March update

 

I have to admit that I have never read a book by Haruki Murakami, but my son is a big fan. At Christmas my son gave me Novelist as A Vocation, and I have enjoyed this. Even though I've not read him before, this book talks about how he wrote his first book, his method, how he moved to the US and his books were translated and sold there. He explains the difference in authorship in Japan as opposed to the US, and a little about his growing up (mainly how he didn't enjoy school and found it boring!). There was a lot I could relate to. 

I like the way Murakami talks about the mind being like drawers where you store information and bring them out when you need them for writing. He doesn't write things down or keep notebooks. He read a lot, including in original language, but he has no formal training in writing. He describes writing like a piece of music, creating a solid rhythm from start to finish. And he goes on to chords, or harmony and says that though there are only eighty-eight keys on a piano, new things can be created. You only have to listen to music to realise that a few notes and chords can create totally different sounds depending on the order in which you play them. This is so right with writing. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet, yet every author uses them differently.

I was amazed to find Murakami does not do book signings or book tours. He says he does perhaps one a year in the US. He doesn't care for book prizes and he doesn't listen to negative remarks about his books or himself. He says every writer has to find what works for them when writing and to write for themselves. Although he does think about his readers, he ultimately writes for himself and does not write for a particular age or group.

I was also amazed that he gave up his business and apartment to write full time after his first book. He seemed so sure of his destiny, that he could earn enough as writer so early on, yet he says that he knows his first books were not that good. 

I think he was very lucky to have a first novel published (I think it was back in the 1970's). Times were different then, and I think Japan is different. He won a prize a new writer's award for that book,  but he was also criticised.

Murakami comes across as a pantser, not a plotter. He doesn't actually say that directly, but from what he writes about characters leading him, and other methods, that is what he seems. That's very much like me. I find too much plotting restricting and it stumps my creativity. I too, like to see where my characters lead me. It's much more fun!

His views might not be to everyone's taste, but he also says things that I thoroughly agree with. I think I shall see if my son has a fiction book of his I can borrow.I'm not sure whether it will be to my taste, as I know nothing of his work, but I feel I should at least read one!

Meanwhile, in my own writing life, I gave a talk to my Mothers' Union branch recently, as I said I was going to in my last post. This went really well and I actually enjoyed it. I took along some A5 booklets to give away and read some of my poetry. No one wanted to have a go at the exercise I'd put together (I think I'd frightened them off!), but one lady did take some of the picture prompts and words to use with her grandchildren, as she thought my idea was great. At the beginning it was assumed that as I writer I just write, submit and it gets published. Oh, if only it was so easy! I gave them the warts and all talk, and they were amazed. I heard from a mutual friend, who couldn't be at the talk, that they are still singing my praises! I'm so pleased they all enjoyed it so much and I was able to enlighten them about the truth behind writing.

A5 booklets and a couple of publications I'm proud of appearing in.

Later that week, I was invited to a tea party and after we'd eaten we played games and me and a friend read some poetry. That also went down well. 

However, I've not written much at all in the last month, but got my mojo back yesterday when I penned a poem. Visual Verse published a poem in last month's picture prompt issue, and I feel pleased to have that out there, as I did struggle so on it. You can read it here.

That's all for now. Happy reading and writing.