Friday, November 24, 2006

Q & A with Tracy Chevalier

Sarah Kinson interviewed the writer Tracy Chevalier for the Guardian's books blog.

Among the questions Chevalier answered:
What was your favourite book as a child?

When you were growing up did you have books in your home?

Was there someone that got you interested in reading books?

What made you want to write when you were starting out?

What makes you write now?

How do you write?

What advice would you give to new writers?

What good advice was given to you when you were starting out?
The answer to that last one:
Rose Tremain, who was my tutor at [the University of East Anglia] where I did an MA in creative writing, said do all the research but then put the notebook away and just write the story. Try not to let the research take over the story or get in the way of the story.
Click here to read the entire interview.

Tracy Chevalier is the author of Girl With a Pearl Earring, Falling Angels, The Lady and the Unicorn, and the forthcoming Burning Bright, a novel about William Blake.

--Marshal Zeringue