Literary Birthday – 10 November – Jack Ketchum

Jack Ketchum was born 10 November 1946 and died 24 January 2018.

Quotes

1. I begin with theme and character, not story. In fact very often the characters create the exact nature of the story as it goes along, and sometimes they surprise me. That’s part of the fun.
2. I just yesterday wrote a poem for my cat. But all kinds of things trigger the urge to write. Something that pisses me off. Somebody I love. And the love of writing itself, of the process, of being allowed to live for a time inside your own imagination – and actually get paid for it! That’s pretty amazing.
3. Read everything, not just in genre. If you like a writer’s licks, try making them your own. Start writing short stuff, not novels. Find a reasonable schedule to write in and stick to it. Apply ass to chair. And then, as Robert Bloch once told me, if you don’t have to write, don’t do it.

Jack Ketchum, who was born Dallas William Mayr, was an American horror fiction author who won four Bram Stoker Awards. His novels included Off Season, Red, and The Woman, which were adapted to film.

Source for screenshot

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_Ketchum_20090315_Salon_du_livre_2.jpg

Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Source for quotes

 by Amanda Patterson

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