Good writers make writing look easy - but is it? Anyone learning to write should be encouraged by "Making Stories" - it shows that even our greatest novelists come to their books by a long and uncertain process. "Making Stories" shows ten acclaimed Australian authors at work, painstakingly constructing their books from rough notes, dimly-glimpsed ideas, and trial and error. By referring to extracts from drafts and published versions of their novels, each author candidly discusses how they work, taking the reader step-by-step through the creative process to share the invisible hours of toil that shape a work of fiction. All faced problems and doubts, and solved them in a sometimes startling way. Admirers of the novels used in "Making Stories" will be interested by the behind-the-scenes work that brought them about. Each writer's section contains: an extract from an early draft - sometimes just a rough note on a scrap of paper; a corresponding extract from the published book, showing how this early material was finally used; and an interview with the writer about the progress that took them from that early writing to the published book. Featured writers include Jessica Anderson, Peter Carey, Helen Garner, Thomas Keneally, David Ireland, Elizabeth Jolley, Finola Moorhead and Patrick White, as well as the two authors.
Kate Grenville (kategrenville.com) was born in Sydney, Australia. She's published eight books of fiction, including the multiple prize-winners 'The Secret River', 'The Lieutenant', 'The Idea of Perfection', and 'Lilian's Story'. She's also published three books about the writing process that are classic texts for Creative Writing classes, and a memoir about the research and writing of 'The Secret River'.
Grenville writes about Australia, but her themes are universal: love, violence, and survival. Her characters are often inspired by real historical characters: her own nineteenth century convict ancestor, an early Australian settler; a bag-lady on the streets of 1950s Sydney who quotes Shakespeare for a living; a soldier in the Sydney of 1788 who shares an extraordinary friendship of tenderness and respect with a young Aboriginal girl.
Grenville's international prizes include the Orange Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and a shortlisting for the Man Booker Prize. Her books have been published all over the world and translated into many languages, and two have been made into feature films.
Learn more about Kate Grenville, her books, and how to get hold of them, at kategrenville.com.
