Ray? Come in, Ray?
Wednesday, December 24. 2008
I finally got a chance to come up for air today from the slightly-greater-than-full-time job, and I decided to begin re-reading Fahrenheit 451. I rediscovered that I have a great admiration for Ray Bradbury. And all I got through this morning during my cardio at the gym was the set of three forewards / introductions from Bradbury's pen in the latest edition.
The oldest was written in 1966, the middle one in 1993, and the latest in 2003. There is some repetition among the three reminiscences, but there are nuggets of gold in each for the budding writer. So many, in fact, that I can't cover them all in one blog entry.
I'll start with the observation that struck me most: Bradbury wrote the first version of Fahrenheit 451 in only nine days. He was speed-noveling long before NaNoWriMo had ever been conceived. Now, his first draft was only 25,000 words long. He had to add another 25,000 words or so (within another self-imposed nine-day time limit) to produce the slim volume that is the complete novel as published. But that first, shorter version was a publication in its own right: it was titled The Fireman, and it was serialized in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.
The field was far less crowded in the 1950s, so I believe it was easier for true talent to get noticed. Nonetheless, the prolific Mr. Bradbury's accomplishments are awe-inspiring. I'll blog more about his thoughts on writing (and how they coincide with my own) in the coming days.
For now, it's nearing the time to invoke the dancing sugarplum visions...
I finally got a chance to come up for air today from the slightly-greater-than-full-time job, and I decided to begin re-reading Fahrenheit 451. I rediscovered that I have a great admiration for Ray Bradbury. And all I got through this morning during my cardio at the gym was the set of three forewards / introductions from Bradbury's pen in the latest edition.
The oldest was written in 1966, the middle one in 1993, and the latest in 2003. There is some repetition among the three reminiscences, but there are nuggets of gold in each for the budding writer. So many, in fact, that I can't cover them all in one blog entry.
I'll start with the observation that struck me most: Bradbury wrote the first version of Fahrenheit 451 in only nine days. He was speed-noveling long before NaNoWriMo had ever been conceived. Now, his first draft was only 25,000 words long. He had to add another 25,000 words or so (within another self-imposed nine-day time limit) to produce the slim volume that is the complete novel as published. But that first, shorter version was a publication in its own right: it was titled The Fireman, and it was serialized in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.
The field was far less crowded in the 1950s, so I believe it was easier for true talent to get noticed. Nonetheless, the prolific Mr. Bradbury's accomplishments are awe-inspiring. I'll blog more about his thoughts on writing (and how they coincide with my own) in the coming days.
For now, it's nearing the time to invoke the dancing sugarplum visions...
The oldest was written in 1966, the middle one in 1993, and the latest in 2003. There is some repetition among the three reminiscences, but there are nuggets of gold in each for the budding writer. So many, in fact, that I can't cover them all in one blog entry.
I'll start with the observation that struck me most: Bradbury wrote the first version of Fahrenheit 451 in only nine days. He was speed-noveling long before NaNoWriMo had ever been conceived. Now, his first draft was only 25,000 words long. He had to add another 25,000 words or so (within another self-imposed nine-day time limit) to produce the slim volume that is the complete novel as published. But that first, shorter version was a publication in its own right: it was titled The Fireman, and it was serialized in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.
The field was far less crowded in the 1950s, so I believe it was easier for true talent to get noticed. Nonetheless, the prolific Mr. Bradbury's accomplishments are awe-inspiring. I'll blog more about his thoughts on writing (and how they coincide with my own) in the coming days.
For now, it's nearing the time to invoke the dancing sugarplum visions...
cjohnson@eplus.net on :
Hey, are we doing this from inversed geographic locations? (regionally speaking, anyway) i.e. are you in Tenn for now while I'm in FL?
Have a great Christmas with the family! And you too Craig. And you too Jimmy! And you too T-Rex, whoever you are. And Merry Christmas to *all*, and to all a good night!
CJ on :
Brent on :