Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Fosteris an American writer of fantasy and science fiction, a prolific creator of and contributor to book series as well as the author of more than 20 standalone novels. He is especially prolific in his novelizations of film scripts...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAuthor
Date of Birth18 November 1946
CountryUnited States of America
writing symphony notes
I hear entire symphonies, oratorios, in my head, but I can't write a note.
writing perfect important
Keep writing. Try to do a little bit every day, even if the result looks like crap. Getting from page four to page five is more important than spending three weeks getting page four perfect.
challenges trying
I try to challenge myself as much as possible, as often as possible.
mean writing matter
There's certainly more new SF available than when I started writing. That means there's also more bad SF available. Whether there is also more good is a matter for future historians of the field.
diversity fields triumph
The overwhelming triumph of the international multimedia conglomerate has resulted in less diversity within the field and has made it much harder for newer writers not only to break in, but to make any kind of a living while doing so.
motivation mistake character
Besides the mistakes that are pointed out, I love the way readers become involved with the characters. When readers start asking about character motivations instead of concentrating on the special effects, it means you're connecting with them on a personal level.
reality statistics belief
It is always hard when reality intrudes on belief.
book reading mean
I have a bad tendency to get rapidly bored with my own material, so rewriting is hard for me. I mean, I already know the story and would rather read something new.
years two trying
I usually do one con a year as a GoH and try to make the World Fantasy Convention for business purposes. Last year I went to a worldcon for the first time in two decades. I may go again this year.
real lying evil
Dawn was written well before 9/11. People speak a lot today about the banality of evil, but not all evil is banal. Some of it is carefully structured and well-thought-out. That's where the real danger lies.
stars tree pieces
We're all nothing but unified arrangements of atoms and particles, drifting around, enjoying consciousness every now and then for a second or so before splitting up to become bits and pieces of trees and stars and french fries.
giving-up sacrifice degrees
I see the Jedi mission as giving up a normal life in exchange for protecting the innocent. It's a life of sacrifice. There are rewards, but also a certain degree of sterility.
travel growing-up reading
Growing up, I never gave a thought to being a writer. All I ever wanted to be was a traveler and explorer. Science-fiction allowed me to go places that were otherwise inaccessible, which is why I started reading it.
crazy feel-better two
If you're crazy, there's two things you can do to make yourself feel better: One is to get yourself cured. The other is to make everyone you have to deal with crazy.