Pondering on the craft of literature

One of the main elements of the final exam paper in Paper 2 is for students to show that they have a solid and knowledgeable understanding of what the craft of literature involves - its amazing variety in construction, theme, purpose.

IB English A1 students were asked to come up with questions to ask a visiting writer about the craft of writing. Their thoughtful and insightful questions follow. (Note -some questions were merged as they were similar in idea)

Mai - When crafting your work, do you know straight away where you want your written work to go or do you discover that when you are writing?
Do you base your work on personal viewpoints or try to tackle issues beyond your perspective?
What would you say is the most important thing to consider when crafting new ideas for your writing?
Dung - What elements make good literature?
Rhys – What made you choose novels as a form of expression over music, drama or writing film?
Lillian – In your opinion, what does a good novel comprise of?
How long does it usually take to you to complete a novel?
May – How long have you been writing literature? Why did you start?
What has been the biggest challenge you have encountered so far in your career?
Christian – What is the hardest thing about crafting literature?
Are your stories inspired by true life experiences of your friends and family?
Are there certain things you have difficulty writing about and why?
Are your protagonist mainly men or women? Why?
Frances – What happens when you finish writing a story – do you decide when it ends? Does a story ever end?
Anahita – Does punctuation play a large role in shaping your work? Do you think of the tone before you think about the storyline?
What usually inspires you to write?
Ruben – Do you write for pleasure or to deliver a message?
Do you hope to teach a moral through your work?
Do you write on your own or like to share your ideas with others?
Where do your ideas come from?
Do you think about your audience when you are writing?
Julia – When researching the setting of a place do you visit it?
Do you plan everything before you write it or do you let things evolve?
What comes first for you? – character, theme or storyline?