Comments on: The Scenic Detour to Being a Novelist

By: Kristina Baer

Kristina Baer — Sun, 08 May 2016 17:21:14 +0000

In my novel, “Minerva’s Fox” (Two Harbors Press, 2015), it takes Malorie Ellsworth a year to figure out she’s not cut out for academia. Within months, she’s in France, working in a greenhouse, sorting herself out, discovering that her “hobby” (as her father puts it), drawing, and her love of gardens add up to garden design. And her career–and her life–takes off.

My decision to write this novel after a career in academia and publishing was my “ah, ha!” moment. In the short stories I’m working on now, false starts and second chances, secrets and betrayals revealed, show me daily how The Principle of Detour helps me create characters and make their stories sing.

By: Judith van Praag

Judith van Praag — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 18:39:29 +0000

As I wrote in a blog post, your story, apart from the academic track and of course personal details could’ve been mine Kathleen. I totally agree, no time was wasted. I look forward checking out your books, am following you on Twitter and have tagged you in my tweets and Scoop-it! your inspirational blog post. Your story made me share my own; playing dominoes with a positive ending.

By: Elaine Moxon

Elaine Moxon — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 13:12:18 +0000

What a fascinating detour Kathleen. Writing does indeed find us in many ways! I have always been a writer, though as a profession it was not deemed lucrative or the ‘normal’ thing to do. I have wandered many paths on my journey to publication, but would not change any of them. Each aspect of my previous careers have stood me in good stead as a writer, as your life in the theatre did for you. These past lives we lead give us life wisdom you cannot find in a text book. Thank you so much for sharing!

By: Rebecca Mascull

Rebecca Mascull — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:37:30 +0000

I agree with you completely, Kathleen. I was an English and Media teacher and Creative Writing lecturer before writing my first novel, and I continue to work as an examiner in Media Studies – all of these disciplines have taught me what it is to produce effective texts that grab their audiences and leave them satisfied. I have learnt so much about why some narratives work and what their building blocks are. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without it.

By: Alexandra Zamorski

Alexandra Zamorski — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 19:22:21 +0000

Hi Kathleen, What a nice surprise to see your post on here. I interned for you when I was a Freshman at PITT in 2005, assisting with research on autopsies and DNA testing procedures and other such topics for Afterimage. I loved it. Anyway, just thought I’d say “Hello!” and that I enjoyed reading this post today. -Alexandra

By: Kathleen George

Kathleen George — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:59:10 +0000

In reply to Annecdotist. Sing it out! And use the detour. Thanks for responding.

By: Kathleen George

Kathleen George — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:57:51 +0000

In reply to Marialena. I like hearing from people about the detours they take. And it's really potent how one interaction can affect a person. Women really are more ready to take charge of their lives today--not always, but more often than before.

By: Marialena

Marialena — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 13:32:07 +0000

What a wonderful detour. I find fascinating the ways that your life in the theatre was such great training for novel-writing. So many writers come at writing from various circuitous paths that I think that what may appear to be detours were the best possible path. Thanks for sharing!

By: Annecdotist

Annecdotist — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 09:20:41 +0000

Well put, Kathleen. I can’t act to save my life but I do value my own detour via psychology. So interesting, the different paths we take