Recently I picked up a copy of Bryce Courtenay's
The Silver Moon - Reflections on Life, Death and Writing.
I have to be honest, out of eight titles I own of Bryce Courtenay's, I have only managed to read two of them from start to finish. April Fools Day, published in 1993 was one of those titles, the other was The Power Of One, published in 1989.
The Silver Moon is a portrait of Bryce's work where he as the title suggests reflects upon his life before, during and after becoming a popular fiction writer. You get to see Bryce not only as a writer / storyteller but as a husband, father and friend.
I loved reading through and absorbing the abundance of advice he provides for anyone who wants to be a good writer, to improve their writing and grasp the basic necessity's in understanding what is most important in being successful in storytelling.
I wish I had been fortunate enough to attend one of Bryce Courtenay's masterclasses. I think the personal gratification in meeting him and learning from his valuable lessons would've been second to none. His courses stretched out over five days within several countries including Australia - with the National Library of Canberra home to these classes. I think it would've been nice to look back, especially now Bryce Courtenay has passed away and say, I was fortunate enough to meet and learn from this guy.
Here's a quote that stood out for me. It's not just a play on words, a thought or process, but it resonates and has meaning, it's the truth and everyone can place themselves somewhere within this tier of life.
"You live three lives.
One growing up; one being responsible, paying the mortgage and having kids, and one being yourself. I'm in my third stage." he tells.
One of Bryce's teachings of writing, not just popular fiction, but any writing, is considering your reader as paramount ( treat them as a fourth protagonist) after all your telling them the story and their listening attentively, so keep their attention alive.
"Writing is about practice and practice takes time."
"Writing requires thinking at a deeper level than most things, and most writers find that they grow intellectually in the process of writing."
If you're a writer, like myself, then perhaps like me you understand the last passage. I often have people say to me I'm a deep thinker, but I've never associated that thought with me as a writer; now I do. And yes, as writers we must become more intellectual because we learn so much through writing.
The Silver Moon, should be every writers ambition to read at least once; for me, I believe it should be an essential addition among my books on writing, taking pride of place among the rest of them. I'm so glad I picked this book up at the library and got to read it, learn from it and gain a respect for Bryce Courtenay I wouldn't have otherwise known.
Finally,
"I'm a storyteller.
Some people are plumbers, some people are doctors, some are lawyers.
I'm a storyteller."
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