9 Comments

I loved reading this- thank you! It brought to mind other ways in which this space and mystery is created. Ali Smith writes in this way, I feel. Also, this weekend I watched Asteroid City, which I felt evoked this sense of space, liminality and beauty. I have your book on pre-order and I cannot wait to read it.

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Oh thank you Ruth! Specially for the Asteroid City recommendation, which I've tucked away. Last night I re-watched Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the Celine Sciamma film, which is full of space and silence - absolutely beautiful. And so *confident*. Thank you so much for your kind words about my work, R.

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Thanks Charlotte! Love your thoughts. Those moments of space are so needed.

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What a wonderfully illuminating start to Subtraction! Thank you Charlotte. I love the concept for your newsletter and look forward to subtracting more as the year progresses.

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Thank you Alia!

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Beautifully articulated. I write mainly for children so there is an extra layer of second-guessing when it comes to how much to explain, not to mention a chain of adults who will have an opinion on whether I've explained enough or too much before it reaches the intended reader. In my early days as a writer I received "too obscure" as a criticism but I sometimes wonder if back then I was writing more freely. A pile of novels later I'm finding some balance. And like you I've enjoyed taking risks with recent books and thinking 'to hell with it, I'll never please everyone'.

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Thank you Emily! Interesting thinking about how differently these considerations play out across genres.

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This is such a generous insight, Charlotte. Thank you x

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Thank you Jodi.

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