VoyForums

Wed, May 14 2025, 1:34:12 PDT [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, [7], 8, 9 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: Mon, April 11 2022, 20:46:28
Author: CindyG
Subject: QOTD for Tuesday, April 12, 2022

The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated), by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright © 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.

“So…what kind of novel should this be? Well, I read everything, and lots of it, but perhaps more mysteries than anything else. Fine, I thought, I’d write a mystery.
But then I began to think. Mysteries have plots. I wasn’t sure I knew how to do plots. Perhaps I should try something easier for my practice book, then write a mystery when I felt ready for a real book.
Fine. What was the easiest possible kind of book for me to write, for practice? (I didn’t see any point in making things difficult for myself.)
After considerable thought, it seemed to me that perhaps a historical novel would be the easiest thing to try. I was a research professor, after all; I had a huge university library available, and I knew how to use it. I thought it seemed a little easier to look things up than to make them up—and if I turned out to have no imagination, I could steal things from the historical record.”

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> I never picked up on her wanting to write mysteries before and realize that’s where the Lord John story got to be bigger. I still get confused by the plots in them but am so happy to see the human side of a character I love. Especially his interactions with women. -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 12 2022, 5:26:12


[ Edit | View ]


[> [> LJG's life does get complicated and interrupted by service abroad. It usually takes at least two readings before I get all the pieces. -- kgp, Tue, April 12 2022, 6:20:22


[ Edit | View ]

[> [> DG said at one point that every book is in its heart a mystery--there is always some plot point of an unknown factor to resolve by the end. -- Susannah, Tue, April 12 2022, 7:03:54


[ Edit | View ]



[> I just love this section. I’ve been to see her twice at book signings, and she tells her story briefly about how she got started, but goes into more detail here. I find it fascinating, and of course as well written as anything else she does. -- CindyG, Tue, April 12 2022, 10:24:35


[ Edit | View ]


[> [> My daughter and I saw her in Philly a few years ago and she is so down to earth and unflappable but so cool and beautiful in the best way. It was a huge crowd they didn’t expect at a library. I called for tickets when it was announced and they said I didn’t need them. They were kind enough to call me back and offer tickets first when they were inundated with calls. -- Kathy in PA, Wed, April 13 2022, 7:07:46


[ Edit | View ]





[ Contact Forum Admin ]



Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.