Growth without change? I don't think so.... Donna Carrick
There comes a time in every writer's life when he or she must ask: has my work become stagnant? Am I churning out more of the same, or are my ideas still fresh?
It's a tough question -- especially for successful writers. After all, who wants to mess with a good thing? When all the feedback is positive, and the fan base is loyal, like it was for Canadian author Giles Blunt with his Cardinal mystery series, why would anyone want to strike out on a new path?
Readers resent change in the same way that families do. Every mother has, at some time in her life, wanted to change some personal habit, only to find that her mate or children were very uncomfortable with any tilt to the status quo.
So it is with writers. However, there are many ways to measure "success". It is not merely a factor of readership, or of accolades. Success can also describe the artist's ambition to stretch, to reach new territory, to become more than the sum of his "known" parts.
With his latest novel, Breaking Lorca , Giles Blunt has become an inspiration to many writers. He may have ruffled a few loyal Cardinal fans, (in fact, I'm quite sure he did) but by blazing for himself this new trail he has proven himself to be worthy of a standing in the halls of Canadian Liturature.
By the way, I should point out that, like many Canuks, I shudder at the stuffy, over-touted phrase "CANLIT". It carries with it a pretentious air of exclusivity that hinders rather than fosters our true National Artistic Identity.
Having said that, there is an undeniable standard that we Canadians strive for, and Blunt has entered into the realm with his latest two works: Breaking Lorca, and before that the wickedly humourous No Such Creature.
I am proud to have met Blunt, albeit briefly, on several occasions, and to have heard him read. Without a doubt, his recent artistic "mutations" have been the result of much effort, and they have earned him an undeniable place in those haughty yet sacred annals.
Donna Carrick, May 18, 2009 www.donnacarrick.com
It's a tough question -- especially for successful writers. After all, who wants to mess with a good thing? When all the feedback is positive, and the fan base is loyal, like it was for Canadian author Giles Blunt with his Cardinal mystery series, why would anyone want to strike out on a new path?
Readers resent change in the same way that families do. Every mother has, at some time in her life, wanted to change some personal habit, only to find that her mate or children were very uncomfortable with any tilt to the status quo.
So it is with writers. However, there are many ways to measure "success". It is not merely a factor of readership, or of accolades. Success can also describe the artist's ambition to stretch, to reach new territory, to become more than the sum of his "known" parts.
With his latest novel, Breaking Lorca , Giles Blunt has become an inspiration to many writers. He may have ruffled a few loyal Cardinal fans, (in fact, I'm quite sure he did) but by blazing for himself this new trail he has proven himself to be worthy of a standing in the halls of Canadian Liturature.
By the way, I should point out that, like many Canuks, I shudder at the stuffy, over-touted phrase "CANLIT". It carries with it a pretentious air of exclusivity that hinders rather than fosters our true National Artistic Identity.
Having said that, there is an undeniable standard that we Canadians strive for, and Blunt has entered into the realm with his latest two works: Breaking Lorca, and before that the wickedly humourous No Such Creature.
I am proud to have met Blunt, albeit briefly, on several occasions, and to have heard him read. Without a doubt, his recent artistic "mutations" have been the result of much effort, and they have earned him an undeniable place in those haughty yet sacred annals.
Donna Carrick, May 18, 2009 www.donnacarrick.com
Views: 11
Comment
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Comment by Donna Carrick on May 19, 2009 at 1:11pm
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Likewise!
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Comment by B.R.Stateham on May 19, 2009 at 11:33am
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Donna--let me get to the point first, where I think I'm actually a success before I start worrying about being stagnant.
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