The Magic of Terry Pratchett is more than a tour show – it is a funny, heartwarming and magical journey through the life and work of Sir Terry Pratchett by biographer Marc Burrows. Based on his award-winning book of the same name, Marc is keeping the spirit of the beloved author very much alive and will be performing at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
Can you tell us a bit about your show and what to expect?
Like Terry’s books, expect something that is hopefully both silly and a wee bit profound. It’s a celebration not just of Terry’s writing but of who he was and what he stood for. And underneath that, it’s a celebration of how important stories are, and how telling stories shapes the world. It’s definitely a stand-up show — that was really important to me — but you could also see it as a comic lecture as well. There are slides. There are songs. There are jokes. I’m really proud of it.
What does your normal day look like when you’re deep in the writing process?
A man staring at his phone, checking his email, going to the fridge, going to the toilet, answering the door, going to the door and opening it even though there is no-one there, arguing with someone on Twitter (which I will insist on calling Twitter), finding an excuse to go to the shops, more checking Twitter, making tea, feeding the cat, suggesting to his girlfriend that they go the pub “so I can clear my head”, vowing to delete Twitter, remembering with a surge of delight that there are invoices to send, checking email some more, having a break to watch three episodes of Buffy, realising it’s 1am, deciding that “I probably need an early night”, going to bed, reading a chapter of an unrelated book and falling asleep.
How do you handle burnout and writer’s block?
You need to be kind to yourself and practice real self-care. You also have to understand what that really means — it’s not having baths with candles and a glass of wine and watching a film, although sometimes it can include that. It’s knowing, realistically, what you need to do to function effectively and making sure you have it. And that means knowing when to redirect your energy to paying your bills or doing your shopping. Or getting enough sleep. As a writer there are times when you’re gunning for a deadline, and everything is flowing and you’re pushing and, remarkably, it’s working and somehow you burn through 40,000 words in a month or rewrite an hour of comedy in a week, or whatever you need to do … but you have to accept that that energy has come from somewhere, and you need to replace it. You need to allow yourself to stop and let things catch up. And remember to call your mum. That’s how you avoid, or at least repair burnout.
Writer’s block is different because it can be part of burnout or strike on its own. If it’s a symptom of burnout then see above — that’s about self-care, recharging, removing causes of stress, letting everything heal a little. Sometimes though, writer’s block is just … being stuck. Not knowing where to go next. It’s a creative issue, rather than a psychological one. In those circumstances, there are tricks you can do, especially writing comedy — exercises and games that can unlock ideas, little techniques that can help you focus. It’s hard, and it feels like you’re grinding something out instead of letting it flow naturally. But they do help. I also find that revising and redrafting what you’ve already written is a useful technique when you hit a wall. It’s way easier to polish and edit than it is to create from scratch, and the work will always benefit from a little scrub-up. Often when you reach the point you originally abandoned, you’ll find you’ve got the answers now.
And sometimes you just need to stop and do something else. Chuck the problem into your hindbrain and let it bubble away in the background and come back the next day. Often your subconscious has done the hard work for you while you were watching old episodes of the X-Files.
When did your love for Pratchett’s work begin?
When I was 12. My parents were turned on to the Discworld by a friend — the books were literally being passed around the pub amongst their friends. Knowing my taste in nerdy sci-fi and fantasy and my sense of humour (I was an absolute comedy obsessive) my parents passed them down to me — it was The Colour of Magic and Guards! Guards! and I was absolutely hooked, from day one. I was reading bits out to people at school. At this point I think there were only about ten or so Pratchett books out (he’d eventually write 60) so thanks to the local library I absolutely devoured them. There was no going back. Terry would write two a year, and I’d be first in line to buy them when they came out. It’s been thirty years!
Would you recommend your show to those unfamiliar with the Pratchett works?
Honestly, I would. And don’t just take my word for that. The best feedback I’ve gotten for the show has been from people who had never read a Pratchett book, who had been dragged along by their wife, or took a chance because they had a gap in their schedule, who message me or stop me afterwards to tell me how much they enjoyed it. I always say that you don’t have to know anything about Terry to enjoy the show, because I’m about to tell you about him. Of course, there’s stuff in there that a big fan would get more from than someone who has never picked up one of Terry’s books, but I couldn’t write the show just for those people. It had to work for everyone. I really think it does — it’s probably the thing I’m most proud of about the whole experience.
The Magic of Terry Pratchett will be performed at 5.10pm in Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Two) from 5th – 18th August
Booking link: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/580-the-magic-of-terry-pratchett