Ever written to an author?

stolenwine

Just curious as to whether anyone on here has ever written to a writer and if so willing to share any excerpts/ stories?

Valmont

I wrote to Darren Shan when I was 15 because I loved the vampire saga.

I should have sent him some anthrax after the last two though! Diabolical they were, I'm still angry :mad:

sceptre

Wrote a letter to Frederick Forsyth when I was 14 letting him know he'd made a historical mistake in one of his books (he's long had a reputation for extensive researching). He was rather nice about it actually, wrote back and said that no-one else had pointed out the error in the 18 years that the book was out.

Ah, the innocence of youth.

ixoy

I wrote to Tad Williams, complaining about an "Irish" word he used in his Otherland series - got a reply too, which was part apologetic/part plug for his next book. Got a response also when I e-mailed Janny Wurts years back (to her credit, she's very active on her own forums).

BossArky

sceptre wrote: »

Wrote a letter to Frederick Forsyth when I was 14 letting him know he'd made a historical mistake in one of his books (he's long had a reputation for extensive researching). He was rather nice about it actually, wrote back and said that no-one else had pointed out the error in the 18 years that the book was out.

Ah, the innocence of youth.

You were correct yeah?

RuggieBear

i bought "Bad Men" by John Connolly and there was a print error which meant that there were 50 pages missing from my book. I brought it back to waterstones and exchanged it for another copy. This 2nd book had a different print error with a different 50 pages missing.

I emailed John just to tell him that there might be a considerable print **** up with his new book. He emailed me back thanking me and told me to bring the book back and he would send me a signed copy...which he did and also included signed bumph for each of his novels and also included postcards from the destinations from his then in the works new novel.

Thought that was pretty nice

Serpentine

No cos most of my favourites are dead but I would like to write to Bret Easton Ellis

LoLth

I phoned Ursula leGuin (she was in the phonebook) after I finished the wizard of earthsea (I was only kid!) to ask her about how to get ideas from head to paper. She was very polite and phoned me back so I wouldnt run up a phone bill. spent nearly two hours giving me advice.... still never became an author though its something I would still love to do, lots of ideas still knocking around in the vacuum I call a brain.

Earthhorse

sceptre wrote: »

Wrote a letter to Frederick Forsyth when I was 14 letting him know he'd made a historical mistake in one of his books (he's long had a reputation for extensive researching). He was rather nice about it actually, wrote back and said that no-one else had pointed out the error in the 18 years that the book was out.

Ah, the innocence of youth.

That's brilliant!

RuggieBear wrote: »

I emailed John just to tell him that there might be a considerable print **** up with his new book. He emailed me back thanking me and told me to bring the book back and he would send me a signed copy...which he did and also included signed bumph for each of his novels and also included postcards from the destinations from his then in the works new novel.

Cool.

LoLth wrote: »

I phoned Ursula leGuin (she was in the phonebook) after I finished the wizard of earthsea (I was only kid!) to ask her about how to get ideas from head to paper. She was very polite and phoned me back so I wouldnt run up a phone bill. spent nearly two hours giving me advice.... still never became an author though its something I would still love to do, lots of ideas still knocking around in the vacuum I call a brain.

Amazing!

I considered writing to Stephen King after finishing On Writing and asking him for a loan of his wife, Tabitha, because he says several times in the book that he couldn't have done it without her.

Those are some great stories guys, keep 'em coming.

phaze

I wrote to William Goldman author of The Princess Bride. It was years ago and about 4 typed pages long on how wonderful I thought the book was. Before I finished it though I accidentally changed the font to Wingdings (the mad font all Hieroglyphic). Of course it wouldn't change back for me so I rewrote an edited version of the original explaining the incidednt and including the Wingdings version. Over ten pages in all.

Never heard back from him though.

crotalus667

Hmm im just throwing this out there to see what you think , how about a sticky with addresses/contact details of authors ?? Maybe do it like the gym review in fitness ie you have a list of links on the first post click the link and it brings you to the post with the details you are looking for ,any thought’s ??

stolenwine

Generally authors are contacted via publishers and you can just google the publishing house and get their details, they'll forward the letter to the author.

sceptre

BossArky wrote: »

You were correct yeah?

Oh yes

LoLth

crotalus667 wrote: »

Hmm im just throwing this out there to see what you think , how about a sticky with addresses/contact details of authors ?? Maybe do it like the gym review in fitness ie you have a list of links on the first post click the link and it brings you to the post with the details you are looking for ,any thought’s ??

As said, I think people should write to the author's publisher to contact the author. putting a contact list on boards would be open to abuse (what if I had stephen king's private number and posted it only for him to receive abuse - and not from me for a change - I dont have the number before anyone asks, just in case).

So, a no to the contact list unfortunately.

crotalus667

LoLth wrote: »

As said, I think people should write to the author's publisher to contact the author. putting a contact list on boards would be open to abuse (what if I had stephen king's private number and posted it only for him to receive abuse - and not from me for a change - I dont have the number before anyone asks, just in case).

So, a no to the contact list unfortunately.

I wan not talking about phone number's :rolleyes: I just figured like most celb's they would have a mailing adress for the public to use ie ,


ps

most of the writer's on the book show say that they try to reply to most of the fan mail they get , the one hint given on most of the autograph collecting site's is to be polite and include a S.A.E with what ever you want signed , it may take a while but most people will take the time to sign what you send and pop it in the post ,

Mr. Presentable

I wrote to Stephen King once, was ignored. My friend wrote to the publishers of JRR Tolkien in the early 1980s and got a letter threatening to "sue your ass" if he didn't desist! He wanted to write a background for the Nazgul.

crotalus667

nipplenuts wrote: »

I wrote to Stephen King once, was ignored. .

In all fairness Id say King gets sacks of mail a day

BostonB

Emailed the author of book about their 'nam tour (was a pilot) and they got back to me.

Esmereldina

LoLth wrote: »

I phoned Ursula leGuin (she was in the phonebook) after I finished the wizard of earthsea (I was only kid!) to ask her about how to get ideas from head to paper. She was very polite and phoned me back so I wouldnt run up a phone bill. spent nearly two hours giving me advice.... still never became an author though its something I would still love to do, lots of ideas still knocking around in the vacuum I call a brain.

Wow, that's an amazing story! she's a great writer too... I loved the Wizard of Earthsea series,

ionapaul

ixoy wrote: »

I wrote to Tad Williams, complaining about an "Irish" word he used in his Otherland series - got a reply too, which was part apologetic/part plug for his next book. Got a response also when I e-mailed Janny Wurts years back (to her credit, she's very active on her own forums).

Sorry for dragging up this old thread but....I emailed Tad Williams years ago (1998 I guess) with a short question about the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series ('Are the Hernystiri Irish?' - 'Partially based on them alright' - 'Cool'!) and more annoying questions about my upcoming trip to California in the aftermath of the El Nino storms ('Is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk still there?! Was it washed away? I'm due to work there this summer!' - 'No worries, it's quite alright') and he got back to me in less than 24 hours. He seemed like a really cool guy, nice when an author interacts with his readers.

r3nu4l

Glad you dragged it up, I missed it first time around!

RuggieBear, I also emailed John Connolly for some advice about some writing I was doing and the guy was very cool when he got back to me.

Lee Child, Brad Meltzer and Peter Robinson have also been very helpful to me in the past. I find most authors very willing to provide any advice they can to aspiring authors. It's usually along the lines of 'Don't let the bastards get you down!' and 'Don't stop writing'

Aurora Borealis

LoLth wrote: »

I phoned Ursula leGuin (she was in the phonebook) after I finished the wizard of earthsea (I was only kid!) to ask her about how to get ideas from head to paper. She was very polite and phoned me back so I wouldnt run up a phone bill. spent nearly two hours giving me advice.... still never became an author though its something I would still love to do, lots of ideas still knocking around in the vacuum I call a brain.

That is so cool!
She's next on my must read list now.
How sweet.