A Drift of Quills: Lunch Date With an Author

A Drift of Quills is sitting down to a virtual lunch, each with the author of their choice. Who do you think we’ll choose and why? Read on to find out…

Choosing a single author to sit down and have a chat with is as bad as choosing your favorite book! Or color! Or child! There is a spectacular list to choose from, and stalking up and down between my bookshelves left me dizzy with indecision.

If I were to choose someone from the past, what kind of language and societal hurdles would we face when we tried to communicate? That’d be a whole conversation right there, but let’s assume we’ve been endowed with translation devices so we’ll both be on the same page (pun alert!). In that case…

I still had to hem and haw, and eventually decided that I’d use the same criteria for choosing my favorite color: It depends on what it’s for and how I feel at the moment. I might change my mind completely next week.

Today’s lunch will be al fresco at The Cheesecake Factory, and Mr. C.S. Lewis will be joining me. I’m not sure how much talking I’d do—I’d be such a bundle of nerves that I’d either clam up or babble. Probably the latter—but I would be happy to listen to what he has to say!

How did he come to write The Chronicles of Narnia? I struggle with “length”; how did he accomplish (so beautifully) “shorth”? How did he go about the process of writing, and how did he discover what worked best for him? What does he think of the world today—and would it prompt him to write a series of dystopian novels? What did he give up to write (because we all have to give up something), and does he think now that it was worth it? Who in his past most influenced his writing? How did he feel about JRR Tolkien’s criticism of his Narnia books?

We might have to stay until breakfast…

P.S. BROADDUS

Author of A Hero’s Curse (The Unseen Chronicles Book 1)
PS’s website

During a recent interview, I mentioned my favorite storytellers, and I even had to decide which author I’d want as company in a submarine. This go around it’s lunch with an author from the past. Over hamburgers, we’d talk about habits and describe growing up. We’d finish off with a milkshake and chat about what informed their writing.

It’s a heavy decision, obviously. I mean, you have to agree on where to eat. My pick may surprise you, but I think you’ll follow my reasoning. (What reasoning would that be, exactly? Click here to find out!)

PATRICIA REDING

Author of Oathtaker and Select
Patricia’s website

This might be the most difficult question presented yet! There are so many logistics to consider. If I choose someone no longer living, just how would the two of us arrange this lunch? Where would we meet? On this side of the divide? Or the other? (Oh, imagine!) If I choose someone whose native language is neither English nor Sarcasm (which is to say, not one I speak), how will we understand one another? Use some instant translation program? (Oh, I can see the problems arising from that already!)

Even assuming all the “how and where” details can be arranged, I have to consider whether I’d rather have lunch with a famous historical figure/politician who also happened to have a gift for words… (See where Patricia is going with this here!)

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How about you? Who will you have to lunch (or drinks, or any other meal)?
What will you talk about? Give us a peek in the comments!