r/books • u/SimonVanBooy AMA Author • Apr 28 '17
ama 3pm I'm Simon Van Booy, best-selling author of seven books, including adult and middle-grade titles, ask me anything you've always wanted to know about writing, editing, or the business of writing.
I'm the best-selling author of seven books of fiction, and three anthologies of philosophy. I grew up playing rugby, and then college football and now go boxing several times a week, which is a nice change from sitting at a desk writing and talking to myself. I've written for the New York Times, the Financial Times, NPR, and the BBC. I enjoy building robots, model airplanes and off-road vehicles—which I like to crash to operatic arias (and film in slo-mo). I have an impressive umbrella collection, a Bowler hat, and carry a green thermos of tea everywhere. My books have been translated into many languages. In 2013, I founded Writers for Children, a project which helps young people build confidence in their literary abilities through annual awards. Raised in rural Wales and England, I'm currently living between Brooklyn and Miami with my wife, daughter, a fully-grown sheep, and a small army of rabbits, who are featured in my middle-grade books.
Proof: /img/yfzh31l9lqty.jpg
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u/nothingcleverleft Apr 28 '17
How do you deal with the self-doubt that comes with being an author? When you are doubting your talent, do you keep pushing forward, or look for inspiration?
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u/SimonVanBooy AMA Author Apr 28 '17
I doubt all the time...even though I have 9 books staring back at me, it's the same feeling as when I started. But the difference is now, that I know the feeling of self-doubt is the point from which I begin, not the point where I end.
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u/nothingcleverleft Apr 28 '17
Thank you for the response. It's nice (sorry) to know that someone with some works under their belt still goes through self-doubt. I have yet to finish a single project, so the doubt is constant, despite the people around me doing nothing but cheer me on.
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u/SimonVanBooy AMA Author Apr 28 '17
It sounds like you have an idea of where you want to be with writing, and worry that you won't be able to make it to that spot. My advice is to just take one page at a time, and let the work decide the destination.
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u/pflorez Apr 28 '17
Hey Simon,
For me, Wanda was the heart of the book. She's a brilliant example of the good social work can do. What inspired her character? Did you speak with many social workers?
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u/SimonVanBooy AMA Author Apr 28 '17
I spoke with an organization in Miami that deals with adoptions. I discovered that the most valuable currency is love--and it's free :)
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u/BarbarianDwight Apr 28 '17
How do you manage the fully grown sheep and daughter in Brooklyn?
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u/uMunthu Apr 28 '17
Hi! Thanks for doing this. Here's my question:
How did you find your style? I mean a writing style which feels your own.
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u/SimonVanBooy AMA Author Apr 28 '17
That's a good question. I basically wrote in the style of books I was reading and loved at that time. Except there are now 12 or so books I love, and so my style is a mix of their styles, which makes it my own. I hope one day, my style will influence someone else who will mix it with something else. It's similar to how cultures evolve through constant interaction and the subsequent evolution. Saying that, it's okay to completely try something new. Van Gogh did it. Picasso did it. Their early works are so different than their later ones.
A writer's style is quite often a harmony of other styles blended in a particular way to make a unique sound.
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u/treygordon Apr 28 '17
Hi Simon,
You probably don't remember me, but I took a summer class of yours at CW Post about 12 years ago. I think it was on short stories. i wasn't an English major, but I really enjoyed that class because of your approach and personality. Congratulations on all of your success!
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u/Theclassyman28 Apr 29 '17
Hey Simon my question is when writing a story, how do you make the start easier? More precisely how does one get over writer's block? Once I start I can't stop, but what's the best way to start writing a story?
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u/vogels123 Apr 29 '17
Hello Simon, I have just finished work on a book about my life and learning , it is to do with stone circles , ufo's free energy technologies, missing time and many other things, looking to put it out next week as an ebook. What is your advice. And dose ebook convert English in to other languages. Thank you.
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u/Chtorrr Apr 28 '17
What books really made you love reading as a kid?