Welcome to another episode of What are You Reading; What are You Writing — a place for readers and writers to come together and discuss books! Thanks for joining us. I’m Karen E Osborne, author of Getting It Right and my upcoming novel, launching July 22, Tangled Lies.
Today my guest reader/author is J. P. Osborne, an avid reader, writer, and illustrator. J.P. is a freshman at the Clinton High School in Manhattan.
Karen: I want to hear all about your writing, but first,
tell us about a book you read recently and loved.
J.P.: I recently finished Cloud Atlas and it was quite enjoyable. I believe that this book was written for young adults, although I can imagine it would still be very enjoyable for those older than the directed age demographic. The book is very well written and even if you don't find it incredible, the way the author connects all the stories together is practically unseen and very impressive.
Karen: It sounds like a wonderful read. In addition to your review, I read another that agrees with you — “Transcendent is likely the best word to describe Cloud Atlas, likely David Mitchell's most famous novel. In this book, Mitchell covers a wide variety of genre's, styles, and characters, an act that only the best of the best writers can pull off.”
Do you have another recommendation for our readers?
J.P.:I'm not completely sure what to recommend, as I've barely even scratched the surface of the writing world, but I'd recommend something literary. Classics are basic, but fantastic.
Karen: Tell us bit about your writing journey. When did you know writing was something important to you? What happened? How did you feel about it?
J.P.: I knew writing was important to me during Super Storm Sandy. I started writing in a small journal and have been mesmerized by the craft ever since. I filled so many journals.
Karen: You are also an illustrator. How did that come about?
J.P.: I started illustrating because of the Bleach Magna (Japanese art and storytelling). The author creates a fairly good story with art that is simply stunning.
Karen: I know you’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month a few times. What did you enjoy about it? What did you find difficult? Would you recommend it to other young people who are thinking about writing? How so?
J.P.: Yes, I've done it 3 times now. I enjoyed the writing improvement I saw, but besides that, it's really dreadful. It's difficult keeping up, while also producing good content. I'd recommend a modified version of it. 1,666 words a day is a lot. Try writing for 15 minutes every day and it'll take you to the same place NaNoWriMo does, but with better content and less burnout.
Karen: Are you writing anything now? Tell us about it.
J.P.: I've been planning a story for the past year or so, but really need to write it. I'm very methodical with my writing, so everything needs to be planned before I begin.
Karen: I guess I do that to, in a way. I write in my head before putting words to paper.
I want to thank you J.P. for participating in this interview. And thank all of you who are reading this. If you have a question for J.P. or me, go to the contact page and send us a message. We will get back to you quickly.
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Be Safe and Be Kind and Thanks for Reading!
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