Secrets of Writers

Every author has a particular style. Some write on their desk. Some write everyday. Some go to a crowded spot to write while write in isolation. Last week I came across a copy of the weekend journal of Wall Street Journal dated 13-15 Nov ’09. I was fascinated by Alexandra Alter’s article in the Books Section on the writing habits of some well known writers. Here are some interesting bits I gleaned out for you.

How do they start their novel? Do they need to think about the opening lines and closing lines?
Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk agonizes over the first line – rewriting it 50 or 100 times.
John Irving begins his novels by writing the last sentence first.

Do they plan out their novels or do they just write and stuff happens

*  Plot and story structure is all very planned for Pamuk
*  Ondaatje says he does not even know what the next sentence will be.
*  Margaret Atwood starts with a rough plot which is usually wrong.
*  Colum McCann prints out a chapter or two in large fonts and then take the stapled pages to a park to read. He uses eight-point Times New Roman, while he edits dialog because that forces him to squint at the tiny type and read the lines carefully
*  Anne Rice will spend a year or two researching a book before writing the first draft. She edits continuously as she writes.

Do all writer write on their laptops or are old fashioned notebooks still used?
* Pamuk writes by hand in graph-paper note books leaves alternate pages blank for revisions that are marked in balloons and inserted. Then sends these to a speed typist who will return these as typed manuscripts.
*  Ondaatje writes in 8.5”x11” Muji brand lined notebooks. Writes first 3-4 drafts by hand. Then cut-pastes them with a scissor for edits.
*  Margaret Atwood moves back and forth between longhand and computer. Will print out chapters arrange on floor and then play around with the sequence.
*  Richard Powers lies down in bed and speaks into a laptop with voice recognition software. Then uses a stylus on a touch screen to highlight and rewrite.
*  Anne Rice writes on a computer.
*  Amitav Ghosh will use black ink Pelikan pens

Where do they write? Is there a favorite spot? Their study desk? At a cafe? How do they track good ideas?
*  Pamuk writes anywhere. In hotels, on a park bench…
*  Margaret Atwood writes ideas where they strike – on a napkin, restaurant menus, margins of newspapers.
*  Hilary Mantel will take notes and always carries a notebook to jot down ideas. She will tack odd phrases, bits of dialog on a 2 meter tall bulletin board in the kitchen.

My favorite question to any writer – Do you get ‘Writers Block’? Here’s how they deal with it
*  Ondaatje says he just writes another scene if he is stuck.
*  Colum McCann says the end of the project is the hardest. He is terrified that he will never be able to write another novel.

What are your answers? Have you spoken to authors and asked them these questions? What do they say?

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