margaret atwood Archives

Margaret Atwood has written a broad range of work over 60 years, even though she is now especially famous as the author of The Handmaid’s Tale (based on real events in Cambodia).

She is prolific and thought-provoking in her writing. I first came across her in 1993 when she published The Robber Bride. Atwood has 17 books of poetry, 16 novels, and a plethora of short stories – many with critical acclaim. Want to know how to write? Read and listen to Margaret Atwood.

This beauty takes less than 18 minutes and worth every one.

The young interviewers in this video put professional interviewers to shame with their questions and handling of the process. I could listen to Margaret all day, couldn’t you?

Listened in to an interview between Jennifer Byrne and Margaret Atwood. It was from last years Sydney Writer’s Festival.

One thing she said struck me. She posited that when she began writing, one just wrote and it was difficult due to it being uncommon. These days. she said, you can do a Creative Writing course at University and there is much more competition to capture people’s attention.

I suspect she was not agreeable to people ‘learning’ how to write at tertiary level. I wondered if she held the view that a writer simply writes and suffers for her passion or whether it is something that is now a realistic alternative for people who are drawn to the pursuit.

photo credit – http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/3/3/1299156206118/Margaret-Atwood-007.jpg

Writing Tips from Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood Speaks