Reading 3. Writers talk about their writing 1 @ Read and listen to what some famous contemporary British authors say about writing and what it means to them, Are these sentences true () or false (X)? Correct the false ones. 1 Beryl Bainbridge says her books reflect her own life, apart from the violent ends 2. Tan Rankin’s parents were proud ‘when he decided to follow in his aunts footsteps and become an accountant, 3 Penelope Lively was never encouraged tobe a writer asa child 4. Michael Morpurgo began his writing career by writing jokes for his school friends. 5. Wendy Cope believes that to be a poet you have to experience life more deeply than other people. 6 PD. James plans her novels carefully before she starts writing 7 Michael Holroyd tears up a day's writing if he thinks it isnt any good. Which writer is being talked about? How do you know? Write the names. 1+ gets great enjoyment from researching famous lives? 2 ‘___was amazed when she made the nurse the culprit in the end? 3 ‘One of. took a morning to write? 's best just \_______loves seeing kids’ faces when the books are read aloud? “has had advice from many famous authors since then, but none have been a greater influence? \__has never regretted taking the risk and following his dream’ “Anyone who knows background can see that the books are ‘mainly autobiographical? 1 Unit2 + Insomany words Beryl Bainbridge, 1932-2010, English novelist, from Liverpool ‘When [write a novel 'm writing about my own fe: 'm writing a biography almost always. And to make look Tike a novel either have a murder ora death atthe end” a 1 AINBRIDGE eee Which author is being referred to in these sentences? Write the author’ name and replace the words in tales with a highlighted word or phrase from their texts. 1 He had a sudden realization that he was studying totally the ‘wrong subjects, She believes that you don't need a reason or an underlying motive to write, 3 For years he failed to realize that creative writing is often generated by real life. 4. She can't recall exactly when she first had the ambition to become a writer 5. His aunt’ husband seemed to have a very good quality of ie 6 He rereads his work and if the ideas dont fall apart its been a good day's writing, 7 When new clever ideas occur while she is writing she embraces them with great gusto, 8 Sometimes what she writes sounds flat and unexciting.lan Rankin, 1960-, Scottish crime writer Ic wasn't the thing my parents wanted me to be good a, but if you're working class and your parents have never owned thelr own house and hhever owned ea ad shall hey Unk you wo tounlversity to get a trade, to gta profession. So, accountant, lawyer, dents, doctor. There ‘was one relative, an aunt of mine who had grown up with my mum in Bradford: she was married to ‘an accountant, and he had a nce lash car; they ‘owned their own home, seemed to have avery good standardof living. sol thought, "Well, become ‘an accountant.” So by the age of sort of 15 or 16, that's what [thought Lwas going todo, and [was doing economics and accounts. and then there was thls sort of epiphany Iwas 17, Td just sat my highers and 'd scraped a Car economics just passed economies—and I thought, ‘Why the bell am I going, {ounlversity to doa subject 'm really not that interested in and ‘obviously not that good at? he thing really ke is English ike hooks.” knew very few professional writers who made a living out of their writing, so there at university [was thinking, “Oh, 'm going, tohave to become a teacher, oc hopefully an English lecturer, and will continue to write asa hobby part-time: in the margins of my Ife Tile a writer: Michael Morpurgo, 1943-, jaward-winning author of children’s books ‘One of the things that fightened me about writing when Iwasa small boy is that had no ideas and no imagination. I was constantly being told this anyway. and I couldn't very well. could joke around ike other boys but on paper I had ‘nothing really serious to add, no adventures wanted to write down, because | didn't —Ljust didn’t link the two up. think I learnt at some Point that the imagination is not something that you elther have or don't have. For me and we're all different its triggered by real people historical events, memories by reality of some sort. [don't thinkin my life ve ever written a story which does not Ihave some little root, some ltl seed of truth or observation. P.D. James, 1920-2014, English writer of detective novels ‘By the time [begin writing, the plot is there ‘and there's a chart which shows in which Corder the things come so thatthe structure Isright, But that will change, as new ideas occur during the writing, which ‘makes the writing very exciting, New ‘eas: sometimes one greets thers with huge enthusiasm and thinks, “Ob, ‘that’s really clever, yes, this is ho ithappened and this s logical and right and that will be how ie wil be.” Sol never get exactly the book that | ‘thought Iwas going to write” fires Ed ensipe vey, 1932-, ‘novelist, and writer of children's fiction ‘When I was about 11 oF 12 I¢hink I must hhave said something about how I wanted to be ‘writer; [don't remember having any sucht aspiration unt muck, much later. But! mast hhave said something, because Lucy [ny governess] wrote to Somerset Maugham and said that she was ‘governess to alittle girl who wanted tobe a writer and what would Mr Maugham suggest? Heaven knows hhow she managed to write to him—T ‘suppose care ofthe publishers. Te wrote avery nice letter back saying absolutely the righ thing: “If your litle girl is interested in writing then the bes thing she can do istead a Jot." Perfect answer: exactly what Pa say myself Wendy Cope, 1945-, contemporary English poet "You've got to have something to say, bat syoutdon'taliays know whats 1s often s Just some words in your head that yo tink «ould be line ofa poem, so you write hem dlvwn and se where it goes. One ofthe major . misconceptions about poetry is that the poet has some kind of agenda and intentions, not Just that some words come nto thelr head and then they tart pli with them oad acing where they 0. Because somstines will ty to we¥e.a poem {dit just comes out ded because there i't really anything. that's deeply fl or worth saving. One thing that makes poems work strong ‘emotion, and Iemember hearing James Berry. think twas, saying that one characteristic of a sod poets that they fel things intensely and Hhesald:"OF course poets are not the only people wn feel things intensely, batt soneof the qualities” and think that's true” WENDY CopE By Michael Holroyd, 1935-, biographer “The only happiness one gets fom weiting is doing ago day's work, of suddenly discovering something on the page which ‘works. You pick up the Sask) Pase-soushake t's Mic there, it doesn'tcame to = IDL ROYD iad you dia’ know ta the bosiing \ of the day and now you know it. Now thats ‘eal happiness and unless there some 4 clement ofthat, wel why on earth sone ‘wing? Because otherwise moving a pen across the pages no all that enjoyable. Unit2 + Insomany words 3