Octavian
asked
Lev Grossman:
What were some of the good writing habits you had to learn when writing The Magicians trilogy?
Lev Grossman
I learned to skip the rituals, throat-clearing, warm-ups etc. at the beginning of my writing sessions. The Magicians books were written in and around the margins of my life as a working journalist and dad of 3. So there was no time for get into it, I had to just start typing.
Also I learned to take criticism much better than I had in the past. I'll admit it: I could be a touchy bastard. But being a touchy bastard means your writing doesnt' get better. I had to take the chip off my shoulder.
Also I learned to take criticism much better than I had in the past. I'll admit it: I could be a touchy bastard. But being a touchy bastard means your writing doesnt' get better. I had to take the chip off my shoulder.
More Answered Questions
Laurie
asked
Lev Grossman:
Have you ever read the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons? Incredible world-building in these four books, and although not magical, it is fantastical since it takes place thousands of years in the future. I would love to know what you think. Reading your two books (have the third one now) felt like coming home to me.
Allison
asked
Lev Grossman:
I adored The Magicians, but the first five or six people I lent/recommended it to after reading it hated it - they found the main character unlikable, which has never been a deal-breaker for me, but apparently was for them. Was it actually your intention to create an unsympathetic protagonist and see how that worked, or do you think (like I kind of do) that my friends are just tripping?
Michael Wei
asked
Lev Grossman:
You mentioned in another answer that the trilogy is like Quentin's coming-of-age story. What does it mean to come of age as a magician? I can tell from the aimlessness of Alice's parents that you don't necessarily find your calling even with all the resources in the world.
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