In the style of inspiration popping up in the more unusual, or in this case, the more unexpected places, I’ve recently read “Hitch 22″, the memoir of sorts of Christopher Hitchens. It’s not of the conventional autobiography. Each chapter is an essay of sorts taking in a subject which is put in the context of his life. For example, there are chapters for each of his parents, but no chapter relating to his wife or children. There is a chapter about Salman Rushdie, and another about Martin Amis. Christopher uses the chapters to put across his political persuasion, at various times of his life and recount other events and stories. It is neither chronological or conventional (in memoir terms), but well written, referenced and thought through. Anyone familiar with his work will know Christopher is not the average writer.

If you look to put your own work into perspective via reading this, you may at first feel inferior, unskilled, and perhaps un-read (is that the opposite of well read?). And as well you might, as Christopher is a vastly experienced writer who prides himself in the level and quality of his work. You may well be reaching for the dictionary on more than one occasion. However as it progresses you realise that this is his voice not yours. If you want to write along the same lines in the same style then you may have work to do. But, and as his contemporaries point out, it is not a voice for fiction. His strengths are for factual, or informative, and certainly political writings. Myself I found as I progressed through the book, that (and I apologise for the terrible cliche here), that the devil was in the detail. I found certain points to be inspiring, to get me thinking about some ideas for the story I’m working on. The breaking down of points to engage elements, or contrast the point, provided numerous triggers to set my mind off. Plenty of it didn’t of course, but I enjoyed reading it anyway. After all, I was not specifically after inspiration. It gave me some clarity on some theme points, which in turn gave me some key plot and character points also.

To repeat myself from an earlier posting, as always is that reading more will add more to your own repertoire. It may be inspiration, style point, things you would do differently, better, or worse. Compare yourself by all means but put it in context. I will never be the political writer at the level of Christopher Hitchens, but then neither will most other people. That is not the writer I’m aiming for.

N.B. On a related point he has got me into reading some of the books by Martin Amis. I would recommend “Hitch 22″ even if it hadn’t.

By Admin : @ http://www.adventureinwriting.net/