How to become Isabel Allende

Well, not become her literally, of course. But you know, like in literature ;)

It would be quite a crazy ambition for me to aim to go quite that high (not impossible - but pretty crazy), but her work serves as inspiration nevertheless. As I am currently reading my signed (!) copy of her latest novel, Island Beneath the Sea, it always makes me wonder what a great imagination she must have, and how well she manages to mix it with history, all perfectly inter-woven in her deep but sensitive plotline, with a feminine heroine at the front as usual, one who is a model of a strong, independent woman despite her life circumstances. When someone at the book signing in Utrecht last October pointed out that she always has strong female characters, Isabel said 'Do you know any weak women?'

Good rhetorical question! But how do you become like Isabel Allende? I believe she began her career in journalism, but her first book, still generally considered her best, 'House of the Spirits', a fictional novel in the magical realism genre based on some of her own life experiences and rather eccentric family members, came out in the early 1980's while she was in exile after the military coup in Chile, which took place in 1973. Something like that of course has the power to change one's life forever. I suppose there isn't much point to try and 'be' like someone else, but their work and temperament (like Allende's, for now I've actually seen her in real life and thereby briefly met one of my favorite writers) can serve as sure inspiration. I can only wish that one day I can draw up, publish and sell a novel as colorful, compelling and rich in detail as one of hers! Would I be able to handle the almost military writing regime of starting at 7am, working till evening, and going on in such a way until the novel is written and ready (however long that actually takes)? Talent is one thing of course, but there's the hard work, too. It's hard, hard work to write and publish a novel, many writers work according to a similar schedule, and that's something to face up too if that's a dream to fulfill. Sounds a little nerve-racking, doesn't it?

There is a great novel by another favorite writer of mine, Sophie Kinsella, who writes in a genre very different to Allende. She is the author of the famous Shopaholic series. This novel I'm talking about is not though, it's called 'The Undomestic Goddess', about a 29-year-old woman who is one step from becoming a partner in a law firm, but otherwise has no life, really. Due to some wondrous and wicked circumstances she suddenly ends up being a housekeeper after running away from her job at the law firm as she discovers a huge mistake on her part - with absolutely no domestic skills whatsoever. As she is starting to get into her new job though, her old life of a lawyer is there again on her doorstep, and she is facing a difficult dilemma. I won't spoil it for you in case you meant to read the book, I just remembered it as an example that you can give a kick-new-start to your life at any point, really, and in the most unexpected ways.

^^