Ask the Author: Charles Harris
Answered Questions (9)
Charles Harris
Interesting question. Of course, the problem is that the most interesting books take place in places where I wouldn't last a minute - such as a US airbase in World War II or an obscure African republic in the throes of revolution.
Jane Austen's world sounds fun, until you start thinking about the dentistry. Actually, most places sound fun until you think about the dentistry!
Anyway, I suspect the questioner means "imagined" world, in which case I'd go for one of the worlds created by Philip K Dick - most particularly the world of "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" which formed the basis of the movie "Total Recall" (in combination with a number of other short stories by him - indeed all stories from one particular story collection, which I suspect is the one that the screenwriters bought and studied when they wrote the script!)
The advantage there is that however awful the place (and the dentists) may be, you can always buy a transplanted memory which makes you think you've just come back from somewhere much nicer. With nicer teeth,
Jane Austen's world sounds fun, until you start thinking about the dentistry. Actually, most places sound fun until you think about the dentistry!
Anyway, I suspect the questioner means "imagined" world, in which case I'd go for one of the worlds created by Philip K Dick - most particularly the world of "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" which formed the basis of the movie "Total Recall" (in combination with a number of other short stories by him - indeed all stories from one particular story collection, which I suspect is the one that the screenwriters bought and studied when they wrote the script!)
The advantage there is that however awful the place (and the dentists) may be, you can always buy a transplanted memory which makes you think you've just come back from somewhere much nicer. With nicer teeth,
Charles Harris
I've just had a birthday and received a great set of books which will all go on my summer list. My wife gave me Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor, which she has immediately snaffled and is reading herself, leaving the book jacket behind in the hope I wouldn't notice the book itself had gone!
Then my elder son gave me Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish, which looks intriguing, and The North Water, by Ian McGuire, which I'm keeping well out of my wife's grasp,
To calm me down after so much excitement, my younger son and daughter-in-law gave me Haiku Inspirations. While on a more intellectual non-fiction level, one of my aikido students gave me The Man Who Tasted Shapes, but Richard E. Cytowic, which threatens to knock my brain into shape when I most need it. Roll on, summer.
Then my elder son gave me Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish, which looks intriguing, and The North Water, by Ian McGuire, which I'm keeping well out of my wife's grasp,
To calm me down after so much excitement, my younger son and daughter-in-law gave me Haiku Inspirations. While on a more intellectual non-fiction level, one of my aikido students gave me The Man Who Tasted Shapes, but Richard E. Cytowic, which threatens to knock my brain into shape when I most need it. Roll on, summer.
Charles Harris
Aha - if I knew that, I'd be writing it. Or maybe I am....
Charles Harris
Hi Goodreads, Thank you for asking. Both of my two most recent books were commissions after I was approached by the publisher. To be precise, Teach Yourself: Complete Screenwriting Course came from a recommendation. One of my writing students had been approached to write the book himself and kindly said he felt I could do it better.
As it happens, he's also written a great book on writing. His name is Chris Sykes and the book is Complete Creative Writing Course (John Murray Learning).
My new book, Jaws in Space, is out in September and also came after the publisher. Kamera Books, asked me to write a book on pitching - which I do all the time as an author and as a film director, and which I also teach. I was delighted to write it and am greatly looking forward to seeing the response. If it does as well as the previous book I'll be more than happy.
As it happens, he's also written a great book on writing. His name is Chris Sykes and the book is Complete Creative Writing Course (John Murray Learning).
My new book, Jaws in Space, is out in September and also came after the publisher. Kamera Books, asked me to write a book on pitching - which I do all the time as an author and as a film director, and which I also teach. I was delighted to write it and am greatly looking forward to seeing the response. If it does as well as the previous book I'll be more than happy.
Charles Harris
I tell myself that I cannot do anything else before 1.30pm. After a while, I'm so bored that I absolutely have to write something.
As for being inspired, that's not an essential. Amateurs wait for inspiration. Professionals get on with it. But there's nothing more inspiring than having a premise that you've made so rock solid that you can't wait to get it written.
As for being inspired, that's not an essential. Amateurs wait for inspiration. Professionals get on with it. But there's nothing more inspiring than having a premise that you've made so rock solid that you can't wait to get it written.
Charles Harris
Read, read, read. Especially anything in your medium.
Then find three writers who have done what you want to do, and study them intensely - at the point that you are now. For example, if you're trying to write your first novel or screenplay, that's where in their careers you should be concentrating. How did they do it? What were their beliefs, attitudes, approaches, methods, strategies?
Get under their skin. You don't have to copy them, but treat them as mentors. And if you find they all three did something similar (such as getting up at dawn to write, or taking long walks) it might be worth trying and seeing what results.
Then find three writers who have done what you want to do, and study them intensely - at the point that you are now. For example, if you're trying to write your first novel or screenplay, that's where in their careers you should be concentrating. How did they do it? What were their beliefs, attitudes, approaches, methods, strategies?
Get under their skin. You don't have to copy them, but treat them as mentors. And if you find they all three did something similar (such as getting up at dawn to write, or taking long walks) it might be worth trying and seeing what results.
Charles Harris
Being able to sit around in sloppy clothes staring at the wall and listening to the birds singing outside and telling yourself and everyone else that you're really working. And you are!
Charles Harris
There are at least three reasons why people get what they call writer's block. (1) You haven't yet visualised what happens. I run the story in my mind's eye. It's much more fluid than planning on paper.
If I get stuck, I run the next scene until it starts to come clear. Not too clear, or there's no surprises in the writing of it.
(2) You don't yet know enough. That's a matter of research - either about the characters, situations or subject matter or inner research: what's happened to me that I can draw on, what people do I know, what experiences...
So I do my research, not too much but enough to make me feel I know enough to start guessing the rest.
(3) You're trying to get it right first time. First drafts are a mess - that's a given. You can't write and edit at the same time. The good thing is, the stronger your editing voice tries to break in, the more you can feel relaxed about telling it to wait until it's time to edit. Because you can trust it won't let you send out anything until it's ready.
So I just get the words on the paper and sort out the mess later.
If I get stuck, I run the next scene until it starts to come clear. Not too clear, or there's no surprises in the writing of it.
(2) You don't yet know enough. That's a matter of research - either about the characters, situations or subject matter or inner research: what's happened to me that I can draw on, what people do I know, what experiences...
So I do my research, not too much but enough to make me feel I know enough to start guessing the rest.
(3) You're trying to get it right first time. First drafts are a mess - that's a given. You can't write and edit at the same time. The good thing is, the stronger your editing voice tries to break in, the more you can feel relaxed about telling it to wait until it's time to edit. Because you can trust it won't let you send out anything until it's ready.
So I just get the words on the paper and sort out the mess later.
Charles Harris
I have a novel coming out in June 2017. It's a crime/satire called The Breaking of Liam Glass - and I'm currently working on a second, also a crime/satire though with a different - psychological-noir - twist.
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