RIP Charles Brown

Charles died peacefully in his sleep on July 12. He was a giant of the field, someone who took the "larger than life" line to delightful lengths, and he had a profound influence on me, both professionally and personally. I first met him in 1993 at the Writers of the Future workshop, where he gave me the best advice I ever received (see below). Through mutual friends and future WOTF events, we developed a friendship that I will always cherish. He was generous, prickly, opinionated, and immensely knowledgeable. I was looking forward to seeing him in August, and am sad that I'll never see him again, now. To say that he will be missed is an understatement of the highest order.

The advice he gave me is below the cut, as I deliver it to schoolkids. Many of you will have heard it before. Charles softened down the years on this particular point. I would make sure to be at the back of the room when he spoke to the year's latest batch of WOTF winners, so he could use me as an example. If you can follow his advice, you'll be better off. There's little doubt of that. If you can't, as I couldn't, then you've got something very important. Desperation.

( The best advice I ever received... )