Comments on: ISBW 116 – China Mieville Interview

By: Character Based Writing: Lessons Learned From Sebastian Faulks | The Creative Penn

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:23:53 +0000

[...] 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. [...]

By: No More Mags « Big Green Pen

No More Mags « Big Green Pen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:19:28 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: What I’m reading now « Cranking Plot

What I’m reading now « Cranking Plot — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:10:58 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: PB

PB — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:26:03 +0000

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.

By: joe

joe — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:49:05 +0000

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.

By: MickBordet

MickBordet — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:22:41 +0000

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.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:41:48 +0000

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!

By: Cesar Torres

Cesar Torres — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:34:33 +0000

By: Shawn

Shawn — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:29:40 +0000

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

By: Oso

Oso — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:21:35 +0000

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.