I have just sent in a new manuscript to my editor. As ever, I fall into a kind of melancholy restlessness, a kind of what-shall-I-ever-do-with-myself-now mood. I have known writers who take vacations at the end of projects. Someone told me how, when done, he always cleaned his house. Another, her desk. Then there was the writer who told me about finally allowing herself to finally finish the wallpapering of the back room. Of course, there are those writers, such just as Trollope or Henry James, who, once having finished a book, set about writing another, with no more than immediately pulling under their hand a clean sheet of paper—or so they claimed.
Dickens, in his preface to the first edition of David Copperfield, wrote:
“It would concern the reader little, perhaps, to know how sorrowfully the pen is laid down at the close of two years’ imaginative task; or how an Author feels as if he were dismissing some portion of himself into the shadowy world, when a crowd of the creatures of his brain are going from him forever. Yes, I have nothing else to tell; unless, indeed, I were to confess (which might be of less moment still), that no one can ever believe this Narrative, in the reading, more than I have believed it in the writing.”
There it is exactly: My crowd of creatures, gone forever into the shadowy world. Dear readers, they are no longer my creatures; they will (I hope) become your friends now.
5 thoughts on “My crowd of creatures”
Avi, I am so thrilled to know that more is coming… I have been so enthralled with your characters I want to go back through series like Crispin or stories like City of Orphans again just to plunge into their world.
Love this post. Your thoughts, perfectly complemented by Dickens excerpt. A challenge to articulate this state of mind — well said!!
Avi,here is the review for the ARC I received. I sometimes find it easier to write in verse than prose, so that is the form I used to write the review. I hope you don’t mind.
Thank you for the incredible chance
To read your newest book in advance!
The aspect I loved first and foremost
Was that there was an intriguing host
Of characters whose motives were often unclear
And how their behaviors strongly mirrored
The joys and fears of that time period.
As far as characters go, I could say much more,
But there are other aspects to provide commentary for
Like the constant reference to book series such as Sam Spade,
The inclusion of which provided wonderful aid
In revealing what went on in Pete’s mind,
A style of writing I think readers will find
Interesting and innovative,
Not to mention extremely creative
Lastly, the title fits the story well
And as far as I can tell
The book can be read with relative ease
So keep up with your writing, please!
Thanks again for this opportunity! I want to be a children’s novelist someday, so having the chance to read a book before it was officially published was truly inspiring!
Now THAT is one of the most unusual reviews I have seen!
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?