To commemorate Neil Gaiman’s 61st birthday this month, we want to celebrate his life by remembering some of his greatest works. But first, let’s do a retrospective on the journey and the obstacles that the author of Stardust and Coraline experienced.
The Makings of a Writer
Like many authors, rejection was not a stranger to Neil Gaiman. He too received a large number of rejections at the start of his career but that did little to deter him from his pursuits in writing. In hopes of honing his skills as a writer, Gaiman became a freelance journalist in England after receiving several rejections for his short stories. The rejections would only fuel him as he came to understand what he needed to work on to better understand his voice as a writer as well as the world he wrote about in his stories.
Becoming a journalist enabled him to analyze text thoroughly on books he was reviewing in his own time. Rather than reading a literary work from the perspective of a reader, he was taught by other authors such as Gwyneth Jones and Mary Gentle to read as a writer would––someone who looks for meaning in the literary work, distinguishes the style of the writing, and responding to stories beyond the surface.
Rising Writing Career
Over the years, Gaiman would build connections through his journalism career. Collaborating with several authors such as Terry Pratchett and Alan Moore helped open up doors for him. The first of these doors led into the comic book world. While he wrote a number of comics, it was the DC Comic Sandman that would ultimately receive the most attention. Sandman later won the 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story. Earning himself this title as a creator for modern comics that ranges between genres was a sign that his prolific career was only just beginning.
Writing Fantasy for the Ages
As Neil Gaiman’s career grew, he went on to write some of his most popular work for all ages. These range from fantasy novels such as Stardust and American Gods to the dark fantasy children’s novellas like Coraline, to science fiction novels like InterWorld. The disparate genres and age groups Gaiman chooses to write for are truly amazing, earning himself a widespread of recognition through his novels.
His extensive career as a novelist expanded to other realms. His stories were brought to life on the big and little screens, as well as plays and musicals. He even served as a screenwriter for Robert Zemeckis’s 2007 film adaptation of Beowulf. The film adaptations of Stardust and Coraline brought Gaiman’s stories to life in ways that were unique, depicting his creativity and sharing the magic he describes in his books vividly.
From An Aspiring Writer to An Award-Winning Author
From starting out as a journalist who was rejected multiple times for his short stories to becoming a well-known author, Neil Gaiman’s remarkable journey and great success is truly inspiring. Throughout his career, Neil Gaiman’s work was honored with several international awards. These awards include Nebula Awards, World Fantasy Awards, the Bram Stoker Awards, and many more. Because of all the recognition and success, Gaiman is an author aspiring writers look to for advice. His advice often boils down to: be honest with yourself when it comes to your writing. Finish what you’ve started. Write the story that you care about and that people would want to read because there is room for your stories in the world.
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