Tim Wynne-Jones is a Canadian author who has written picture books, novels for youth and adults, radio dramas and songs for the CBC and for Fraggle Rock. Born in England but raised in British Columbia and Ontario, Tim attended the University of Waterloo and later York University. Tim has won numer awards for his books, encluding the Governor General’s Literary Awards in Canada three times, The Canadian Library Association Price, The Arthur Ellis Award and the Edgar award. He recently took some time to answer 20 questions for the readers here at Book Reviews and More.
1. If you had not become a writer what do you think you would be doing for a living?
Singing. Making visual art. Raising chinchillas. Well, maybe not chinchillas; more likely enchiladas.
2. Who were some of your biggest supporters and contributors to your early success?
My wife, Amanda Lewis; my various publishers, especially the folks at Groundwood Books; the illustrators I worked with, especially Eric Beddows on the Zoom trilogy...
3. Which books or authors had the greatest impact on your work or writing style?
A.A. Milne, Enid Blyton, Walter R. Brooks, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jules Vernes, Richard Brautigan, Herman Hesse, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Graham Greene, John Le Carre, Philip Pullman, Brian Doyle, etc, etc.
4. What advice do you wish an artist had passed on to you early in your career, which you only learned through experience?
To be patient. To enjoy it all and not be in such an all-fired hurry.
5. What does your writing process look like? Takes us through the steps from idea to publishing?
I get an idea for a scene I really like and try to write that. In order for it to work, it will have to be chock-a-block full of conflict and desire and feature a character I like well enough that I'm going to want to spend the next year or so hanging out with him or her. Once I've written the first chapter, I concentrate on writing the next one. Repeat until finished. Somewhere along the way I realize that I'm writing about something I've always wanted to understand and then I have to keep writing in order to figure out why. Eventually, I also get an idea for an ending. When it's done once. I really, really, really enjoy the second draft because now I know what I'm doing, where I'm going and what I hope to achieve. Eventually I send it to my editor.
6. Do you use a playlist when writing? Are certain books written while predominantly listing to the same music?
Music is a HUGE inspiration to my writing but it's not specific to a particular writing project. Music puts me in the headspace to work -- gives me the feeling, the fire, to try to put into words whatever it is I'm trying to figure out.
7. I once heard Madeleine L'Engle state that her characters were real to her and almost an extended part of her family, she said once that at the dinner table she sat up and stated "Meg just finished her PhD." Are your characters real to you, do you ever get glimpses of what they are up to now, or once you finish a book is that it?
My characters do feel real to me. They go with me everywhere. Whatever I'm doing I wonder what they would be doing if they were there. This is how I come to know them. Meanwhile, I try to get them talking as early as possible. I try to write scenes rather than summary so that I can hear what they have to say. Eventually, it feels as if they're the ones coming up with what they want -- need -- to say, rather than just me putting words in their mouths.
8. What of your books is your favorite and why?
The one I'm going to write next. It's the only book of mine that is really exciting to me because it's sheer, one hundred percent potential right now!
9. What of your books was the hardest to write and why?
Tumbledown Hill is a picture book with only 26 sentences in it but it took 61/2 years to write. That's because it's a puzzle: the first sentence is 26 words long and each subsequent sentence is one word shorter. Then I decided to make it rhyme, as well. Oh yeah, and it had to make sense. It was actually a lot of fun, not really hard, just time-consuming.
10. What books are currently in progress for you? Writing, researching, planning or even just ideas backburner projects that you would like to work on?
I'm writing the fourth and final book in my Rex Zero series. It's called Rex Zero in Deep. I'm also writing an epistolary novel with my wife, Amanda Lewis, which involves a series of letters over several years between a draft dodger in Canada during the Vietnam War and a girl back home.
11. Completely off topic but what TV shows or movies do you enjoy?
I seldom watch TV, but I do watch DVDs of TV shows. My favorites are pretty eclectic: In Treatment, Six Feet Under, Rome, Glee, The Vicar of Dibley...
I love all kinds of movies, no particular genre -- too many to mention, varying from delightful fluff like Noises Off or Love Actually to the stark cinema of Ingmar Bergman. I love Truly, Madly, Deeply; The Fisher King; Little Shop of Horrors (the musical); and all kinds of thrillers.
12. What were some of your favorite authors or books in your teen years who helped shape you?
I tended to read adventure stories and murder mysteries when I was a teen.
13. What are some of your favorite books and authors now?
I read about 5-6 novels a month. It's hard to name favorites other than ones I've just finished, like David Mitchell's Black Swan Green, or Andrew Smith's The Marbury Lens. I tend to keep up with Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin, Harlan Coben, Elizabeth George, Minette Walters, Robert Harris, John Le Carre -- I've read everything of John Le Carre.
14. Two of your books are available in electronic formats but with that comes bootleg distribution. What are your impressions of ebooks and the distribution of them through torrents and other illegal means?
I"m not sure what to think. We're in a huge period of readjustment. There are these new platforms available. I always respect copyright, myself, since I make my living from it, but I know lots of people don't care about it and I'm not about to bludgeon them into changing their minds. Since the technology is there to allow piracy and it's as easy as pie, it's not worth screaming your lungs out over it. We're going to have to find a way to accommodate the new technology that ensures that artists somehow are remunerated for their works. Because there won't be anything left to steal if no one writes books or music or makes art anymore.
15. Some authors monitor torrent sites and have their publishers contact them to remove their content. Do you do so are have someone do so for you?
You know, I kind of bury my head in the sand on this whole thing. There's enough stress in my life without being in a constant state of paranoia that I'm being ripped off.
16. Some of your earlier books are currently out of print, have you thought of rereleasing them as ebooks?
It's a good idea. I haven't really given it much more than passing thought. There seems to be only so many hours in the day and I'm getting old.
17. I once had a university professor state that the true goal of a university education should be to teach one to learn how to think. What would you state should be the goal of higher education and why?
I agree. Learning how to think is critical. I hate to see universities not living up to their name of being universal...okay, I don't know if the worlds university and universal are connected. But my point is that a Liberal Education still seems to me to be a better deal than a BA in sorting yellow widgets. Over specialization in a field means there are people with very limited and narrow knowledge. We live in an age of information, much of which is crap. Information isn't understanding. And understanding isn't wisdom. Do you see much wisdom around? I didn't think so.
18. What advice would you give to teens today, to your readers, what gems of knowledge have you gleaned in life that you would pass on?
Take your ear buds out now and then. Turn off Facebook. Walk in a forest. or by the ocean. Read.
19. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have 10 books to read again and again, what books would you want with you?
The complete works of Shakespeare. And The House at Pooh Corner.
20. What advice would you give specifically to young aspiring authors and artists?
Read, read, read. Look at art, look at art, look at art. Listen to great music, listen to great music, listen to great music.
Tim, thank you for taking the time to answer the questions. Looking forward to reading some of your books soon.
Book by Tim Wynne-Jones:
Children's picture books:
Madeline and Ermadillo (1976)
Zoom at Sea (1983)
Zoom Away (1985)
The Hour Of the Frog (1985)
I'll Make You Small (1986)
Mischief City (1986)
Architect Of the Moon (1988) (U.S. title: Builder of the Moon)
Zoom Upstream (1992)
The Last Piece of Sky (1993)
Mouse In the Manger (1993)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Dracula (1997)
On Tumbledown Hill (1998)
Ned Mouse Breaks Away (2002)
Young adult fiction:
Rosie Backstage (1994 -with Amanda Lewis)
The Book of Changes (1994)
The Maestro (1995) (Australian title: The Flight of Burl Crow, UK title The Survival Game)
Some of the Kinder Planets (1997)
Stephen Fair (1998)
Lord of the Fries and Other Stories (1999)
The Boy in the Burning House (2000)
A Midwinter Night's Dream (2003)
A Thief in the House of Memory (2004)
Rex Zero and the End of the World (2006)
The Uninvited (2009)
Blink & Caution (2011)
Adult fiction:
Odd's End (1980)
The Knot (1983)
Fastyngange (1988 - UK title: Voices)
The Uninvited (2009)
SilabGarza (2010)
Contributed to:
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Kobo VS Kindle
Head to head, what is the best device for reading eBooks, the Kobo or the Kindle? Looking at comfort, support, ease of use and overall, what device is the victor? I have been reading eBooks since the late 90's and using the old Microsoft reader .lit format and various Palms and Sony Clie as designated eReaders. But the last of my Clie's died a few years back and I was in the market for a designated eReader. So I have put both the Kobo and Kindle through the paces and will share with you the good, the bad and the ugly of both devices and as they go toe to toe round after round, we will see who comes out champ.
In order to write this article I have now read over 30 books on the Kobo and have read 6 on the Kindle. I used two different Kindles - 3 books each on a Kindle 2 and Kindle 3, but have limited comments to the Kindle 3 unless specifically mentioning the Kindle DX. I get Digital review copies from NetGalley and synced the same books with both Kindles and with the Kobo to do some direct side-by-side comparison.
The first thing I looked at was comfort. How was it to hold the device? Weight, feel, and other factors were considered. The Kobo is 26gs lighter than the Kindle 3 Wi-Fi 3G model. Now that might not seem like a lot of weight, but it is more than a tenth of the weight of the Kobo and reading continuously it does make a difference. Second is comfort to hold and use. The Kobo can be held with one hand and pages turned very easily. This cannot be said for the Kindle. Also the Kobo has a quilted, padded rubber back, which is very comfortable to hold and use. The Kindle on the other hand has an aluminum front and a plastic back with a wide gap around the seam. I found this often caught the skin, especially while trying to read one-handed. The Kindle 3 uses the new micro USB jack and it is not noticeable at all. The Kobo still uses a mini USB and it is a little knobby and needs to be avoided when holding the device. Less important to some, but the Kindle only comes in white or graphite; the Kobo comes in porcelain, onyx, metallic silver and pearlized lilac. But overall comfort goes to Kobo.
Next let's examine ease of eBook Library management. Both devices can sync wirelessly with their proprietary book stores. Both can sync with Adobe digital editions. You can use third party software to connect to both and convert and sync DRM free eBooks in an appropriate format, such as Calibre eBook Management software. But the biggest advantage goes to Kobo for its use with local libraries. I have checked numerous local libraries, specifically the Kitchener Public Library and the Kingston Public Library, and both will allow borrowing eBooks to your Kobo but not to your Kindle. Both of those libraries and many more in Canada use Overdrive for its eLending, and they support almost any device except the Kindle. Both support Magazine and Newspaper subscriptions to an equal extent. Capacity is another concern. The Kobo comes with 1GB internal memory and about 900mb available for content, and the Kindle comes with 4GB internal memory and about 3GB available for content. But the Kobo has an SD Card reader and can support up to a 32GB expanded memory. I currently have 179 books on my Kobo and still have almost 800MB free space. I also tested with an 8GB micro SD card and moved the library to it with no discernable performance issues. For management of eBooks and device syncing, the round goes to the Kobo again.
Finally, let's look directly at use of the device. The Kindle OS is much more responsive and page turns or menu selection is much faster. Also, on the Kindle you have the option of rotating the text and having a wider screen to read on. The Kobo OS is a little more user friendly - the menu selection, sorting options and navigation are more intuitive and straight forward. I have a feeling the Kobo response time will improve with OS updates or the next generation or hardware. Both devices have a wide range of font selection and repaginates books in response to your selection. What I like about the Kobo is that it tells you what page out of total pages. The Kindle tells you page in section out of total sections. So that round would be a tie.
As life becomes more and more digital, the need to know what devices to use becomes paramount, as otherwise we spend time and money on something only to switch and learn a new system in a short time. As the proliferation of eBooks is continually expanding and many first-run books now simultaneously release as physical books and eBooks, and the eBook is often cheaper, the decision to use an eReader as a primary form of literary entertainment becomes more important. But in reality there are numerous devices that can be used for reading eBooks - the iPad, a BlackBerry and even the BlackBerry Playbook comes preloaded with the Kobo app, the Nook, the Sony reader and more. At my last count there were over 20 eBook formats and over 50 different eReaders and various models released since 2007 alone.
Shortly after Kobo entered the market, Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle. And Amazon dropped its price again after Barnes and Noble dropped the price of the Nook Book Reader. Recently Kobo announced a price drop to $129CDN.
Also to be considered, Amazon does have a Kindle DX which is a larger screen, thinner body. It is used at some schools now as a sole textbook. If you were going to be annotating texts, making notes or using it as a technical manual, the Kindle DX of Kindle would most likely be the way to go. If you are using the device primarily for leisure reading, or fiction, then I would state go with the Kobo. Kobo is also owned in majority by Canadian shareholders, and just dropped the prince to $129. Yet with all that being said, best bang for your buck and comfort to read, the Kobo wins with a KO over the Kindle.
(Top graphic from PD Gillismith, bottom graphic by Ian Renato Cutajar.)
(First published in Imprint 2011-05-06 as 'Kobo versus Kindle: an e-reader rumble'.)
Note: Last year I wrote a review of the Kobo just before it hit the Market, you can read it here.
Jon S. Lewis is an American writer. He co-authored the Greg Griffins books with Derek Benz. His first solo book Invasion a C.H.A.O.S. novel was released in January of 2011. He has held numerous artistic roles from writing a twelve part comic book series, to doing voice over work. Jon graduated Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Broadcasting. He has also been a web developer, speech writer, worked in graphic design, marketing and many other jobs along the way. Recently he took the time to answer 20 questions for the readers here at Book Reviews and More.
1. If you had not become a writer what do you think you would be doing for a living?
Well, I've been a bit of a vocational gypsy. I've waited tables, painted murals, designed websites, worked on a video game startup, I was an art director, marketing executive and I worked in radio and television. So I'm not sure what I'd be qualified to do. I love public speaking -- especially to tweens and teens. And I enjoy social media marketing, so maybe one of those.
2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you nurture that dream?
I always knew I wanted to be creative, and writing was just a part of that. I also loved to draw (probably my first love), but for the most part I like coming up with stories regardless of the medium. And to be honest, I just sat down and started writing. No training. No degree (well, my degree is broadcast journalism).
3. Who were some of your biggest supporters and contributors to your early success?
My wife was my biggest supporter -- by far. It's a scary industry, so that she has supported me in this crazy journey of extreme highs and lows has been invaluable. I also have had great support from my editors (Lisa Sandell, Alvina Ling, Connie Hsu and Amanda Bostic), and the agents I've worked with (Nancy Coffey and Lee Hough).
4. What authors influenced your writing style and format?
Well, I'm not sure any authors would want to claim me and I wouldn't blame them. I grew up loving Tolkien, Sendak and Lewis. Right now I like minimalist styles -- writers who are descriptive without being flowery or overwhelming you with adjectives and adverbs. Kate DiCamillo comes to mind. And to some extent, the first HUNGER GAMES book by Suzanne Collins.
5. What advice do you wish an artist had passed on to you early in your career, which you only learned through experience?
Save a ton of money and keep your day job until you have enough that your grandchildren won't have to work. Even then, you might want to double that. Oh, and don't use so many adjectives and adverbs. There was only one Tolkien, and that isn't you. And then, use "said" when modifying dialogue -- and only "said."
6. What does your writing process look like? Takes us through the steps from idea to publishing?
It changes with every book, but it always starts with character. If you don't have a character that connects with the reader, you'll never succeed. Everything else is secondary (by far). Then come up with a great plot that's dictated by who that character really is. It's a lot like creating characters for an RPG or a video game. The more you know about your characters, the more real they will become.
7. What of your books was the hardest to write and why?
INVASION was the most difficult because I put way too much pressure on myself. I was more worried about critical acclaim than writing to my strengths. That happened again with my follow up (which we just titled FLIGHT), but I've learned my lesson. I am who I am, and that's it.
8. What was your favorite book to write and why?
INVASION, for the same reason. It made me grow and become a better writer. It was critical. My goal is to get better with each book.
9. One of the greatest strengths in your books are the characters, they are so solid and believable. The characters you create, are they reflections of people you know, composites of different people you know or entirely your creations?
It starts as a composite of friends, family, and characters from books, TV and movies. But after about 5 pages they start to morph into a unique individual. After the second draft, they are usually fairly unique. Inspiration -- and to some extent -- copying is fine as long as it eventually morphs into something new.
10. I once heard Madeleine L'Engle state that her characters were real to her and almost an extended part of her family, she said once that at the dinner table she sat up and stated "Meg just finished her PhD." Are your characters real to you, do you ever get glimpses of what they are up to now, or once you finish a book is that it?
You know, I've really tried to work on that. I've focused more on action, pacing and fun than I have digging deeper emotionally with my characters, but as a part of my growth as a writer, I'm changing my focus. I hope one day I'll see them in the same light as she saw hers.
11. What were some of your favorite authors in your teen years who helped shape you?
Virtually all of them are fantasy authors, even though I don't read straight fantasy any longer. J.R.R. Tolkien. C.S. Lewis. Frank E. Peretti. Jack L. Chalker. Raymond E. Feist. Joel Rosenberg.
12. What are some of your favorite books and authors now?
An author who is new to me is Paolo Bacagalupi, and he wrote a wonderful book called SHIP BREAKER. I dug Tony DiTerlizzi's WONDLA and WATER WARS by Cameron Stracher. The first HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins was incredible.
13. What books are currently in progress for you? Writing, researching, planning or even just ideas that you would like to work on?
Well, I'm finishing up on FLIGHT (the follow-up to INVASION), and I'm looking at plotting a Dystopian book as well as a humorous book with illustrations (kind of like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID). I do a lot of speaking at schools, and I have a good time making the audience laugh. I'd like that humor to come across more in my books.
14. Do you use a playlist when writing? Are certain books written while predominantly listing to the same music?
Yes, at least in the past. I even have playlists for certain scenes, chapters and characters. However, lately I've needed to write in absolute quiet. It's kind of lame, but it's where I am.
15. What advice would you give to teens today, to your readers, what gems of knowledge have you gleaned in life that you would pass on?
Wow, that's a lot of pressure. I guess I'd give two pieces of advice. Number one, don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Okay, so maybe you won't make it to the NFL or the NBA, but someone has to. And somebody is going to cure cancer, or write the next HARRY POTTER or be the first to walk on Mars. Why not you? Number two, if you want to be popular -- I'm talking really popular, like the homecoming king or queen, don't be a jerk. Putting other people down to make yourself look better is for losers. The truly popular people aren't the prettiest or the best athletes, they are the people who treat everyone -- regardless of looks, finances or talent -- equally. It'll take you far in life.
16. A few of your books are available in electronic formats but with that comes bootleg distribution. What are your impressions of ebooks and the distribution of them through torrents and other illegal means?
Personally, if someone is stealing a book (and it's stealing) the truth is that the person who is stealing probably wouldn't have bought it to begin with. So it doesn't really bother me. After all, you can read books at the library for free. I look at it like advertising. If someone steals it, reads it and likes it, hopefully he/she will tell friends - or buy the rest of my books.
17. Some authors monitor torrent sites and have their publishers contact them to remove their content. Do you do so are have someone do so for you?
I don't have time for that. I'd rather hang out with my wife and kids.
18. I once had a university professor state that the true goal of a university education should be to teach one to learn how to think. What would you state should be the goal of higher education and why?
It should be to teach you how to provide for your family, period. It costs too much money and takes too long if that's not the goal. A Master's degree in Creative Writing is a good way to waste tens of thousands of dollars that you likely won't recoup. University-level writing programs don't even tell you how to get published. It's sad, really. I mean, sure. You need to be a critical thinker, but if you are talking about writing, don't waste your money. Get something that makes you marketable -- or teaches you how to market your books or manage your finances. You can learn how to be a better writer if you buy a book on writing from Donald Maass or Noah Lukeman, and that only costs $15.
19. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have 10 books to read again and again, what books would you want with you?
1) The Bible 2) The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller 3) Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders 4) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 5-7) Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 8) Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak 9) Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi 10) World War Z by Max Brooks
20. What advice would you give to young aspiring authors and artists?
Just write. Be observant. Take lots of notes on everything you see. Don't be scared. Get ready for lots of rejection and public criticism. Study the business. Get better with each story you write.
Thanks you Jon for taking the time to answer some questions.
Books by Jon S. Lewis:
Grey Griffins :
The Revenge of the Shadow King (2006)
The Rise of the Black Wolf (2007)
The Fall of the Templar (2008)
Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles:
The Brimstone Key (2010)
The Relic Hunters (2011)
The Paragon Prison (2012)
C.H.A.O.S. Series:
Invasion (2011)
Alienation (2012)
Domination (2013)
Free Realms:
Free Realms (12 part comic book series.)
Free Realms Book 1 (Issues 1-6) Graphic Novel (2010)
Free Realms Book 2 (Issues 7-12) Graphic Novel (2010)
The Mysterious Journals of J.S. Lewis (????)
Author Profile Interview with Jon S. Lewis.
G is for One Gzonk!: 
