On Monday I listened to a very interesting interview with Will Self on Open Book on BBC Radio 4. He has gone back to doing his writing on a typewriter. Why has he ditched his computer? He says that a writer who uses a computer does his thinking on the screen; whereas a writer who uses a typewriter does his thinking on the page which involves a lot of rewrites therefore a computer is no advantage. I would have to disagree because a computer is indispensable when it comes to editing your writing. He also revealed that his spelling had deteriorated due to using a computer – did he never hear of ‘spell check’? Self’s new novel is called Butt which is set on a bleak island which is reminiscent of the movie ‘Mad Max’. The story is influenced by Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’. His novel, Butt is being published on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War. He wants people to think more about the moral status of our actions - eg. the consequences of flipping a cigarette butt! He maintains that the war in Iraq did not impact too severely on people’s lives in Britain - people still went
on about their daily lives. Ofcourse people went on as best they could.
What did Will Self expect people to do? Really I find his angle insipid to say the least.
Anyway he the writer is entitled to his opinions. Aren’t we all – writers or not?
