Denise Ajiri
asked
Isabel Allende:
When you have an idea for a novel, does it happen sometimes that you are stuck at the very beginning and don't know how to develop the story? If yes, how do you get over it?
Isabel Allende
It happens to me all the time. Getting started is the hardest part of writing for me. I need to get the tone, the rhythm, the speed; I need to feel the characters inside me, to know them fully, to let them surprise me. When I am stuck I keep showing up in front of my computer, several hours a day, for seeks, sometimes a couple of months. This I have learned after 33 years of writing: there is always a way to tell the story, I just need to find it. Work, work, work. Don’t wait for inspiration. Inspiration sometimes comes late in the process.
More Answered Questions
Ami
asked
Isabel Allende:
I am ready to read your work for my own enjoyment-- not for school-- and I don't know where to begin! But I think I will start with your first book. My question to you is, did you ever think that your work would end up on reading list at school, or that you would pop up in Spanish classes in the curriculum? That's how I know your work, you see. That's got to feel kinda nice I imagine. :)
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