Ken from Chicago <kwicker1b_nospam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> We've often seen critically and commercially successful authors run
smack
> into a wall, the dreaded writer's block, or, in many ways, worse,
coasting
> into a rut, a valley, churning out fluff while banking on one's
reputation
> of previously good to great work.
>
> But what about those who've fallen into a valley--and yet risen out of
it?
> Those who've had long gaps in their writing career only to resurge as
good
> if not greater than ever? Those who've fallen off their authorial
horses,
> but gotten up, shook themselves off and climbed back in the writing
saddle
> again?
I think this will be a tough one, and I'll be interested to see what
examples arise here, if any. As a knee-jerk guess, it seems that
whatever led to the lull could also prevent improvement, or even
a (tem****ary) return to form.
Dorothy cited Asimov's story "Gold". Asimov also had an earlier
period where he published very little sf (approximately 1966-72),
but _The Gods Themselves_ is how he "came back" to sf.
Silverberg didn't publish much sf from approximately 1975-80,
but his "return" was _Lord Valentine's Castle_ .
Zelazny published very little "good stuff"[1] from appproximately
1986-93 when _A Night in the Lonesome October_ came out.
Tony
[1] This is the generally held opinion - he did publish the
second five Amber books during those years, as well as
some co-authored stuff.
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