Finished reading an excellent biography of Anton Chekhov by Donald Rayfield. It was so well researched, so vivid, that I felt I had a really well-rounded view of the playwright/author by the end of it, not overly coloured by speculation or opinion from the biographer.
I would recommend this work to anyone who has an interest in writing, or the theatre. It really shows the growth of an emerging writer at the start of his career trying to urgently earn money for his family, to someone concerned with innovation at the top of his profession.
I was urged to read this book by a good friend as a reminder that people are not born being, great, or even good writers, becoming good takes time, and you have to write and write and write.
What also came across was how much Chekhov used his own experience throughout his life, invariably figures from his life would turn up in his works, but most importantly, his recurring themes and preoccupations were constantly being explored.
In the past I have at times been reluctant to write with the flow of my emotions or use too much direct experience. Now though I am ready to get real. I will have my ears and open over the coming years as I prepare to write my novel, I am ready to mine the depths of my soul for my themes.
Then, when I get a bit worried at that thought, I think about Nabakov's Lolita just to remind myself of what is possible - such serious dark themes, which to this day, can often be viewed as taboo when raised in the course of everyday conversation. Surely, a lesser writer could not have pulled off such subject matter with the same beauty and aplomb? Then, I am reminded it is all about craft, how you present a thing to a reader. Nothing for it, but to write and write and write and write.