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Neil Gaiman – on writing The Graveyard Book

Bloomsbury Publishing

38K views 16 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What do you think a writer might mean by a “writing journey”?
From the title, what part of writing a book do you expect Neil Gaiman to talk about (ideas, planning, time, feelings, or something else)?
What kinds of experiences do you think can change how a writer tells a story?

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Neil Gaiman – on writing The Graveyard Book

The idea and the long delay (00:00 – 02:12)

Transcript will load here…

1. Why did the speaker first get the idea for the story?

He read a history book about a local cemetery.
He saw his child riding a tricycle among gravestones and looking comfortable there.
He had a dream about jungle animals raising a child.
He visited a school and saw children playing.

2. What other book does the speaker compare his idea to?

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Jungle Book
The Hobbit
Treasure Island

3. Why did he keep putting the book off for years?

He thought he wasn’t a good enough writer yet.
He didn’t like writing long books.
He lost the first draft and had to start again.
A publisher told him to wait until 2003.

Neil Gaiman – on writing The Graveyard Book

Starting the book in a new way (02:12 – 02:56)

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1. Around what time did the speaker decide to start the book properly?

About 1973
About 2013
About 2003
About 1993

2. How did he begin writing this time?

He wrote a detailed outline and didn’t draft any chapters.
He started in the middle with “The Witch’s headstone” (chapter 4).
He rewrote the first page again and again.
He wrote the ending first, then the beginning.

3. What does he say about writing a “better” book over time?

You don’t necessarily write a better book; you write a different one.
Time always makes your books better.
A better book comes from writing faster.
A better book comes from copying your earlier style.

Neil Gaiman – on writing The Graveyard Book

What the book is really about: life, parenting, and moving on (02:56 – 04:58)

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1. Why does he say a graveyard setting helps him write about life?

Because he only likes writing about ghosts.
Because graveyards are more exciting than jungles.
Because life becomes more visible when contrasted with death (like white chalk on black paper).
Because schools are too quiet for stories.

2. What does he call the “Glorious tragedy” of being a parent?

Parents must always follow their children everywhere.
Children never change no matter how they are raised.
If you do your job right, your children grow up and go away.
The best parenting is to avoid letting children grow up.

3. What does he say the book is about near the end of the talk?

Learning to ride a tricycle
Growing up, learning, and moving on
Solving mysteries in a churchyard
Winning awards and becoming famous

Neil Gaiman – on writing The Graveyard Book

Transcript will load here…

1. What is the speaker’s main realization about the “journey” of writing this book?

It was mainly about finding the right publisher.
It was about learning to write faster under pressure.
It was less about becoming a better writer and more about becoming a different person.
It was about copying a classic story exactly.

2. Why did the speaker struggle to write the book when he was younger?

He didn’t know what a graveyard was.
He didn’t have any story idea at all.
He hadn’t yet lived through experiences that helped him understand the book’s themes.
He refused to write fiction before 2003.

3. What is one central theme the speaker connects to the book’s ending?

Letting go as children grow up and move into their own lives
Finding hidden treasure in old places
Defeating a villain through magic
Becoming the best student in school

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Neil Gaiman – on writing The Graveyard Book

Do you agree that you don’t necessarily write a “better” book over time, only a different one? Why or why not?
Have you ever “put something off” because you thought you weren’t ready? What happened later?
Why do you think a story set among dead people could be a powerful way to write about life?
What experiences do you think change a person’s writing (or any creative work) the most?