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James English's avatar

I loved the comment about taking yourself and your writing seriously and nursing an obsession. What good advice!!

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Thalia Toha's avatar

Katrin- The mother and child sculpture really stood out to me. I like both the clean and clear lines---it's neither too sharp and or too undulating. Happy writing this week! :)

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Amy L Bernstein's avatar

I love the way you're going about this--and I can already tell the visit will be transformative and take your writing to the next level. I wish you many happy and unexpected discoveries. You are living the "doubt monster" principles I espouse...we take risks despite our fears.

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Anne Buckley's avatar

Such a good lesson to take yourself seriously. I have watched myself change the way I describe myself when meeting new people. From ‘trying to write a book’, to writing a book, to revising a novel. It changes the level of acceptance to focus on that ‘obsession’ and gives permission to see it through.

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Katrin Schumann's avatar

Very true. Congratulations on the agent interest at the Muse!

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Anne Buckley's avatar

Thank you! Good news travels fast! 😊

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Claire Polders's avatar

Hotel Lutetia by Pierre Assouline is written from the pov of a famous hotel. But I’m not sure it’s been translated into English. (The original is in French).

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Katrin Schumann's avatar

I will look it up! I speak French, but don’t generally read it anymore. Was this POV approach successful?

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Claire Polders's avatar

It's been a long time since I read it (2005), but I liked it then. And French audiences thought likewise.

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Julie Gabrielli's avatar

Obsession with a copy of a mansion in Kyoto?! You are singing my song! Also -- YES. I *did* write a story from the POV of a house, as an experimental revision to a scene from a novel in progress that I'd written from two other (human) POVs before. It's here: https://open.substack.com/pub/juliegabrielli/p/little-house?r=4cg2x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

I'm planning another revision to it, to flesh it out a bit more.

If you have time while in Japan, I highly recommend spending a night in a Ryokan in Tsumago. It's kind of the Williamsburg of Japan (old, historic town lovingly restored), but it's so freakin cool. It's not too far from Kyoto, as I recall.

We traveled in Japan in 1999 or so - before smartphones - did not speak the language and we did FINE. You are going to have the time of your life. More Japanese people speak English than let on, they are very modest about their skills with it, but they understand a lot.

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Katrin Schumann's avatar

It’s a bit too far from my focus areas… next time. I’m much more interested in old Japan than the big cities but I need to be targeted this time.

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