Writing Excuses 19.16: An Interview with Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar
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Apr 21, 2024 Award-winning speculative fiction author Max Gladstone and writer/critic Amal El-Mohtar share insights on collaborative writing, friendship in artistic projects, and harnessing authentic storytelling desires. They discuss the practice of writing letters and the complexity of two-author projects. Also, they explore the inner critic in writers and offer tips on rewriting passages in different styles. The podcast delves into color symbolism, discussing how colors evoke emotions and deepen narratives. Plus, they recommend the video game 'Hollow Knight' and share resourceful writing tips.
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Contrasting Styles
- Max Gladstone's Craft sequence and Amal El-Mohtar's short fiction have distinct styles.
- Their collaborative novel, This is How You Lose the Time War, intentionally preserves these differences.
Distinct Voices
- The co-authors used their distinct voices as a feature, not a flaw.
- The project stemmed from a desire to showcase their individual styles through letter writing.
Bridging Correspondence
- Their year-long handwritten correspondence built a foundation for the novel's epistolary form.
- This correspondence shaped their understanding of voice interplay without sacrificing individual style.