This is where I admit that due to my unmanageable TBR list, I have lost track of how I first came to hear about this book. But, I remember why I read it – I really like to read books about writing! Someone told me that Reflections was good and despite me not finishing Howl’s Moving Castle (sorry, I watched the movie first and can’t really read anything that isn’t like the movie now), I wanted to read this.
Well, I can say that after reading this, I have a mini-list of DWJ books that I want to read (my TBR cries):
- Witch Week
- Black Maria
- Fire and Hemlock
She references these three books quite frequently in her essays and I’m definitely intrigued by the concept and curious to know how she writes. This is especially so for Fire and Hemlock – she pulls in so many references and even a poem into the book, yet she says that she always “pants” the first draft. She knows how it starts, how it ends, and one scene in the middle and that’s it. As a pantser, I really want to see how she works all this structure and mythological callbacks into her novels.
Apart from her musings on writing and the fantasy genre – that reminds me, I want to read her Tough Guide to Fantasyland too – DWJ also writes extensively about her childhood. Her childhood was, by her own admission, bizarre. Her parents were so neglectful that they reminded me of certain Road Dahl parents, and she lived in a very eccentric community as well. She frequently talks about how she can’t just lift wholesale from life because no one would believe it.
I am also intrigued by the speeches given by her sons. One of them mentioned that the childhood that DWJ remembers is not the childhood that her sisters remember. If anyone has a biography that they want to recommend, please let me know because I would love to know where the truth lies.
Overall, this was a delightful collection of essays! I actually was inspired to write a short story while reading this, purely because of how she describes her story inspiration, so I may reread certain essays when I next feel like I need some inspiration.
I’ve only read her first Chrestomanci book so far, but I also enjoy reading books about writing and this one sounds good to me. I’ll add it to my TBR.
I think you might enjoy this one, especially if you enjoy her Chrestomanci book!
This sounds like a lovely read!
It was! This reminds me I have to pick up something by her soon!
[…] Priory of the Orange Tree and First Rider’s Call because I have buddy-reads going for them, and Eustacia’s review of Reflections: On the Magic of Writing convinced me to check it […]