“There’s always this problem in any form of literature. [Books] happen because the time is right for them and they get written by people who believe in them…whether it’s wizards or vampires –whatever. Other people look around and go, 'Oh, this is a way to make money or a way to cash in.' They mean less and less; it’s like old-style photocopies. You photocopy a copy of a copy and pretty soon you end up with a grey sheet of paper with lines on them.”
Neil Gaiman is a tireless advocate for writers. Here is his latest advice to those suffering through National Novel Writer's Month (NaNoWriMo). He also supports readers of all ages, as the founder of All Hallows Read and countless other literary projects. He spoke eloquently on the importance of books to kids, regardless of whether the books themselves are perceived as quality: “The truth is that when kids encounter books, they bring themselves to them. The place you find the magic can be anywhere…because you’re bringing yourself as a reader to it.”
I enjoyed his answers and sat quietly, waiting my turn until the moderator said, “OK, there are no more questions, so thank you Mr. Gaiman.”
Fortunately, our phones were muted, because I wailed, “NOoooOOoooOO!” and pressed buttons, to no avail. I had botched it; the system had beaten me. I was not going to get a question answered by Neil Gaiman.
In despair, I popped onto Twitter and sent this:
"I was on the conference call and system didn't pick up that I had a ?: As far as performing dialogue, do you ever act out your own while writing or was this a completely new experience?"
It was a half-hearted hope. I had been following his Twitter account since I joined, six months ago, but he has 1.6 million followers. Imagine my shock when this popped up:
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Article comments
1 - R.Kimble
"Neil Gaiman as Himself"
I know people worship the man, but I hadn't heard he'd been deified.
2 - Dr Dreadful
I thought "Himself" tended to refer to the other chap...
3 - Anna Meade
Ha, I didn't really think of it like that. Just as in some movie credits it says "
4 - Anna Meade
"Celebrity Name" as Himself/Herself. I'm a big fan, but that might be a little far. Thanks for commenting, though!