Why Do I Write The Way I do – by Janny Wurts

As a reviewer for Fantasy Book Review, I have the great privilege of having a great “in” to some of my favorite authors. I have email relationships with James Barclay, David Webb, Steven Erikson and, most recently (thanks to Goodreads), Janny Wurts.

In the near future there will be an interview appearing on FBR between us, and I can’t wait to see what comes of that. Janny is a truly wonderful person, a real gem, and I am really glad she has taken the time to write me. I’ll be peppering her with questions about writing every now and again, and she has gladly agreed to reply when she can.

However first off, I asked her a question that was specifically tailored to her. Why does she write the way she does. I have commented on it in a previous post, and she took the time to reply. The answer is amazing, one truly worth reading, and it is below (with permission).

So check out why one of the greatest living fantasy authors writes the way she does.

Why do I write the way I do?

The short, flippant answer: I grew up reading the library, and didn’t bother with television much, if at all. This was because the trite themes, short format, and predictable plots became too unbearably boring. I’ve read so many books that words and vocabulary became absorbed, as it were, through the skin.

The deeper answer: I am not a minimalist. Contrary to belief by conformists, any one word is not the same as another. Each has a precise and different shade of meaning, and to me, that makes a difference. I prefer choosing the exact one for the occasion.

worse than writers block, writers ennui

ennui – a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction

This is what I suffer from most of all, as a writer. I don’t really have a problem with writers block – not often at least. Its pretty much always this pathalogical deep seated boredom. Now lets set some things straight. No, my book is not boring. No, I don’t find writing boring. It goes beyond that to a state of mind that AFFECTS my writing. Just as writers block is  not the lack of desire to write, so is writers ennui not a boredom of the writing, but a boredom that halts the writing.

Well, that’s the way I see it at least. Who knows if I’m on the right track or not.

odd writing research

A few days ago, just before mum was due to fly home from Bosnia, I remembered that she lived in Bosnia. Odd, I realize, but the thought only occurred to me while I was on the phone to her. And in Bosnia, they have snow, and in Bosnia, they have conifers, and in my nove, there is snow and conifers.

So I sent mum out on an expedition to get my oddly close photos of conifers in her neighborhood. These are some of the less obtuse and more beautiful photos that she managed to snag for me.

random linkage

So each morning (or, for the sake of clarity, the first hour after I wake up), I turn on my computer, open up Firefox, and am bewelcomed by my Google home page, which is growing continually. The main page has all those blogs and comics that I’m ascribed too, and I wanted to point to a few good posts that have come my way over the past week or so.

One of the best blogs out there is also by one of my most favouritist authors; Patrick Rothfuss. His last two posts are real gems and definitely worth checking out.

• Being Thankful
• On the importance of treat-bringing

Without providing a trend of what blogs I read, another brilliant blog, also amongst my top blogs, is Neil Gaiman’s. Frequent posts, always witty and from a genius of a writer. This post was posted a week ago (ish), but was brilliant.

• The Anatomy of Melancholy

And, capping off my blogs from authors is an author who, lets be honest, I’ve hardly encountered. Brandon Sanderson came into my life when I heard that he was finishing of Robert Jordan’s acclaimed Wheel of Time series. I went out and picked up Elantris, started it, and couldn’t get any further on it. But I’ve recently found his podcast (Writing Excuses) and his blog. His latest blog entry is a massive look at the process of why he has split A Memory of Light into three separate books. I haven’t even neared the end, but it is really quite fascinating.

• Splitting AMOL

Also, for sheer awesomitude, check out Rodrigo’s account of his recent act of heroism.

• The day I saved a life

I may or may not make a habbit of writing these posts, but if I do, they won’t be often, and they’ll always be worth your time.

my “obsession” with Janny Wurts

As I was walking Bronwyn home last night from work, I made reference to the fact that I had just won two Janny Wurts books on eBay. I was stoked to pick up Fugitive Prince and the Grand Conspiracy, books 4 and 5 of Wurts’ The Wars of Light and Shadow. I was immensely pleased with managing to score them for only $13AUD.

However Bronwyn, surprisingly, is apparently a little – concerned – with my obsession for Wurts (and Hobb). She doesn’t have a problem with any of the male authors I’m obsessed with but…

My point is not to dwell upon my girlfriends odd focus for her jealous rages, but rather on just why I am obsessed with Wurts (maybe I’ll deal with Hobb some other time).

I am considering pinging Wurts over Goodreads, and asking her this question: “How do you… I mean, what style do you write in… like, its very flowery and wordy and… do you know what I mean?”

I haven’t really managed to pin down just what it is about the series that is different, but something about the way that she writes is counter to everything that I have ever read before. It is flowery and wordy, in a way similar to Tolkien and Erikson only in the fact that it bears resemblance to the English language in its descriptiveness. Beyond that, any similarities fade into the background.

What is it about Wurts’ work that has me so confused?

And none of this is a problem, don’t get me wrong. In fact I’m really quite taken with what I’m reading. Maybe because it is different, maybe because its a brilliant telling of a brilliant story, maybe its both. I’m not certain. But it seems to me that, if a writer like myself was aspiring to a certain style, then Wurts should definitely be placed up there along with Erikson and Tolkien as a literary example of writing brilliance.

Cheers,

THIS is what I’ve been waiting for

Forget all of this Watchmen hype, I only just found out about the book a few years ago. If you want to see what childhood memories I have, check out the trailer below.

Amazon.com Review
Where the Wild Things Are is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up. If you disagree, then it’s been too long since you’ve attended a wild rumpus. Max dons his wolf suit in pursuit of some mischief and gets sent to bed without supper. Fortuitously, a forest grows in his room, allowing his wild rampage to continue unimpaired. Sendak’s color illustrations (perhaps his finest) are beautiful, and each turn of the page brings the discovery of a new wonder.

The wild things–with their mismatched parts and giant eyes–manage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary; at times they’re downright hilarious. Sendak’s defiantly run-on sentences–one of his trademarks–lend the perfect touch of stream of consciousness to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child’s imagination.

This Sendak classic is more fun than you’ve ever had in a wolf suit, and it manages to reaffirm the notion that there’s no place like home.

So lets all go back to our childhood together and get into some mischief! Thanks to Frank for pointing this out.

currently listening to: Antony and the Johnsons

Found a great artist/band last night who I’ve fallen immediately in love with. Antony and the Johnsons (check him out at Last.fm). A seriously impressive talent.

good morning

One could be expected to believe that sleeping patterns should be regular. In my case, my body wouldn’t have a clue what a regular sleeping pattern was if it walked up and smacked it across the noggin with a 2-b-4. Over the past 30 hours I’ve been asleep three times, for a total of 14 hours, and my body is having a lot of trouble working out whether its day or night, let alone what day it is.

That being said, I am awake again, and I am content with that. I have new music that I shall be listening too shortly, and the Ships of Merior by Janny Wurts which arrived in the mail yesterday.

I was so very happy with Wurts’ first book, The Curse of the Mistwraith, that I just had to get the next two. Thankfully, as a reviewer, I can easily justify the purchase of fantasy books. But I had to go to eBay to get my hands on the next two; the afore mentioned Ships of Merior and the third book, the Warhost of Vastmark.

She has this fantastic lyrical wordiness tone to her book that is so unlike Tolkien’s descriptive wordiness. It can sometimes be a bit of a hard read, but all in all, its really quite lovely and makes for a book unlike any I’ve read before.

So, considering how much I read and how many books I own, I’ve finally given in and joined Goodreads. So befriend me, and see what I’m currently reading.

(Note – “currently reading” in my vocabulary refers to which books have a bookmark in it.)

a new beginning

So…

It’s been a rather lengthy spell between bloggings, and having decided that I no longer needed to pay for JoshSHill.com, I’ve come back to where it all began. I don’t know whether I’ll be able to make this a habbit or not, I would like to though.

So, with any luck, over the next little while I’ll be able to fill you in on what I’m reading, on what I’m writing, and on whatever else happens in my life. Thankfully, for me at least, there isn’t much more than writing and reading so, it should be fun!

For now though, I hope that you will come back and take a look around every now and again.

Cheers,

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