Hello Mr Gaiman. How Old Were You When You Started Writing Stories ? I'm 14 And I Try And Try But They

Hello Mr gaiman. How old were you when you started writing stories ? I'm 14 and I try and try but they are all awful. I always give up in the middle and I can never finish what I wanted to write.

I know. I found a pile of papers of mine from my teen years and into my early twenties recently, and there were so many stories begun, so many first pages of novels never written. I’d start them, and then I’d give up because they weren’t as brilliant as Ursula K Le Guin, or Roger Zelazny, or Samuel R Delany, and anyway I wasn’t actually sure what happened next.

I was around 22 when I started finishing things. They weren’t actually very good, and they all sounded like other people, but the finishing was the important bit. I kept going. A dozen stories and a book, and then I sold one (it wasn’t very good, and I had to cut it from 8,000 words to 4,000 to sell it, but I sold it). I probably wrote another half-dozen stories over the next year, and sold three. But now they were starting to sound like me. 

Think of it this way: if you wanted to become a juggler, or a painter, you wouldn’t start jugggling, drop something and give up because you couldn’t juggle broken bottles like Penn Jillette, or start a few paintings then give up because the thing in your head was better than what your hands were getting onto the paper. You carry on. You learn. You drop things. You learn about form and shape and shade and colour and how to draw hands without the fingers looking like noodles. You finish things, learn from what you got right and what you got wrong, and then you do the next thing.

And one day you realise you got good. It takes as long as it takes. So keep writing. And all you need to do right now is try to finish things.

every time I hear someone talk about the actress Lily James I have to mentally take a moment to remind myself that person is not taking about Lily and James Potter

Source Material It was fine morning. I woke up, ate breakfast, and headed to work.

Fantasy AU It was a blessed new dawn. My eyes cracked open, I drank a potion at the tavern, and headed to the local guild to grab a quest.

Victorian England AU It was a grim and rainy night. I awoke and drank down a bottle of good ol’ whiskey and took a puff of my pipe before heading down to the precinct. Somebody’s been murdered.

Edgy AU The morning was as dark as my soul. I was already awake. I gulped down a cup of murky water and went to work, where I kick puppies for a living. If you can call my miserable existence “living”.

The AU Where That One Character Didn’t Die It was a beautiful morning. I woke up in the arms of my 100% alive best friend who’s now also my husband. We ate breakfast together and he wished me a good day before I headed out.

Highschool AU The alarm clock rang. Oh no, I was gonna be late for the first day of school! I quickly gulped down the breakfast my mom made me and headed to catch the bus.

College AU The alarm clock rang. Oh fuck, I was gonna be late for my afternoon lectures. I quickly grabbed my clothes and fucked off to class before my dorm mate/girlfriend woke up.

Medieval AU The sun did shine on that fateful day, as I woke from my slumber and walked out of my chambers and down to the court, where mine father was examining a list of possible suitors.

Space AU Captain’s log, Stardate 2217.5. It is day 1023 of our 20 year mission to explore new worlds and expand the frontier into the unknown depths of space. I’ve taken my nutrition pills and I am ready for today’s adventure.

Pirate AU Captain’s log, January 29th, 1717. Yesterday I thought would be my final log, as my ship sunk to Davey Jones’ locker. But behold, as I was having my last meal, a beautiful maiden, half woman and half fish rescued me from the depths.

Space Pirate AU Captain’s log, 29.01.3017. The galactic authority were on my tail, nearly got us last night. I didn’t get much sleep. The ship’s kitchen system is busted too, so no breakfast either. Still, I’ve got alien hotties to mack on.

Wild West AU Another sunny day in the Mojave. Five-Foot Joe is still out there. A kind lady gave me a jug of milk because I helped herd her cows. I didn’t stick around for her to thank me though. My work is never done.

Post-Apocalyptic AU I woke up today, I don’t know what day it is. It’s cold. I slept inside the remnants of an old hotel last night. We were safe from the Creeps there, but I don’t know how long I can keep this group together without food.

Prehistoric AU Gobrak find meat last night. Eat good. Gobrak find new meat today. Gobrak eat good. Gobrak go hunting.

The Really Weird And Specific AU That’s Popular In One Particular Fandom For Some Reason It was a fine morning. I woke up, ate breakfast, and headed to work. Also half of my friends are intelligent pets.

Why Sirius Black is So Important

From a purely utilitarian point-of-view, Sirius is not the person who does the most for Harry. He’s also reckless, far from a perfect role model, and has enough latent issues to play mental health bingo.

But he’s the one adult in Harry’s life that prioritizes Harry’s safety and happiness over literally anything else.

Sirius has spent years in Azkaban knowing Pettigrew is still out there. But what pushes him over the edge and prompts him to stage an escape? Finding out that Pettigrew going to be at Hogwarts with Harry.

So he breaks out of Azkaban. He evidently goes straight to Little Whinging to check on Harry, since he turns up in Surrey only days after he had escaped from a prison in the middle of the North Sea. Not to speak to Harry, not to explain himself. Just to “catch a glimpse of him.”

For his part, Harry is far more open with Sirius than with any other adult. He feels as though he can talk to Sirius. Despite his reckless tendencies, Sirius listens to Harry’s thoughts and feelings patiently and without judgement.

It’s Sirius who Harry chooses to tell about his scar hurting at the beginning of GoF and about seeing Mr. Weasley’s attack from Voldemort’s perspective. Sirius is also privy to mundane things like Harry’s life with the Dursleys and Harry’s fight with Ron.

In the Department of Mysteries battle at the end of OP, Sirius speaks to Harry three times. And all three times are variations of “get out of here.”

Sirius Black would throw himself under the Hogwarts Express if it meant that Harry would live a long and happy life. Not because Harry is the boy-who-lived and his continued survival is the only way to defeat Voldemort, but because Harry deserves it.

The day @slowburnotptrash died and we all stood witness. (x)