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Elizabeth George Gives '06 Library Author Series Finale
Mrs. George, who has published 22 novels, collecting many awards along the way, says it is her characters that determine how her stories play out. "That is the most creative part of writing," she said, "letting the characters determine the story. Once I create that real person, they do what they want to do. I only channel them." She admits that many of her characters are family based, which she attributes to her own upbringing in a large Italian family on her mother's side. "Most of my books come down to that," she told her audience of nearly 30 people at the library. "I started writing at the age of seven, usually writing short stories about people from large families." Her infatuation with mystery writing spawned from her childhood friendship with an adopted girl from Manchester, England, whom she met in her eighth grade class. Knowing little about England, Mrs. George, as a young writer, began drawing her inspiration for short stories from her friend, and, in turn, she would help teach her English friend how to diagram sentences. "I was the world's best at diagramming sentences," she chuckled. After a few years of writing poetry and screen plays for television, Mrs. George, who now makes her home in Seattle, went on to become a high school English teacher for 13 years. During that time, she was introduced to a mystery deconstruction course that intrigued her enough to attempt to write a mystery novel. Her first novel, "A Great Deliverance" (1983), earned her the Anthony Award, the Agatha Award, and France's Le Grand Prix de Literature Policiere. She was also nominated for the Macavity Award and Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Mrs. George completed her 22nd book this year, "What Came Before He Shot Her," which continues the ongoing saga of her famed character, British Inspector Thomas Lynley. Staying the course of each project is her key to success with publishing 22 novels, she told the audience. From an off-the-wall story involving a lagoon in Butte, Montana, to "terrible, terrible poetry," to each successful mystery novel, "I always finish what I start," she said. "Whether it be good, bad, or ugly, I finish it." She contributes her disciplined writing to her love of reading books, instead of watching television, and to her mother, whom she said was extremely disciplined in organization. To prepare a new novel, Mrs. George first completes the craft of the story, setting the stage and the plot, starting a list of generic characters, then figuring out who will be the killer. She often will go on location to gather information, and owns a flat in London, where Inspector Lynley works. She then begins the artistic part of creating a novel, which is where she must captivate her readers. "I fail as an artist if someone just puts the book down after reading it and says, 'la-de-da, just another day,'" Mrs. George explained. "I succeed if the reader feels the emotion of the character. I'm in the business to connect with the reader. The many emails I get from people upset over one of their favorite characters being killed, for example, shows me I've succeeded in touching the readers." Creating each character is the most enjoyable part of writing, she said. She keeps a profile on each character, which she believes helps her to overcome writer's block. Mrs. George admits that she does not like revising her manuscripts, so she depends on her gut feeling when writing, carefully and meticulously going over each scene, committing long hours to her first draft. "If I don't feel the excitement, I don't write it," she said simply. "I trust my own body. It never lies to me." Mrs. George said her career as a mystery writer is as exciting to her as it was when she first started. "I do not find writing a chore," she said. "For me, it maintains my mental health. Most writers are called to be writers. I was drawn to it. I love to write of that which I love to read." |
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