A Goodreads user
asked
Cornelia Funke:
Hello, My name is Julia and I LOVE your books. I've heard a lot of people say they were hooked on a book from page one but that hadn't much happened to me until I read your magical inkheart trilogy. My question I wanted to ask you is: how you do you get your ideas? My dream is to be an author and I've been contacting my favorite authors and asking their advice. Thank you.
Cornelia Funke
Dear Julia,
no author can tell you how to get your ideas, because they are yours and yours alone. Readers want the author to take them on an adventure, a journey never seen, unknown places.....but I think the greatest adventure of reading is that we travel into another person's head and heart! It is of course important to tell a good story, but what your readers will look for mostly is....you. The way you make them look at this world, at humans, plants, animals, the way you address what they all know: love, hate, fear, longing...the story is the package. The content is how you perceive and understand this world. So whatever story you decide to tell....your voice will sing the song, so make it strong and very much yours. I am sure the stories will come to you once you call them:)
one thing that I always find helpful: choose the place where the story is set. A real place can be a wonderful door for a story- it will give you landscapes, weather, history...a canvas to paint your story on
no author can tell you how to get your ideas, because they are yours and yours alone. Readers want the author to take them on an adventure, a journey never seen, unknown places.....but I think the greatest adventure of reading is that we travel into another person's head and heart! It is of course important to tell a good story, but what your readers will look for mostly is....you. The way you make them look at this world, at humans, plants, animals, the way you address what they all know: love, hate, fear, longing...the story is the package. The content is how you perceive and understand this world. So whatever story you decide to tell....your voice will sing the song, so make it strong and very much yours. I am sure the stories will come to you once you call them:)
one thing that I always find helpful: choose the place where the story is set. A real place can be a wonderful door for a story- it will give you landscapes, weather, history...a canvas to paint your story on
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