Joyce Carol Oates - On Writing Characters

Added: Aug 10, 2007

Duration: 5:40

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=1204 Critically acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates discusses how a writer develops realistic characters, using examples from her novel "The Gravedigger's Daughter." ----- Joyce Carol Oates talks about "The Gravedigger's Daughter." A family desperate to escape Nazi Germany settles in upstate New York, where the father is demeaned by the only job he can get: gravedigger an cemetery caretaker. What follows is a tale of unspeakable tragedy, as the gravedigger's daughter begins her astonishing pilgrimage into America, an odyssey of ingenious self-invention and bittersweet triumph - Book Passage Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American author and the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing at Princeton University, where she has taught since 1978. She serves as associate editor for the Ontario Review, a literary magazine, and the Ontario Review Press, a literary book publisher, both of which are edited by her husband, Raymond J. Smith. Oates has also written under the pseudonyms "Rosamond Smith" and "Lauren Kelly." Her most recent book is "The Gravedigger's Daughter."

Channel: People

Tags: authors books creating developing dialogue dramatic editor fiction foratv literature narrative novelists realism writers

Rating: 4.83 (52 ratings) Views: 19719' favoriteCount='195 Comments: 25

Lisbondreams Says:

Apr 12, 2008 - phenomenal artist... Among the greats.

TheNuminous Says:

Apr 18, 2008 - Imagining your characters are sentient is a good recipe for a potboiler.

Desertionreality Says:

Jun 15, 2008 - Your one of them. Now go away.

Desertionreality Says:

Jun 15, 2008 - What a cool personality. I haven't read a whole lot of her works, but have enjoyed many biographies and could probably watch these interviews all day.

TheRealBladeRunner Says:

Jun 19, 2008 - *You're.

Desertionreality Says:

Jun 19, 2008 - Wow. Thank you for that spell correction. Such superior intelligence deserves an award. But you still need to go away.

Desertionreality Says:

Jun 19, 2008 - What was your point exactly? This wasn't meant to be an in depth guide for teaching people who want to get over their '40 year writing block' - its a simple fun interview. If it isn't on par with the standards that you'd like for it because of some ingrained hostility towards horses or something, then I suggest you make one yourself.

CustomDissertation Says:

Jun 26, 2008 - I really enjoyed Joyce Carol Oates' works; I had the opportunity to read them while I studied at Canisius College.

chopin65 Says:

Jul 24, 2008 - What she says about character is so true. I tend to write in 1st person. This happens when I have an idea of a setting and out of my memory comes this form. For example, I am writing a short story now set in an art school. The main character is a young man. Page one he was there, and it felt as if I were just there writing down what he said. Sometimes characters will babble, but that is because I am not listening very well.

sdlwolff Says:

Aug 3, 2008 - it's time for the independent authors to rise from the bottom of the pile and take our place at the top where we belong!!!!!!! visit my channel....we need to change the game...sick of these agents and publishing houses? i know i am.

hotcarlreeves Says:

Aug 12, 2008 - bitch sure likes to talk

CoolBigWillieStyles Says:

Aug 19, 2008 - If anyone is interested, i really enjoyed The Remarkable Resurrection of Lazaros X by Les Terry, its an AUSTRALIAN novel, A must read, im pretty sure amazon has it.

Banakaal Says:

Aug 31, 2008 - If you don't know the difference between 'Your' and 'You're', then you would benefit from an English class before you start writing in the hope of being read. If you are here just for interest's sake then maybe you are forgiven!

Desertionreality Says:

Aug 31, 2008 - What is it about the youtube community putting so much focus on spelling. This isn't a novel - it's a low class chat room where people blow off steam far more then make useful comments. Typo's happen. A year and a half ago I had a short story published in Asimov's; "A General Pacifist". The real point is that somebody who can judge a person's knowledge based on so little sounds more like a bitter critic then an ever growing writer. Go take as many classes as you want. It can't teach passion.

Banakaal Says:

Aug 31, 2008 - Your nickname says much. I agree, YouTube's Character count is a problem. Exact grammar is hard. You display ignorance of basics, so how can you expect anyone to take you seriously? Manuscripts that read as if they written by poorly educated ten-year olds, don't get published; unless the ten year old is a genius. I'm no 'bitter critic'; merely . trying to explain things as they are. Learn the use of the apostrophe. George Bernard Shaw could ignore this rule, (He thought) but we mortals can't.

hotcarlreeves Says:

Sep 1, 2008 - goddammit dont censor me

davwar73 Says:

Sep 13, 2008 - A comma is not necessary after "ten-year olds". Also, you are a little liberal in your use of semi-colons. You've dropped a 'were' before written.

Banakaal Says:

Sep 13, 2008 - I put a comma after 'ten-year olds'. The sentence needed a pause. Read it without pausing at the comma. Then you might wish to reconsider if a comma is optional or maybe even necessary. Do you know what a semi-colon does? It seems you don't know. I didn't miss a 'were'. I left in a 'they' by accident. That was a typo. Do you know what typos are? As I said,the character count in YT makes it difficult to write correct syntax and grammar.. OK Teacher?

isainathan Says:

Sep 16, 2008 - God this woman is so good. Have any of you read her novel 'them' from 1970? Genial!

ShortStoryComp Says:

Sep 21, 2008 - Enter a short story competition and win a cash prize. Click on my profile to find out more.

mastercraftsucks Says:

Oct 9, 2008 - Tad Williams pwns this woman anytime

neimon Says:

Oct 13, 2008 - That comma is incorrect. There is no phrase to set off. You're writing as if that's a pause for breath. If it were dialog, that'd be almost acceptable. But it's not. So how about we all chill on this subject?

lilxkarmaxmonster Says:

Oct 16, 2008 - Maybe that's because they were paying her to talk.....

ThexFinalxSayonara Says:

Oct 31, 2008 - This lady seems pretty nice. She reminds me of my Gramma. I bet she's very good at her writing.

vinilla Says:

Nov 22, 2008 - Madonna is the best!