Literature Map

I’ve discovered a new-to-me wondrous website for readers, Literature-Map.

It’s a “if you like this author you should try this one” map. You type in an author’s name, and a page pops up with that author’s name in the centre, surrounded by other authors read by people who read the first. The closer they are, the more people read both.

I typed in Philip Pullman, and there’s Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynne Jones, and Madeleine L’Engle and Cornelia Funk and …

If I click on Tamora Pierce I get a new map, with Pierce in the centre, surrounded by a whole new bunch of authors, some of whom I don’t know. And I want to, because I love Tamora Pierce and this is a way to find more books like hers.

When I click on Lloyd Alexander, a childhood favorite, I find Susan Cooper, Tamora Pierce, Mary Stewart and Diana Wynne Jones cuddled up close, and other writers I love nearby. And those new ones? I’ll have to check them out.

I have spotted some typos – Le Guin and Ursula K. Leguin are both on the Lloyd Alexander map, in different locations. But that’s a small quibble. I find this an enormously useful website, with a brilliantly simple design.

http://www.literature-map.com/

Maureen

A Brilliant Writing Day

I had a great writing day earlier this week. I’ve been editing a novel manuscript and on Tuesday, I saw exactly what needed to be done to make it work. I knew what to add and what to tweak, with a clarity that is incredibly rare, at least for me.

It was like working on a plastic puzzle where you move around little squares, to make a pattern, and you play and play and play and just can’t see the way and then – there – you see it – and there’s lots of moves left to make but you know where you’re going now.

That was my day. I know where I’m going now. For this story. Of course, every story is its own puzzle that needs to be cracked. I need to remember this day when I’m stuck in the next puzzle.

Maureen

Website Fail

For anyone who has had trouble getting on to my site in the last few days, my apologies. There was a “clerical error” at the domain company. Everything should be fine now.

Maureen