Cross-over

I recently finished reading Philip Pullman's 'The Subtle Knife' to my ten year old son and now we've moved onto the third book of the trilogy 'The Amber Spyglass'.  The experience of reading the book aloud has given the book a fabulous extra dimension for me.  We've read slowly, relishing the words, dramatising the scenes.  Pullman has done such a wonderful job of revitalising children's fiction.  I find myself more drawn to the idea of fantasy fiction as a result of reading this book and already - as I'm at that stage of wondering what the next book will be - I'm toying with the idea of a 'cross-over' book.  But then, toying with ideas is what I always do and although I'm not yet ready to commit, I have, I think, discovered a new possible avenue for research which may bear fruit.

Hmmm, that phrase 'cross-over' is quite an interesting one for me at present.  Of course, in Pullman's case we're talking about the cross-over between adult and children's fiction.  And it's a shame, in truth, that books don't 'cross-over' genres more often.  I have just written a 'commercial' novel, but am more often known for 'literary' fiction.  It may prove problematic.  We shall see.  However, what matters to me, most of all right now, is the desire to get to the heart of writing what I love.  When I think about my next book, I think about finding subject matter that I can truly dive into and become absorbed in.  I guess that's why I love writing historical fiction, it's the sheer pleasure of doing the research, uncovering new connections.  Rose Tremain, in a favourite essay of mine, 'The First Mystery' quoted Graham Greene as saying (in relation to research and experience) 'It's yours to remember and mine to forget'.

What Greene was talking about, Tremain writes, is 'the novelist's task of reimagining reality.  Reimagining implies some measure of forgetting.  The actual or factual has to lose definition, become fluid, before the imagination can begin its task of reconstruction.  Data transferred straight from the research area to the book will simply remain data.  It will be imaginatively inert.'

For me, this is an essential lesson.  It is what happens to the 'data', the research, in the imagination that is vital.  I often refer to this as 'organic growth'.  It's an essential creative truth, the work that the subconscious mind does.  It's what excites me about writing fiction.  The unknown quantity.  The fact that we don't ever know what will come out when we sit down to write, we don't know where its going.  We have an idea, but it can turn out quite differently.  We choose a path and in doing so, neglect many other paths.  Only afterwards is the shape clear.

Comments

[mad muthas]

i'll be interested to hear if you enjoy the last one as much. i've got a bit of a theory about trilogies - and so far it's been supported by every one i've read ...

[Jacqui Lofthouse]

Oooh, I can't wait to hear your theory... I can guess... So far we're enjoying book three, but I'll let you know...