Putting the many voices onto paper

“I think every fiction writer, to a certain extent, is a schizophrenic and able to have two or three or five voices in his or her body. We seek, through our profession, to get those voices onto paper.” – Ridley  Pearson

New Yorker Pearson, born on this day in 1953, is also a bit schizophrenic in his writing genres,  having authored suspense and thriller novels for adults and rollicking adventure books for kids.  Many of his works have ended up on the The New York Times Best Seller list.

Over the years the prolific Pearson has authored some 30 books for adults and 20 for kids earning a basketfull of writing awards along the way and being honored as the first American to be named for the Oxford University Raymond Chandler-Fulbright Fellowship.  His “Walt Fleming” and “Lou Boldt” series of mystery thrillers have built legions of followers, and for kids his “Peter & The Starcatchers” series has an equal, if not greater, following.  

Speaking to new writers trying to get their start, he said that it’s a tough row to hoe but well worthwhile.  And, he said, it means making sacrifices to find some writing time.

“For the first-time novelist you've got to get up at 5:30 in the morning and write until 7, make breakfast and go to work,” he said.  “Or, come home and work for an hour.  Everybody has an hour in their day somewhere.  If  you want to write, you need to find it.”

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