Ask the Author: Kathryn Joyce
Answered Questions (5)
Kathryn Joyce
Many things inspire me; listening to a conversation, watching people (a good excuse for a coffee), newspaper articles, food..... Or it might be a physical thing, like getting comfortable in front of a fire, or an emotional thing - such as a walk in a beautiful place, or, best of all, a storyline that has evolved in my head that I must set down before it's gone.
The difficult bit is not inspiration - it's all around for the taking - but motivation. There's no getting away from the fact that writing is hard work, and prevaricating is easy. Two things work particularly well for me; meeting other writers to talk about writing, and deadlines.The former inspires and motivates, and the latter motivates. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with.
The difficult bit is not inspiration - it's all around for the taking - but motivation. There's no getting away from the fact that writing is hard work, and prevaricating is easy. Two things work particularly well for me; meeting other writers to talk about writing, and deadlines.The former inspires and motivates, and the latter motivates. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with.
Kathryn Joyce
Having only discovered the joys of the short story genre fairly recently, I'm completely smitten. Influenced by talented writers such as Raymond Carver, Laurie Moore, Alice Munroe, Margaret Atwood and the classic Russians, I've begun a collection of my own. After the commitment and complexity of a novel the shorter but more intense style is refreshing, exciting and intoxicating. I'm addicted.
Kathryn Joyce
The best thing about being a writer is getting to that place in your mind where a journey begins. Time stands still and you are immersed in a new reality that creates itself. I, the writer, becomes a mere observer. A character's name emerges, his or her actions are predestined, a situation twists and turns a corner, and a words form themselves into perfect prose.
Of course, that's on a (very) good day!
Of course, that's on a (very) good day!
Kathryn Joyce
When Doris Lessing was asked where she found her many ideas her reply was that she didn't have ideas. They were all around.
Here are a few that that led to my book being written:
1. Whilst working abroad with VSO, I and my husband wrote (pre-blog) newsletters, full of life and work and people and experiences. On returning home, readers suggested writing a book.
2. Living and working in one of the placements - in Pakistan - opened my eyes and mind to an exciting culture that went beyond imagination.
3. Both at home and away, food has always opened doors, warmed hearts, and enthused people. Functional, celebratory, or symbolic, it is so much more than nourishment.
From these 'ideas' emerged Thicker Than Soup.
Here are a few that that led to my book being written:
1. Whilst working abroad with VSO, I and my husband wrote (pre-blog) newsletters, full of life and work and people and experiences. On returning home, readers suggested writing a book.
2. Living and working in one of the placements - in Pakistan - opened my eyes and mind to an exciting culture that went beyond imagination.
3. Both at home and away, food has always opened doors, warmed hearts, and enthused people. Functional, celebratory, or symbolic, it is so much more than nourishment.
From these 'ideas' emerged Thicker Than Soup.
Kathryn Joyce
I have a number of ways to try to deal with the dreaded block. One is to go for a walk - sometimes a long one. Another is to sit in a café and write a character sketch or two - which I sometimes use. Or I take a simple object, possibly something from my desk, and focusing on the five senses, I describe the object. Here's a recent scribble:
It isn’t a ball, not exactly. Being a used squeeze-ball one would expect a bit of leniency. It’s roundish; a tennis ball sized poorly replicated baseball shape and colour – not leather red or tan; I guess you’d call it flame - with black lines marking imaginary baseball seams and not-straight stitching failing to hide the real ones. It contrasts poorly with its paradigm so that one ponders how the design ever came about. I use it to relieve arthritis in my hands, which isn’t very exciting, and if there isn’t any pain I might forget to use it if I didn’t like the smooth, soft, breeze-cooled-skin feel of it. The Chinese designer must have had a bad day – or a brain-storm - when s/he dreamed it up. Factoring in the cost of all the hands that have touched it, from concept to design to materials to manufacture to packaging to distribution to transport to shop to shelf to till to me at only a £1, no-one can have got as much from it as I have..
If that doesn't kick-start the creative juices, I'm really stuck!
It isn’t a ball, not exactly. Being a used squeeze-ball one would expect a bit of leniency. It’s roundish; a tennis ball sized poorly replicated baseball shape and colour – not leather red or tan; I guess you’d call it flame - with black lines marking imaginary baseball seams and not-straight stitching failing to hide the real ones. It contrasts poorly with its paradigm so that one ponders how the design ever came about. I use it to relieve arthritis in my hands, which isn’t very exciting, and if there isn’t any pain I might forget to use it if I didn’t like the smooth, soft, breeze-cooled-skin feel of it. The Chinese designer must have had a bad day – or a brain-storm - when s/he dreamed it up. Factoring in the cost of all the hands that have touched it, from concept to design to materials to manufacture to packaging to distribution to transport to shop to shelf to till to me at only a £1, no-one can have got as much from it as I have..
If that doesn't kick-start the creative juices, I'm really stuck!
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