Comments on: The Gateway Story

By: shelleybear

shelleybear — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:26:12 +0000

“A lot of writers have minds more orderly than my own. These tidier souls tend to write out a synopsis of what the book is going to be, all the way to the conclusion, before they write a single line of the actual text. This approach to the how-to of writing is simply alien to my nature. Instead, when I get a sort of general idea I simply start to write, making it up as I go along. Writing, then, is pretty much a process of discovery for me. As I write I see more and more of the implications of that original idea, and I shape my story line accordingly.”

Fred, I wish my printer was working.
I want a copy of this framed and hanging over my computer.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:52:36 +0000

Fermi may be the scientist you are thinking of. Timothy Ferris, in the show ‘Life beyond Earth’ had a good comeback to that. One evening he invited a lobster to dinner. He opened his door and waited at the dining table for the lobster to show up. The lobster never came. It was an example of ‘absence of proof is not proof of absence’.

By: Paul J. Kossick

Paul J. Kossick — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:49:07 +0000

I was just out bookshopping today, and unfortunately had to order a used copy of Heechee Rendezvous, as I’ve recently decided to re-read the whole saga. Books 3 through 5 seem to be out of pritn, but that got me to thinking; wouldn’t it be great to have the whole Heechee Saga in one volume, ala the ‘More Than Complete Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’? Anyways, I suppose I can dream. Here’s hoping I can find the rest of them when I get that far!

By: Michael R.

Michael R. — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:33:31 +0000

Having only started exploring writing, I can sympathize with your methodology. I have tried the “organized” approach, and find it stifles the creativity in me.

Came to this by way of an io9 article on “Gateway”. Now I’m going to have to go track a copy down and re-read it.

Thanks for the great work!

By: Cliff Winnig

Cliff Winnig — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 08:50:56 +0000

It’s heartening to know that you explore your ideas by writing the actual book. I have described my own writing process as being like reading, only slower. I write the first draft to find out what happens next. Sometimes I have a pretty good, if murky idea of what’ll happen, but often the coolest parts of the plot emerge from the writing itself, totally unanticipated.

I read Gateway at an impressionable age, when I was in junior high. I was probably a bit young for some of the grownup themes, but in that way the book itself helped me to grow up, to understand how adults could get screwed up and develop psychological baggage. Also, its society, imagery, and mysterious aliens have stayed with me. One thing I liked about the Heechee was that, even after they actually appeared in the series, they stayed interesting because they were both alien and, as individuals, people I could empathize with.

By: Alan

Alan — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 06:07:21 +0000

Thanks for the story of how you came up with the idea of this great book.
Gateway is one of my favorite books.
I read it every few years.
Thanks for writing it.