Some Interesting, Fascinating Insights...On Writing

 Full disclosure...this blog entry is basically lifted from a twitter post I saw today, a post I found both interesting and fascinating...

And worth sharing.

Billy Oppenheimer is a writing/research assistant living in Texas. His post today on Twitter focused on Aaron Sorkin, world-famous writer and screenwriter. If you don't know Aaron Sorkin's name, you know the words he's written. He's best known for The West Wing, but also, A Few Good Men, The Social Network, Sports Night, The American President, Moneyball, and others.

In other words...a proven and successful storyteller. 

I'm not going to plagiarize Mr. Oppenheimer's post, other than to say it provides insights into Mr. Sorkin's writing history, also, he includes opinions on writing from Neil Gaiman. Something Gaiman wrote about creativity and boredom really hit me hard.

Perhaps this information is widely known--I don't know. I haven't read a lot about either Sorkin or Gaiman and these stories can be easily found or are something all fans of these writers already know. So, if you one that already knows this stuff, sorry. 

If you're on Twitter, check out the post at: @bpoppenheimer. If you're a writer, or even if you're not, hopefully you find the stories of where creativity comes from as interesting and fascinating as I did.

Neil Gaiman's "Trigger Warning"...A Book Review

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It takes the author at least one audiobook chapter to get to the stories. But it was in Mr. Gaiman's description of how these particular short stories came to be collected into one edition that gave me a personal sense of satisfaction. He explains that an anthology should contain tales of similar genres and themes. He then proceeds to tell his customers and library patrons that this book ignores that very important rule.

The reason I was glad to hear this is because my singular published work is also a collection of short stories with no central theme. So, I suppose there's hope for me, too.

The stories in, Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances are as varied as Mr. Gaiman's imagination. If you've read any of his works, you'll understand just how varied this is. Trigger Warning is the author's third short story collection. I need to read the other two.

What I love about his writing is the way he takes a normal situation, or a character we think we know and he opens another page--another dimension of the subject. And as I read, I think to myself, "of course--it makes so much sense." Mr. Gaiman allows us to see a point of view that is completely understandable, if not unexpected.

I have my favorites, The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury, Nothing O'Clock (a "Dr. Who" story...), and Black Dog. There's something special about short stories. For me, they showcase better an author's personality and the way the man thinks than do a novel or a longer work. I may be completely off base, but that's the way these short stories make me feel.

Another wonderful addition to this anthology is Mr. Gaiman's commentary on each story, its origin and how the tale came to be. Brad Torgerson did the same thing in his Lights In the Deep collection. I appreciate very much the background offered by these authors.

I've said it before it's hard to beat an audiobook narrated by Mr. Gaiman. It's an audible treat for the mind. If you're in the mood for excellent literature, you can't go wrong with this one.

* Photo used without permission from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/22522808-trigger-warning

But Did Neil Gaiman Actually READ The Blog...That I Don't Know

 

So, there I was at rehearsal. I had written my blog post early so I wouldn't have to post it after rehearsal, which can run really late the week before a show opens (the original book report blog post of Neverwhere can be found: HERE).

I remember thinking, "Should I put Mr. Gaiman's name on the tweet?" I've done so when posting other book reviews on Twitter. In fact, I try and include anyone on my tweets if I blog about them.

We were taking a break during the rehearsal and so I checked my e-mail. There were several e-mails notifying me that my little tweet had been re-tweeted--more e-mails than usual, I thought.

Then I realized why.

Mr. Gaiman re-tweeted my tweet.

Now I understand in the grand scheme of things, this is not earth-shattering news. I mean, it was nice of him to do that--he didn't have to, and I'm sure with over two million followers (not to mention, the need to create more amazing stuff for us followers to read...), he's probably a busy man. He can't respond to EVERYTHING us fans tweet about him.

But, he did re-tweet my little post.

And so I say, Thank You, Mr. Gaiman! That night I went around telling my fellow thespians what happened. I'm sure more than a few were sick of hearing me say the words: "re-tweet" and "Neil Gaiman." But, for a moment, at least, it made my day.

As to whether or not he actually read my little review (where I embarrassingly admitted that a few years ago I didn't know who he was...), I don't know. Perhaps I'll never know. The question I have now is, should I again add Mr. Gaiman's name to the tweet on this blog post?

Sure...why not? I mean, it's a way to say "Thank You."

Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere"...A Book Review

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Today I finished reading another Neil Gaiman novel, Neverwhere. I had never heard of this particular book, but then again, as of a few years ago, I had never heard of Neil Gaiman. I did a search on my local library's website for audiobooks and this one came up. I'm a little sad because I believe I've now exhausted all the Gaiman audiobooks my library has to offer.

However, I'm not too sad because I got to read, or have read to me by the author, another amazing story. In Neverwhere Gaiman transforms his main character to an alternate universe, where the rules have definitely changed and where death can be unpredictable, or even not permanent, depending on the situation. Gaiman does provide a pair of nasties that inflict most of the killing in manners most foul. They're awesomely evil.

I've never read a Neil Gaiman book, read as in pick up a physical copy of the book and actually read the book. I've listened to them. I know there's a lot of good audiobook readers out there, but for my money, none can hold a candle to Mr. Gaiman reading his own works. It's as close to a perfect literary experience as I can imagine.

Neverwhere is an earlier work, his first solo novel (according to Wikipedia...) which makes the novel that much more impressive. If you like Gaiman, read it. Then again, if you like Gaiman, you probably already have.

* Photo used without permission from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14497.Neverwhere?from_search=true

Neil Gaiman's The Ocean At The End Of The Lane...A Book Review

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"Neil Gaiman? Have I heard of Neil Gaiman?" my co-worker asked. Apparently she's a big fan. I read one short story of his a while back. I enjoyed it, but I didn't feel like I got a good sense of him as a writer. Today I started (and finished...) The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I think I can say also that I'm a big fan.

Because I listen to audiobooks, the person reading the story can have a huge impact on the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, which just happens to be the author as well. There's something about someone reading intelligent script in a British accent...good stuff!

We meet the main character as a middle-aged man visiting a neighborhood where he used to live. The author then transports himself (and us...) back to a time when he's seven-years old. We then see the world through his eyes. It could be a coming-of-age film, and it is, in a way, but when strange things begin to happen to the child, I had to wonder if things were actually happening, or if the narrative is born from the imagination of a boy who loves to read. Personally, I like thinking even well into the book that I don't know everything and the author may be toying with me just a bit.

The book does turn fantastical where the magic systems are not completely explained, but I don't believe the book needed definite explanations. In my opinion, it would muddy things up. And since the story is presented to us from a seven-year old's perspective, we understand what's happening on that level. I thought it was great. It reminded me of a Haruki Murakami story (just not as graphic...), or a Hayao Miyazaki film.

I usually know a little bit about an author when I read something new. This time I just jumped right in. I'm glad I did, but I'll probably do a little research on him. Needless to say, I've put a hold on another of his books at the library.

* Photo used without permission from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783514-the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane?ac=1