Salman Rushdie on Writing as a Process of Discovery

Emory University

21 Mar 201204:55

Summary

TLDRIn this talk, the speaker discusses the fluid process of writing fiction, emphasizing how characters and narratives evolve during the creation of a novel. They highlight the importance of discovery in storytelling, using examples from their own works, such as 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' and 'Shalimar the Clown.' The speaker reflects on how characters sometimes take unexpected paths, leading to richer storylines, like a hidden Bugatti plane in WWII France that inspired a unique twist in a novel. The process involves a balance between structure and creative flexibility.

Takeaways

📚 The author always has a clear idea of the book's architecture and the points it needs to cover.
🧠 Writing a book is an experience of learning about the characters and their development.
🔍 The final book is often different from the initial concept due to the discovery process.
🌟 The author believes in being open to the book's evolution based on what is learned about the characters.
📈 Sometimes, characters that were thought to be minor turn out to be significant, and vice versa.
🎭 An example of this was in 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet', where the initial part of the novel expanded significantly.
🌍 The author felt the need to fully develop the world the characters were leaving to make the act of leaving impactful.
👂 When writing 'Shalimar the Clown', the author focused on 'creative listening' to the characters.
🕵️‍♂️ The backstory of a character might require research, which can sometimes lead to unexpected and enriching discoveries.
✈️ The story of the Bugatti racer plane during WWII was a research discovery that the author incorporated into the narrative.
🎨 The author uses research to enhance the story, even if it leads to a more fantastical outcome than initially planned.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean by the 'architecture' of a book?
-The speaker refers to the 'architecture' of a book as having a clear structure and direction, with key points or milestones that need to be addressed throughout the narrative.
How does the speaker describe the process of writing in terms of character development?
-The speaker explains that while they have an initial understanding of the characters before starting, the writing process involves a discovery, where the characters evolve and reveal new aspects of themselves as the story progresses.
What does the speaker imply by saying, 'the book you finish is never the book you begin'?
-The speaker implies that the writing process is fluid, and the final outcome of a book often differs significantly from the original concept due to the ongoing discovery of the characters and changes in the story.
What example does the speaker give to illustrate how the length of a section can change during writing?
-The speaker gives the example of 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet,' where they initially thought the opening India section would be 50-60 pages, but it ended up becoming half the novel because of the richness of the world they were creating.
Why did the speaker feel it was important to expand the India section in 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet'?
-The speaker felt that the act of leaving the world needed to have an impact, and for that to happen, the world the characters were leaving had to be fully realized and 'live' for the readers.
How does the speaker approach writing the characters in 'Shalimar the Clown'?
-The speaker took a more intuitive approach with 'Shalimar the Clown,' sitting down every day and 'listening' to the characters to let them reveal what they needed, leading to a creative discovery process.
What unexpected narrative shift occurred while writing 'Shalimar the Clown'?
-While writing 'Shalimar the Clown,' the speaker introduced a section about wartime France to explain the backstory of a character named Max, which wasn't part of the original plan but emerged as necessary to understand the character better.
What role does research play in the speaker's writing process?
-Research plays an important role, often giving the speaker new ideas and 'fantastic gifts.' For example, while researching 'Shalimar the Clown,' the discovery of the Bugatti racer airplane added a more creative and entertaining narrative element to the story.
What is the significance of the Bugatti racer story in the context of 'Shalimar the Clown'?
-The Bugatti racer story became a key part of the character Max's escape from the Nazis. The speaker found the idea of making the plane fly, something that never happened in real life, more entertaining than using a more realistic escape via underground networks.
What message does the speaker convey about the flexibility needed in writing?
-The speaker emphasizes the need for flexibility in writing, being open to changes and allowing the story and characters to evolve naturally. This adaptability often leads to richer, more dynamic narratives.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Evolution of a Book's Structure

The speaker discusses the process of writing a book, emphasizing that while they often have a clear idea of the book's structure and where it needs to go, the actual writing experience is one of learning about the characters. They mention that the final book is rarely the one they initially envisioned, as the process of discovery often leads to shifts in emphasis and character development. The speaker gives the example of 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet,' where the initial plan was for a much shorter first half, but the richness of the world they were writing about led to it becoming half the novel. They also discuss the importance of making the world that characters leave fully alive to make the act of leaving impactful.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Architecture of a book

This refers to the structure or overall framework that a writer envisions for their book. In the video, the speaker discusses how they typically have a clear understanding of the book's architecture, including where it needs to go and the key points it should cover. This concept is important because it highlights the planned yet flexible approach the author takes in writing, allowing for adjustments as the characters and story evolve.

💡Characters

Characters are the fictional personalities that drive the narrative of a book. In the transcript, the author talks about the process of learning about characters during the act of writing, even though they may have a foundational understanding of them at the outset. This discovery process allows characters to develop more organically, sometimes leading to unexpected changes in their role or significance within the story.

💡Discovery

Discovery in this context refers to the unfolding of new insights or elements during the writing process. The author emphasizes the importance of being open to discovering new aspects of the story or characters. For instance, a character intended to be minor may become central as the writing progresses, or a plot point may shift based on what is revealed through the act of writing.

💡The Ground Beneath Her Feet

This is a novel by the author, mentioned in the video as an example of how the story's scope expanded during the writing process. Initially, the part set in India was meant to be brief, but it became much longer because the world of the characters felt rich and necessary to explore. This example illustrates the theme of discovery in writing, as the author allowed the story to grow beyond its original plan.

💡Leaving

The theme of 'leaving' is central to the author's discussion about 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet,' where the novel revolves around characters who dream of leaving their home country. The act of leaving becomes more impactful when the place they leave is fully developed in the narrative. This concept ties into the idea that a departure is meaningful only when the world being left behind is vividly realized.

💡Shalimar the Clown

Another novel by the author, cited as an example of how characters shape the narrative. In this case, the author had a clear idea of four main characters and let their voices guide the progression of the story. This shows the author's method of 'creative listening,' where the characters themselves drive the development of the plot.

💡Creative listening

Creative listening refers to the author's approach of paying attention to the needs and voices of the characters as they write. Rather than rigidly sticking to a pre-planned plot, the author listens to what the characters reveal during the writing process. This concept emphasizes the organic nature of storytelling, where the plot and character development are influenced by ongoing creative discovery.

💡Wartime France

Wartime France is referenced as the backdrop for one of the characters' backstories in 'Shalimar the Clown.' The author initially hadn't planned on including this setting but felt it was necessary to understand the character Max's history. The decision to explore this historical context shows how the research process can introduce new and compelling elements into a narrative.

💡Bugatti racer

The Bugatti racer is a historical element that the author discovered while researching for 'Shalimar the Clown.' It was a plane built by Ettore Bugatti to break the German speed record but never flew due to the outbreak of World War II. The author used this real-life piece of history to add depth to the story, imagining the plane finally taking flight in the novel, which reflects the creative blending of fact and fiction in storytelling.

💡Research

Research plays a crucial role in the author's writing process, as seen in the example of the Bugatti racer and wartime France. While the author may start with a broad idea, the act of researching specific historical or technical details often leads to unexpected and enriching discoveries that shape the narrative. This demonstrates how research can provide 'gifts' that enhance the depth and authenticity of a story.

Highlights

The author mentions that writing a book involves a process of learning about characters, emphasizing that the book one finishes is never the book one begins.

The author reflects on the need to stay open to discovery during the writing process, allowing characters and the story to evolve in unexpected ways.

In 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet,' the author initially planned for the India section to be only 50-60 pages, but the richness of that world expanded it to half the novel.

The author emphasizes that if the world from which characters leave isn't fully realized, the act of leaving will have no emotional impact on the reader.

In 'Shalimar the Clown,' the author allowed the characters to guide the narrative by engaging in what he calls 'creative listening,' which shaped the book's structure.

The author didn’t initially plan for the backstory of Max in wartime France, but it became necessary for understanding the character, leading to unexpected research.

The research for the Max character revealed interesting historical details, such as the story of a hidden Bugatti plane built to break the German speed record before WWII.

The author found the Bugatti plane, hidden from the Nazis during the war, in a museum in Wisconsin, and decided to incorporate this into the novel's escape storyline.

The process of writing often provides unexpected gifts through research, as demonstrated by the discovery of the Bugatti plane, which became a key plot element.

The author emphasizes the importance of letting historical research inspire creative decisions, as it adds depth and richness to fictional narratives.

The balance between planned narrative structure and the flexibility to adapt is crucial for the author’s creative process.

The author often finds that characters he initially believed would be central become less significant, while others gain prominence as the story develops.

The author expresses a willingness to depart from realism if it serves the narrative better, as seen with the Bugatti plane plotline.

In 'Shalimar the Clown,' the four main characters—the two male and two female—were central to shaping the novel, as their interactions led the author to develop the story in unexpected directions.

The author's writing process is deeply influenced by his interest in character-driven narratives, which often guide the thematic and structural direction of his books.