Post by Dante on Nov 14, 2012 14:58:27 GMT -5
www.examiner.com/article/all-the-wrong-questions-interview-form-an-interview-with-mr-lemony-snicket
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All the Wrong Questions, in Interview Form: An interview with Mr. Lemony Snicket
By: Ismael Santos
He's the myth most children love to read books about; the ever-lonely man who writes about the Baudelaires and who gives interviews through email. This interview is an example of this Mr. Snicket, but also of his "legal representative" Mr. Daniel Handler: Two great men, two great authors, although only one made it to the Miami International Book Fair this past Sunday.
That being Mr. Handler, of course, to help inform anyone interested in Mr. Snicket's new book "Who Could That Be at This Hour?" It is the first volume in a four volume series aptly titled All the Wrong Questions.
The following interview details that book, the man they call Snicket, the film of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Pirates, and a few other topics. Enjoy.
What inspired you to become a writer? What are some books that you like to
read over and over?
Mr. Snicket: Blank paper has always inspired me. The Long Goodbye is one book I like
to read over and over again, and it was an enormous inspiration for All
The Wrong Questions.
What¹s your routine for writing? Has it gotten easier or harder over the
years, and why?
Mr. Snicket: I write every day weekday for about 5 hours, mostly longhand on legal
pads. It has gotten neither harder nor easier, sadly or happily.
Any words for aspiring writers and artists?
Snicket: Don't take it out on your friends.
From old reports/news, you wrote eight screenplay drafts for The Series of
Unfortunate Events movie. What direction did the new producers go that you
didn¹t care for and made you give up on writing the screenplay?
Snicket: They fired me. I didn't much care for that.
In all seriousness, how long do you think Snicket will keep on writing?
S: In all seriousness? Until he dies.
Are there any new novels coming from his legal representative aka yourself?
S: I had a novel come out earlier this year called Why We Broke Up, and
another novel, this one about pirates, will be out before too long.
How do you think your readers see you, I mean Mr. Snicket, as a writer?
S: From behind.
Would you help Stephin out with another song, if asked? And how was it to
work with him, and The Magnetic Fields, on ³Asleep and Dreaming?²
S: Mr. Merritt and I have worked together on many, many songs, and are
working together on a new project this fall. What I remember most about
"Asleep and Dreaming" was that the day after we finished recording, Mr.
Merritt found me in a diner and said, "Come back to my studio with me,
I've added drums to 'Asleep and Dreaming' and I want you to hear them."
We went out into the blizzard. It was very cold and took a long time to
get there, and then he played me the song, and I said, "I don't hear any
drums," and Mr. Merritt said, "I just remembered. I took them out because
they didn't sound good."
How did you feel about Stephin Merrit and his band, The Gothic Archies/The
6ths/The Magnetic Fields, contributing music based around your most
popular series?
S: It seemed inevitable.
What words do you have to give about people wanting to read Mr. Snicket¹s
upcoming book ³Who Could That Be at This Hour?²
S: "Are you sure you've prepared yourself?"
Also, after the next three books in the series are completed in ³All the
Wrong Questions², do you see Mr. Snicket continuing on with his research?
S: Only if he's alive.
Is your upcoming Pirate novel already undergoing work or is it still in
the planning/drafting process?
S: It's almost done. It might have too much bloodshed. I'm considering.
What did you enjoy working on more, Adverbs, The Basic Eight, or Why We
Broke Up? Are you more interested in turning out short stories than novels
or is it vice-versa?
S:Another writer said that novels are long affairs, and short stories are
one-night flings with strangers. I've never been good at one night flings.
How goes LitPAC? Any plans/events coming up for November?
S: All the writers I know are engaged with politics in one way or another,
but LitPAC itself has stayed fairly quiet, probably because its founder
Stephen Elliott has just finished directing his first feature film, About
Cherry. It's difficult to concentrate on politics and pornography at the
same time, even though they're pretty much the same thing.
And lastly, what should children do if they ever see Count Olaf?
S: If children are reading this, and they've seen Count Olaf, it's already
too late.
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---
All the Wrong Questions, in Interview Form: An interview with Mr. Lemony Snicket
By: Ismael Santos
He's the myth most children love to read books about; the ever-lonely man who writes about the Baudelaires and who gives interviews through email. This interview is an example of this Mr. Snicket, but also of his "legal representative" Mr. Daniel Handler: Two great men, two great authors, although only one made it to the Miami International Book Fair this past Sunday.
That being Mr. Handler, of course, to help inform anyone interested in Mr. Snicket's new book "Who Could That Be at This Hour?" It is the first volume in a four volume series aptly titled All the Wrong Questions.
The following interview details that book, the man they call Snicket, the film of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Pirates, and a few other topics. Enjoy.
What inspired you to become a writer? What are some books that you like to
read over and over?
Mr. Snicket: Blank paper has always inspired me. The Long Goodbye is one book I like
to read over and over again, and it was an enormous inspiration for All
The Wrong Questions.
What¹s your routine for writing? Has it gotten easier or harder over the
years, and why?
Mr. Snicket: I write every day weekday for about 5 hours, mostly longhand on legal
pads. It has gotten neither harder nor easier, sadly or happily.
Any words for aspiring writers and artists?
Snicket: Don't take it out on your friends.
From old reports/news, you wrote eight screenplay drafts for The Series of
Unfortunate Events movie. What direction did the new producers go that you
didn¹t care for and made you give up on writing the screenplay?
Snicket: They fired me. I didn't much care for that.
In all seriousness, how long do you think Snicket will keep on writing?
S: In all seriousness? Until he dies.
Are there any new novels coming from his legal representative aka yourself?
S: I had a novel come out earlier this year called Why We Broke Up, and
another novel, this one about pirates, will be out before too long.
How do you think your readers see you, I mean Mr. Snicket, as a writer?
S: From behind.
Would you help Stephin out with another song, if asked? And how was it to
work with him, and The Magnetic Fields, on ³Asleep and Dreaming?²
S: Mr. Merritt and I have worked together on many, many songs, and are
working together on a new project this fall. What I remember most about
"Asleep and Dreaming" was that the day after we finished recording, Mr.
Merritt found me in a diner and said, "Come back to my studio with me,
I've added drums to 'Asleep and Dreaming' and I want you to hear them."
We went out into the blizzard. It was very cold and took a long time to
get there, and then he played me the song, and I said, "I don't hear any
drums," and Mr. Merritt said, "I just remembered. I took them out because
they didn't sound good."
How did you feel about Stephin Merrit and his band, The Gothic Archies/The
6ths/The Magnetic Fields, contributing music based around your most
popular series?
S: It seemed inevitable.
What words do you have to give about people wanting to read Mr. Snicket¹s
upcoming book ³Who Could That Be at This Hour?²
S: "Are you sure you've prepared yourself?"
Also, after the next three books in the series are completed in ³All the
Wrong Questions², do you see Mr. Snicket continuing on with his research?
S: Only if he's alive.
Is your upcoming Pirate novel already undergoing work or is it still in
the planning/drafting process?
S: It's almost done. It might have too much bloodshed. I'm considering.
What did you enjoy working on more, Adverbs, The Basic Eight, or Why We
Broke Up? Are you more interested in turning out short stories than novels
or is it vice-versa?
S:Another writer said that novels are long affairs, and short stories are
one-night flings with strangers. I've never been good at one night flings.
How goes LitPAC? Any plans/events coming up for November?
S: All the writers I know are engaged with politics in one way or another,
but LitPAC itself has stayed fairly quiet, probably because its founder
Stephen Elliott has just finished directing his first feature film, About
Cherry. It's difficult to concentrate on politics and pornography at the
same time, even though they're pretty much the same thing.
And lastly, what should children do if they ever see Count Olaf?
S: If children are reading this, and they've seen Count Olaf, it's already
too late.
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