ISBW 116 – China Mieville Interview

12 Responses to ISBW 116 – China Mieville Interview

1. John W. Oliver says:

   May 8, 2009 at 6:53 pm

   I agree with your opinion about writing magazines & books. While I devoured them early on, nowadays I find time invested in them is usually not as valuable as the time I spend actually writing. That being said, I did find the latest issue of Writer’s Digest to be particularly useful. I usually browse the magazine rack and perhaps peruse a couple of articles, but rarely do I plop down the cash for them. This time I did.

   Oh, and I enjoyed your interview with Mr. Miéville. The new format worked out fairly well.
2. Jan Karell says:

   May 10, 2009 at 2:09 am

   China Miéville. That’s one of the authors I’ve wanted to hear on the show since I started listening a couple of years ago. I can’t comment on it yet though since I’m going to listen to the show now.

   But damn. China Miéville. That’s as good as when you had Connie Willis on.
3. Oso says:

   May 11, 2009 at 11:21 am

   Writing books and magazines don’t usually seem to offer me new insight, but they do remind me of things I already know (or am supposed to already know) that I might not be applying quite as I should. I don’t spend a lot of time on them anymore, but I like to peruse one every so often.

   I spend more time of late trying to sure up my science than my technique.
4. Shawn says:

   May 11, 2009 at 12:29 pm

   Most excellent! I think it worked out just fine Mur. Personally, I can never get to much. Thats what the PAUSE button is for were I to find that point. ;o)

   Thank you Mur,
   As always, GREAT JOB!!
   Shawn
5. Cesar Torres says:

   May 11, 2009 at 5:34 pm

   I was gladly surprised at China’s candid answers, debunking (from a personal point of view) a lot of general myths about how writing is supposed to happen. Like Mur says, it’s about finding out what works for you. If you are generating new copy, you are definitely writing, and hopefully developing as a writer. But a lot of the superstitions or writers’ “habits” that writers geek out about have less to do with superstition than that individual writer’s ability to find a technique, a working space or a recurring habit that promotes productivity. The harder I’ve worked at being flexible in finding ways to write, the more I have actually accomplished. This summer I will begin my third novel manuscript, and it’s because I do try to squeeze in writing into my lifestyle with dedication, but also balance.
6. Carrie says:

   May 13, 2009 at 11:41 pm

   Ditto Shawn:

   Mur-time AND author interviews. Now, if you’d told me that “more of everything” was an option, I totally would have voted for that in the comments for the last episode!
7. MickBordet says:

   May 19, 2009 at 10:22 am

   Very interesting interview – thanks for sterling work, Mur.
   As you were discussing the use of adverbs and other literary devices “forbidden to beginners”, it occurred to me that there are many parallels with music composition. Certain combinations of notes that were once forbidden because of their dissonance (e.g. the “devil’s interval”) are now regularly used in modern music, whilst if a piece of pop modern music was written using only the rules of the 18th century it would most likely sound twee or stereotypical and certainly wouldn’t get the kids dancing. Some of those rules reflect the art of their time, whilst others are longer-lived, often for good reason. The former can probably be broken more easily by novice writers than the latter. As the developing writer progresses they find they can start to break more of the bedrock taboos in the right context.

   Ever heard one of those “Orchestra X plays the Pops” albums? Far too many classical musicians think that by adding a drum kit to their ranks they can play rock music, yet despite their musical ability, the whole thing sounds dull, lifeless and embarrassing. The same goes for the reverse – many rock bands have tried to incorporate classical elements into their music and failed miserably. It can be done, but it takes a good understanding of both genres, the instruments available and how to make it all fit together.

   When it does succeed, fantastic new music can be born, whole new genres can emerge, but it takes skill and experience. The same applies to writing – a simple twist or unusual juxtaposition of style, in the right hands, can spawn a new sub-genre that readers hadn’t even known they were missing.
8. joe says:

   May 20, 2009 at 2:49 am

   I didn’t listen to this podcast, when I found it on my iPod.

   Instead, I immersed myself in a world of China Miéville and reread Perdido Street Station. I am so glad I did. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed his writing.

   I then listened to this podcast. The interview with China pulled me in and I was disappointed when it finished. I could listen to him talk about his craft for hours.

   Thanks again for the podcasts.
9. PB says:

   May 27, 2009 at 1:26 am

   I was gladly surprised at China’s candid answers, debunking (from a personal point of view) a lot of general myths about how writing is supposed to happen. Like Mur says, it’s about finding out what works for you. If you are generating new copy, you are definitely writing, and hopefully developing as a writer. But a lot of the superstitions or writers’ “habits” that writers geek out about have less to do with superstition than that individual writer’s ability to find a technique, a working space or a recurring habit that promotes productivity. The harder I’ve worked at being flexible in finding ways to write, the more I have actually accomplished. This summer I will begin my third novel manuscript, and it’s because I do try to squeeze in writing into my lifestyle with dedication, but also balance.
10. What I’m reading now « Cranking Plot says:

    May 29, 2009 at 9:10 am

    [...] the City by China Miéville. Wow what a story concept. And when I heard him being interviewed on I Should Be Writing, I thought I just had to read his [...]
11. No More Mags « Big Green Pen says:

    June 30, 2009 at 7:19 am

    [...] in Writing. Tagged: advice, how-to, magazines, Writing. Leave a Comment Recently I listened to a podcast by Mur Lafferty where she reviewed the big two mags, Writer’s Digest and The Writer, and reversed her [...]
12. Character Based Writing: Lessons Learned From Sebastian Faulks | The Creative Penn says:

    February 2, 2010 at 2:23 am

    [...] Setting as a character. I was in London when I bought the book so I was already overcome with nostalgia and love for my home country. It was in my basket after the very first page where Faulks nails a winter’s day in London. The stories here could exist only in London because it is so pivotal to the book itself, almost as another character. I loved this about the book as it grounds the characters in a reality I know. (If you haven’t been to London, it is still a fantastic book!) For another writer who uses setting to great effect, listen to Mur Lafferty interviewing China Mieville about ‘The City and the City’ here. [...]