. They’re shit. Spend your money on adventures and the like. If you know how to write then all you need is experience. The rest will come naturally.’
If you know how to write then all you need is experience. Isn't that good? Experience is easy to get. You just go out and get it - good, bad, happy, sad. If you're younger, don't assume you understand the world. If you're older, don't assume you've learned all you're going to. Maybe part of being a good writer is choosing to put down the pen and go for a walk, to see what you can see. Maybe researching a novel includes jumping on a train with no real destination - or sitting in the park, instead of at your desk, or going to a new restaurant where you don't know anyone. The details don't have the matter if the actions speak for themselves.
I was meant to spend some time writing one evening a couple of weeks ago. Instead, I decided to go out for a drink with a friend for some catching up. Experience matters, after all. The bar we went to was on fire. The second bar we went to was filled with happy, very drunk people, who wanted to be our friends, and took photos with us, and shared their stories (one woman - name unknown - was excited about the christening of her granddaughter the next morning, and the return of her son from war. It was a bizarre, very people-y night). It's just one example, I know, and I'm sure it sounds like some peoples' idea of a nightmare, but it was gratifying and inspiring and helps make me a better writer, I think, just as much as an evening typing away in the dark ever could.
So, this is my point: writers are the masters of adventure, and the more we embrace it in our own lives, the more life, in turn, we can inject into the worlds we create.
Simon's debut children's novel, Eren, will be published September 2014 by Constable & Robinson, an imprint of Little, Brown. In the run up to publication, Simon has launched Eren Tales, a year-long collaborative project with photographer Brandon Rechten. Learn more at www.erentales.com, or visit Simon's website.
Absolutely agree about not defining these things as only expensive or time-consuming - I hope I got that across. Travel in the sense of leaving your hometown is a privilege, but adventuring through life is a decision everyone can make. I think it's about being engaged and intentional. Coffee and music often sounds like my kind of evening - perhaps we will write together one day!
Good post.
I understand what you mean, but I'm quite happy staying indoors drinking black coffee and listening to classical music while I write.
You don't have to be Indiana Jones to experience life.
I work in the UK construction industry. I've drawn much inspiration from meeting and working with people of different, cultures, religions, nationalities, ethnicity and class.
Travelling does broaden the mind, so it is beneficial for those who can afford too. For those who can't there's always the Discovery channels, quality television, and books.
I strongly disagree with Mathew Crow about 'On Writing' by Stephen King. King does have a fantastic ability to chill with words, but 'On Writing' is partly biographic, has few clearly defined examples of how to write. It's virtually all narration.
Below are the best books I have read on how to write . They’re full of excellent examples which are clear and concise. Do’s, don’ts, and how to avoid pitfalls are clearly explained. More importantly, they don’t waffle to fill pages, or go off on unnecessary tangents.
Aspects of The Novel by E. M. Forster, author of Passage to India, Room with A View and Howards End.
The Elements of Style (Fourth Edition) by William Strunk jr. and E. B. White, author of Charlotte's Web
Learning to Write Fiction from the Masters - Barnaby Conrad (In my opinion the best book on creative writing)
Solutions for Novelists - The Secrets of a Master Editor - Sol Stein. (Sol formed the Actors Studio in America with famous authors and playwrights. He was a publisher, editor, best-selling author and award winning lecture on creative writing at American Universities. Famous authors and playwrights attended his lectures.
The Art and Craft of Novel Writing - Oakley Hall. (A friend of Sol Stein)
I'm glad you enjoyed your night out.
Good luck with Eren.