Stop and smell the prose

[rj_anderson]

I have never actually read a Dean Koontz novel, but after reading this fantastic interview I think I may love him just a little. This bit especially thrilled my soul:

I work 10- and 11-hour days because in long sessions I fall away more completely into story and characters than I would in, say, a six-hour day. On good days, I might wind up with five or six pages of finished work; on bad days, a third of a page. Even five or six is not a high rate of production for a 10- or 11-hour day, but there are more good days than bad.

This guy has written how many books? And they've sold how many copies? And he writes the way I do -- revising and polishing obsessively as he goes, so that by the time he's finished a book he's really done the equivalent of thirty or forty drafts. I may not be able to write 10- and 11-hour days, or even six-hour ones, but still, like he goes on to say, if you keep at it steadily the work adds up.

He also has some wonderful things to say about theme, characterization, and using metaphors and similes that I found very encouraging.

Anyway, his comments about the books he's written make me realize that he must be a far better prose stylist, and more of a challenging read (in the good way) than I'd imagined. Next time I go to the library, I'll have to check him out.

Comments

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

I quite enjoyed his book Lightning.

[martoufmarty.livejournal.com]

I read the book Velocity a couple years back.

It's about some guy who gets chosen by some crazy serial killer to decide between people of who lives and dies. Like the busy housewife or the retired old lady.

It was really good.

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

You've just convinced me to do likewise.

[piecesofalice.livejournal.com]

My mother is a massive Dean Koontz fan. Ask lizbee and weaverandom, who currently live with a rather large collection of his writings as they were too cumbersome for Mum to take when she moved.

I think he's perfect in his genre. Horror writers tend to be sort of looked down on, but I think he and Stephen King are fantastic in getting the hooks in and sometimes, that's as good as fifteen pages of prose describing an ant.

Give him a go. He's not about to knock Kafka and co. off their perches, but he's interesting.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I read a bit of Koontz when I was about twelve, and had to put him down because his prose was too complex (and adult) for my young brain. He's certainly popular, and some of the ideas in his books are so compelling that I'm scared to look too closely when I shelve them, in case I get sucked in and have to read them.

[chrisleeoctaves.livejournal.com]

I could NOT put Koontz's book Intensity down. I have read probably half dozen of his books- sometimes I find him too wordy, other times he's a lot of fun, if you like the genre.

[faerie-writer.livejournal.com]

That is *exactly* how I write too! Oh, it's so good to know I'm not the only one. :D

[erinbow.livejournal.com]

And he writes the way I do -- revising and polishing obsessively as he goes

Yes -- me too! A thousand word day is a huge day for me. It's nice to hear about other professional authors who are just as obsessive and inefficient.

Not going to read him, though, as I am a Horror Wimp.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I hate horror too, but I was getting the impression he's written in other genres as well. If that assumption turns out to be wrong, then I guess I won't be reading him after all... but I'll let you know.

[aitchmark.livejournal.com]

I rather liked the Odd Thomas books.

Here's my review:

http://aitchmark.livejournal.com/29646.html

[shoebox2.livejournal.com]

I gather he can be a bit formulaic, but other than that I've head nothing really prejudicial. I'm myself kind of disposed to like him since he contributed a nifty fannish Foreword to a Nero Wolfe novel I own. (in which he holds forth at length about the need for a wannabe writer to read voraciously - which validated some of my habits, as well. :) )