Ask Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman discussion
Featured Author Chat
>
Ask Amanda and Neil here!
date
newest »
newest »
@ Neil: As someone who works as a journalist but who wants to make shit up for a living, I always revisit your Make Good Art speech when I need a pick-me-up. My question is whether you have any advice for how to trim shit on your path to that proverbial mountain, because sometimes, it can be hard to tell what's getting you closer or further away. For example, my current job as a staff reporter has a lot of perks -- like you said, I'm being paid to learn how to write economically, under adverse conditions, and on time, and I'm also paying my rent and feeding myself -- but it also drains me of time and creativity / can feel soul sucking on bad days.
What's the best way to judge whether something is moving you closer to or further from the mountain if it feels like it's doing both at the same time?
What's the best way to judge whether something is moving you closer to or further from the mountain if it feels like it's doing both at the same time?
Mod
Thanks very much!"
this is such a great question, and i was so curious to feel the creative differences between songwriting and blog-writing and twitter-writing and book-writing. a song or a poem is dense and short enough that there's really only room for so many threads, ingredients and images, and i'm used to that density. trying to thread together the book with so many ingredients was really hard on my brain, because it was going from 6 spinning plates in the air to 6,666...so many things to keep track of and remember. it made me truly understand why neil vanishes as a human being when he's in the middle of a book, there's just too much of your brain keeping things connected - and it's delicate. if a plate falls, an idea breaks, a connection frays, it's devastating.
i also noticed that i wrote my book LIKE a song...in little verses with choruses and refrains. that's how my head works. i can't imagine i'll ever write a book exactly like this again, because it's format is so unique a strange, with so many stories and ideas threaded together so uniquely....but that's also why i'm proud of it. it could only be what it was...once.
Hullo beautiful creative folk! This is for both Neil and Amanda: When you are writing/composing a thing, do you like to have feedback as you go, or do you feel protective and want to sort of let it get a bit older/more mature before exposing it to someone else, even if it's not for criticism?
Also, would you ever consider doing another Evening With Neil and Amanda tour?
Mod
I do not understand it either. I start out to write a work of realism, in which sensible things happen to sensible people, and the next thing I know things have become strange and fantastic. It cannot be intentional. I am certain that next time, next book, next story I will conquer my perverse passion for the unlikely.
It cannot be for my benefit, and must not be for the readers. I daresay it is for the benefit of whatever imp twists my stories into fantastical configurations. We shall call this imp Marduk for now.
There. It is good to know who to blame.
Mod
A question to both: do you remember the first time you realized you were actually writing something real, not just pushing yourself to put words to paper to get through the w..."
For me it was probably writing VIOLENT CASES. Suddenly it was real, and I felt very naked, but I kept writing.
Dear Neil and Amanda, you both are awesome and inspirational people.
I wanted to ask if you've ever been to Eastern Europe - as in Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia? If you have, what was the thing that you found most engaging?
I just wanted to say that I really really hope someday soon you'll come to Budapest. It would be awesome to have you here and see you in person. It's a tiny country but we're becoming more and more open to the world.
Hi Neil, love the Hansel & Gretel book you did with Lorenzo Mattotti for TOON. Any plans to do adapt another Grimm fairy tale in the future? Hansel and Gretel
Mod
Now that you've completed a work of non-fiction, are you considering writing anything more creative, and if so, would you consider writing anything young adult? I think you have a voice tha..."
i honestly have no idea. i've never been drawn towards fiction but i can understand more and more why one might be, and since i like challenges, i might give that a whirl at some point. but i'm always interested to see how i can test the limits of my own non-fiction voice. i started getting a new idea while i was writing this one....a much funnier, darker book. but honestly, thinking about writing a second book right now is like asking a woman who's just been through labor if she plans to have another child soon. right now i just want a fucking nap.
For both of you, do you ver get tired of certain questions that get repeated? You both got me through some of my hardest times, passing around good omens with a new friend, and even now "in my mind" still makes me cry. I adore you both. Never stop being. Never stop writing, singing, loving, existing, and putting your amazing works and love into the world.
Oh and..
Neil, what is your favorite tea?
I like lots of teas and coffee.
Hello Neil and Amanda,I was just thinking of something Amanda had said in her book, about being kind to each other. Putting each other first in your relationship, having honesty and compassion for each other as priorities.
I wondered, since relationships take work and learning to live with another human on one's own terms can be incredibly difficult and fraught with friction, about how long into your relationship were you before these priorities came to the fore.
It is incredibly inspiring, when the media shows so much heartache and strife in celebrities/famous peoples' lives, to witness your dance through social media, the spotlight and your lives as a couple.
It makes me immediately want to yell "THIS...this is the thing that marriage/partnership is supposed to be like..not perfect, not fake, but doing, together."
Mr Gaiman, thank you for writing!I'm a filmmaker and would like to shoot your story
" Other people". All the profits to go to you.
I'll do it for the challenge and the pleasure alone.
Sincerely
Damian Sarno
Mod
I am a huge fan of Grimm and you! Can't wait to read this book!
Thank you Amanda & Neil for this interacti..."
Great question. I think it was the first to disturb me (I was four, listening to it on the radio, but -- what? Adults lose you? And they EAT YOU?), but also I never quite felt like it was being told right. I can't imagine another Grimm's story I'd like to retell "straight", without at least some me in it.
Just realised there's a typo in my question/comment. Sigh. Early morning public transport, no coffee and iPhone typing is to blame.
Hi Neil and Amanda,This is a very amusing bi-coastal Q&A. Are you to video chatting as you are doing this? Are you having fun?
-Kat
Mod
i'm a mac fanatic. i'm on an air right now but also have a powerbook for deskwork. i was a mess for this book: i started in pages, then moved to scrivener (on the recommendation of many people on twitter) then moved to word. it was a fucking mess. my editor and i also used evernote a lot and we found ourselves wishing we had written the entire book in evernote. track changes was a helpful tool but the BANE of our existence for a while, because it kept crashing and we'd lose work. i journal in black notebooks, don't care much about the brand...i used cheap black hardback sketchbooks forever and then moved to moleskine and currently have a leuchtturm because the bookstore i went it to grab a new journal didnt have the moleskine i like (totally blank pages). when i wrote songs, i use printer paper and then do final drafts in EMAIL, of all things. my songs live in my email folders. i know it's weird. shhhh.
neil writes his stories books longhand in a journal then types them up in second draft form on a macbook air. if he's got an article or blog, though, he just types on the mac. he uses libra office.
Mod
Also, is a return to Doctor Who in your future timel..."
Hmm. I love the framing story of A STUDY IN SCARLET, just not the Mormon Scare Story it frames. A Scandal in Bohemia was the first Holmes story I ever read, and it made a real impression.
I very much hope so. But I need more time.
So I'm a huge fan of both of you and this question is sort of weird - because you're both amazing and brilliant and teem with gorgeous words and music, I kinda picture your nights at home together like a cross between a Tim Burton movie and a Ramones concert. But I'm sure that's not the case. So, when you both have down time, how do you spend your nights together?
Mod
This is a very amusing bi-coastal Q&A. Are you to video chatting as you are doing this? Are you having fun?
-Kat"
No, but we are on each other's speakerphones. Mostly listening to keys going clack. It's definitely fun.
Mod
also, thank you to both of you! you inspire everyday!"
Neil says of Amanda: Beautiful, kind, hilarious, forgetful, gregarious.
Amanda says of Neil: Always longing to be found.
Hello! Just saw your TED talk, Amanda...awesome! So I just bought your book. Congratulations! Do you experience (and can you recognize it coming) a tipping point when your willingness to give of yourself infects (in a good way!) an individual or group? I've only experienced it once, at a blues jam, and it's remarkable, but we talked about it later, and none of us could pinpoint what made it happen. The give and take of energy is so powerful, and hard for the average person to imagine happening in everyday life, but I suspect everyone wants and fears it at the same time! :-)
Thanks Amanda (internally screaming because you actually replied)!! Thanks for answers questions, it's really cool of you :-) xx
Hi Amanda and Neil,adore you both!Just joined and my question...Amanda, how did you make the choice to write your book in such a nonlinear, non time-bound manner? it really makes for an amazing read, very emotionally present all the way - I feel just swept along like it's a conversation!
Mod
Thank you from both of us for all the good wishes. And keep reading good books.
Hello Neil!Firstly, I feel privileged to say that I was lucky enough to attend two of your readings. One in San Diego and one in Santa Barbara, CA. You were so gracious when I met you and presented you with my scratchboard artwork of The Sandman in San Diego and it meant the world to me!
I have always wondered if you intend to reintroduce the character of Alianora from "The Sandman Volume 5: A Game of You"; perhaps in a short story? She only appears but briefly towards the end, but she has always intrigued me and I would love to read more of her. Who is she, how does she know Dream and what of the World she created which He ends with the terms of the compact?
Your creative genius is so remarkable and I just wanted you to know that it has touched me personally.
Thank you for sharing your vision with us.
Very Respectfully,
Cyn Christensen
Hello both!For Neil: I've noticed that you like to use circuses, bizarre bazaars, or just some scene involving a disorienting or strange performance or an outdoor market in your writing (Coraline's mouse circus, Stardust's faerie market, Neverwhere's Floating Market, and some stories in Sandman). It always makes for an interesting setting and is a good way to introduce the other-worldly aspect of the world being introduced, such as in Stardust. They are usually my favorite scenes to imagine in your books. So my question is, where do you get the inspiration for this? Do you frequent outdoor markets or shows? Have you ever been to a market or show that directly inspired a scene in one of your books?
For Amanda: You mention in your book you were inspired by The Legendary Pink Dots when you were 16 to write honest music, but what/who was your inspiration for the Caberet/Punk style you created with The Dresden Dolls and on in both sound and appearance?
Hello! A question for both of you. I would suspect that each of you is given fan-written stories/songs on a regular basis. I'm curious, are these usually great or horrible (a mix of the two?) or is it just fun to have/read them regardless.Thanks for the endless (and Endless) hours of entertainment.
Anything? Share something about your way of being in your intimate moments. Pillowtalk? Does Neil read Amanda stories in bed before you go to sleep?
Neil wrote: "Ana wrote: "Hello Neil and Amanda,This may go a bit deeply into your philosophies: what do you think of death (or Death) and, by contrast or by association, what do you think of life?
It's a ple..."
That's beautiful!
Woah. Hi there.Weird but short question: Do you like ducks?
- Kat
Hi Neil and Amanda,I love The Art of Asking and how you both encourage people to be fearless. Bride-ing was more than a job: Amanda lifted it to a holy moment. Her book left me feeling braver and eager to try new things.
I’m writing a review for Writersread.net which launches in the new year and if it’s okay (and you have time to read this) I’d like to ask a question (or three) and share your response with my readers.
1. How do you step beyond the fear of “no”?
2. What is the best way for authors and artists to use Kickstarter?
3. I really enjoyed Neil’s story “The Goldfish Pool” and wondered how true-to-life it was? Does he have any plans to write a memoir, and what do you think makes a memoir great?
(Okay that’s five questions and I’d be ecstatic with even one answer.) ( :
As a side note: My sister aka @geekyglass, paid her tuition to go to NASA's International Space University twice with crowdsourcing by (among other things) making tiny TARDISes out of stained glass for everyone. She’s a brave soul who loves roller derby, while my instinct is to duck if anyone so much as throws a sock in my direction—so I’ll be sure to ask for her help if I follow up on any thoughts for Kickstarter.
I’m working on a book of paintings to celebrate A Course in Miracles and a memoir about manifestation, telepathy and other strange but oh so true things. I’ve thought about funding the cost of a garden studio, but my paintings can take months if not years to finish and I’d want to offer people a fair exchange.
I've had one other recent idea. On the same day I read Amanda's book I received a quote from Maria Gronlund, a logo artist whose work lifts my heart (not easy to do with a logo.) She gave me a great deal because I’m an artist and said we were kindred spirits when she saw my work. I wanted everything about my website to be inspired and wondered if I should crowdsource my future readers to pay for The World’s Most Inspiring Logo?
Much Love, Jenny.
Hello Beautiful People,Get ready, I'm a bit of a rambler and am fangirling my pants off.
Firstly, Neil, I grew up with your daughter, Maddy. We were a few years apart in school and never were very close, but we would bump elbows every now and again through acquaintances. She's a lovely girl. Having that little commonplace with you has always made me feel really connected to your work.
Amanda, I'm about halfway through The Art Of Asking and I'm in love. With it and with you. I love the Dresden Dolls with my whole heart and was thrilled to learn you were writing a book! I've been driving my husband insane with squeals of joy because of how much I relate to your stories.
My oldest brother committed suicide a few years ago, and without really noticing it, I have since been in a kind of numb cloud. The love and compassion and warmth poured directly out of your book and into my heart. I realized that I haven't really been letting myself fully be happy and I have you to thank for it. So thank you from the depths of my heart. It's only been a week since I started the book and my life is already much improved. Seriously. I had no expectations picking the book up, but I'm so glad I did. No questions, really, I just wanted to thank you both for bringing so much beauty into the world, whether by beautiful children or beautiful art. I only hope to someday cross paths physically with one or both of you!
Mod
Firstly, I feel privileged to say that I was lucky enough to attend two of your readings. One in San Diego and one in Santa Barbara, CA. You were so gracious when I met you and present..."
Alianora's story gets told in Sandman Overture: #3.
Bonna wrote: "Hello Beautiful People,Get ready, I'm a bit of a rambler and am fangirling my pants off.
Firstly, Neil, I grew up with your daughter, Maddy. We were a few years apart in school and never were ..."
Bonna wrote: "Hello Beautiful People,
Get ready, I'm a bit of a rambler and am fangirling my pants off.
Firstly, Neil, I grew up with your daughter, Maddy. We were a few years apart in school and never were ..."
Bonna,
I hope it's not too late for Amanda and Neil to see both our questions. And I hope I'm not out of line recommending another book to you. I prayed for a sign to know if Neale Donald Walsch's book Home With God is genuine and believed I received not one, but three that it is. I think it would help you. You can the link to post I wrote about it on my twitter page.
Love, Jenny
Mod
Get ready, I'm a bit of a rambler and am fangirling my pants off.
Firstly, Neil, I grew up with your daughter, Maddy. We were a few years apart in school and never were ..."
Thank you! Maddy remains amazing and a delight. I'm so sorry to hear about your brother, and glad that Amanda's book is helping.
Dear Neil and Amanda you two are very talented. What are the things that inspired you growing up and motivated you to write your books and songs respectively and what advice would you give to aspiring writers? As a lover of books and music, I always found refuge in these during the dark moments in my life where I just felt so desperate and hurt. I hope you keep writing and composing more amazing music.
A query for Neil: There have been many a rumor over the years of the Sandman series being adapted for the big or small screens. If this project were to happen, would you rather see it done as a film or a show? Also who would you recruit to direct? Personally I think a single film could never do it justice. I'd love to see it done as a show with multiple series, the way they do Doctor Who with guest directors and writers on different episodes. Furthermore, and I apologise for I'm sure you've heard this one before, who would you cast as the endless? Or to start, who would be your ideal Dream and Death? So sad we've lost dear old uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths), as I've always pictured him as Fiddler's Green. Alas. Thanks for your time and all the great lit I've enjoyed so much throughout the years.
Cheers, ~R.L.W,
You guys are just SO cool.What can you possibly teach me that I don't know already?
My first question is for Neil Gaiman. I've read all of the original Sandman and many of your novels. My favorite is Neverwhere. How did you come up with basis for it?My second is for Amanda. Was Coin-operated Boy based on a particular relationship you had or was it drawn from multiple observations or experiences?
Jennie, you are almost one year late
hi Mr neil gaiman i am reading your book the graveyard book and i really want to ask you this question; why did you name the goules victor hugo and the other as harry truman , emperror of china ? do you hate those historic figures?
@selina, you are five years late, u know?
Old Man Aries wrote: "@selina, you are five years late, u know?"yes i know hhh sorry but i discovred this author to late
Ask Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman
Books mentioned in this topic
Hansel and Gretel (other topics)House of Leaves (other topics)
American Gods (other topics)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane (other topics)
Neil, I met you in Barcelona in an Ocean's signing. I was starstruck! I left without touching your fabulous hair. :( But now I have two books that I treasure.
Amanda, I want to read your book as soon as I can. I think it will help me a lot. :)
My question to both: (I really don't know...) When you're feeling down, what do you do to feel better?
Lots of love. xxx