Picks Just Asking. Stephen L. Carter

How to Write a Book

Irvin Foster

04 July 2008

Mr Carter, 53 years of age, also has a real job : He's a law professor at Yale school. Early in his legal career, he clerked for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Mr Carter was interviewed by phone earlier in the week whilst on book tour.

WSJ : Why write a family fable, a brand that appears to have all but vanished in latest years? Mr Carter : I think of my stories as entertainments. But it is true that families, in all their glories and defects, fascinate me. If you are fascinated by America, you will be fascinated by family. Read an excerpt from "Palace Council." I don't believe of this as a book about race. I was attempting to write a book that was about America of the '60s, how we got to who we are today. I am not saying we were not always that way. I have heard folks give answers like joe public is bigot, or publishers are extremist. This could be a book with masses of sex and murder, so why does it all take place off stage? I won't write a good sex scene ; pretty much nobody does. What have you learned about the book business that you did not know when you started out? I find it hard to ponder myself as selling books. The single thing I do better than the general public is put words on a page. Being a salesman does not come naturally to me. I used to be a black kid who went to junior high and high colleges that were wholly white. As a counsel, how were you ready to resist writing dramatic courtroom scenes? I was not the sort of barrister who went to court terribly frequently.

Keagan Mccall said:
We've been waiting for this post a long time
04 July 2008 23:34:35

Phoenix Cleveland said:
The hePdline should really say "a" and nobody asked a question about a either! ?
07 July 2008 01:48:18

Kamren Snow said:
Your thread has some great ideas, but none are bleeding edge
17 July 2008 23:14:30

Nehemiah said:
The results of this investigation might remind te reader of a case that made info a short time back.
21 July 2008 03:01:03

Shane Sandoval said:
I believe Sonny should've been right up there with Jerry Lee, Elvis an all those blokes.
07 August 2008 01:44:50

starsign said:
Getting into the Limca Book of Records was liek getting one step forward towards my goal. !
07 August 2008 19:31:11

Reese Phillips said:
At the point, Eri cweighed about 245 pounds, and 150 of it was his chest and his arms.". !
06 September 2008 04:42:15

Zane write a novel said:
The writer, who is known for historical books including Charlotte Gray, was sele2ted by Fleming's estate to pen the centenary novel. !
18 January 2009 22:14:01

Heath said:
MAN! Incredible stuff .
06 February 2009 17:17:59

Stefan Lynch said:
Q After scuh successful, multiple awards, what next? Now I am just making an attempt to blank the second-novel pressure.
07 March 2009 15:28:24

write a novel said:
All my mates raved about your site ?
26 April 2009 07:00:41

Preston said:
I just akked my kid brother if anyone could remember seeing this write novel article to me back when and yes it was in the zine. !
12 August 2009 10:55:27

casual observer said:
It was in school that Cumbe first got involved in writing, working on poetry and stories. !
05 February 2010 04:15:46

crisis is opportunity said:
Well What can I say. Her knd of page aint particularly much use for people generally and it really doesn't be appreciated .
01 July 2010 14:21:59