Don Lively

Don Lively asked Margaret Atwood:

Looking back, what would you say was the 'thing' that took you from aspiring to that next level? Was it an insight, a technique, networking, the 'long hard slog'? What made Margaret Atwood the writer she is?

Margaret Atwood Hello: I started in 1956 when I was 16.. no networking then! No "creative writing" taught! I'd have to say it was a combination of ignorance (nobody said how hard it would be), a blank slate ("writer" was not much of a job description in Canada then, or not that I could see), and the long hard slog. Reading a lot - a lot! - was certainly the gateway. And my family were story-tellers. Also they tended to be minor eccentrics, which meant that "Do what you want, even if others may think it's odd" was acceptable to them. Coming from Nova Scotia probably helped with that. And having a mother who'd gone her own way, a way that involved horses, canoes, fishing, the wild woods, and a dislike of ladies' hats.

More Answered Questions

Eugenia (Genie In A Book)

Eugenia (Genie In A Book) asked Margaret Atwood:

I found "The Handmaid's Tale" to be such a poignant and perceptive novel which I loved! Are there any particular events or other contextual elements from the period of time which you wrote it in, which drove you to write the book? Even though it is largely classified as a dystopian novel, do you personally see any possible utopian features within it?

Imen Diamond

Imen Diamond asked Margaret Atwood:

Personally ,i first got introduced to the Canadian Literature through you Madam ,and through Alice Munro as well,there are only a handful of canadian writers known in the world today,why is that ? what hinders Canadian Literature from getting an international acclaim,as that of the American and British Literatures ? when will Candian literature be taken seriously?! Thank you so much :)

Siddhartha

Siddhartha asked Margaret Atwood:

Hello! You have received critical acclaim and commercial success in equal measures. But how important is a book's so-called "commercial" appeal to you? This may not be very important to you now, but was it something you considered when you started writing?

All answers from Margaret Atwood…

Margaret Atwood

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