If a Book Falls in the Forest...Lessons from The Book Thief.

I'm reading an astonishing YA novel, The Book Thief. Heard of it, by chance? I'm probably the last aspiring kid writer on the planet to read it, but I am flabbergasted by Zusak's use of language, his wit, his inventiveness, and his take-no-prisoners approach to historical fiction. Zusak must break every rule, contort every piece of advice, I've ever read or heard about writing for children, and it's brilliant. Just as inspiring is Zusak's contention in the video below that even if he knew, in advance, that not a single person would ever read his book, that it would never be published, that it would sink into obscurity, he still would have written it. In exactly that way.




With all the hugger-muggering about perfecting queries, and writing synopses (which I'm in the process of doing today), and following agents on Twitter, and stalking editors on Facebook, I have to say I find listening to Zusak talk about his passion for writing "somebody's favorite book" incredibly satisfying. I don't think I could get more spiritual uplift from meeting the Dalai Lama himself.

New friends and readers and fellow bloggers, Paradoxy is going dark until next Monday; I'm off to New York (without my computer) to see some art and eat my way across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Thanks for all the lurve, and I'll be visiting your sites when I get home next week. In the meantime, may Zusak's "ray of light" shine down upon you all.