Ray Bradbury is a wonderful writer who fueled my imagination and my desire to be a writer when I was a kid, with books like "Something Wicked This Way Comes," "The Martian Chronicles," and "Fahrenheit 451." He's still going strong at the age of 86 and will once again open the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, June 21-26.
The Barnes & Noble "Meet the Writers" site includes an interview with Ray Bradbury from 2000. Here are a few excerpts:
"On the occasion of his 80th birthday in August 2000, Bradbury said, 'The great fun in my life has been getting up every morning and rushing to the typewriter because some new idea has hit me. The feeling I have every day is very much the same as it was when I was twelve. In any event, here I am, eighty years old, feeling no different, full of a great sense of joy, and glad for the long life that has been allowed me. I have good plans for the next ten or twenty years, and I hope you'll come along.'
Do you have any special writing rituals? Every day at 9:00 a.m., for two hours, I begin a new short story, sometimes finishing it, or write an essay or poem. This routine has continued for sixty-five years.
Many writers are hardly "overnight success" stories. How long did it take for you to get where you are today? Any rejection-slip horror stories or inspirational anecdotes? It took me roughly 30 years. It was a long, slow process with a thousand rejections. I'm still getting rejected this late in time. The important thing is to continue writing and continue being in love with books, authors, and libraries.
What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered? Fall in love and stay in love. Do what you love and nothing else. Don't look at the market, look into your heart and find what is there and put it down.'"
A warm and wonderful writer. I thought I'd also share with you a bit more information about the Santa Barbara Writers Conference via this interview with its Executive Director--I wish I was going, but maybe you can! Listen to this five-minute interview here:
