By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review edited by Pamela Paul

By Kate Phillips

 

          We all want to know more about our favorite authors and writers. What inspires them? What are they reading? What books don’t they like? Who are their literary idols? Which authors would they invite to a dinner party? And which three books would they take to the proverbial deserted island?

          By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review Edited and with an Introduction by Pamela Paul, editor of the Book Review, answers these questions—and many more.

          Sixty-five authors, writers, and others with literary lives answer a variety of questions giving fans and other writers not only insights but reading recommendations. If you like a certain author, does it follow you will like whatever he or she reads? It’s fun to find out.

          I have read books and pieces by over half of the writers. Naturally, I read their interviews first.

I loved learning Pippi Longstocking inspired Anne Lamott to become a writer. (However, Amy Tan found Pippi too cheerful.) And that A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, changed Lamott’s life. (Mine, too.) It’s also Dan Brown’s favorite book of all time. He highly recommends What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell who highly recommends Lee Child who plans on reading Emma by Jane Austen next. (That surprised me.)

          I have not read Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, but her favorite childhood character is Meg Murray, the heroine of A Wrinkle in Time. Sandberg highly recommends books by Michael Lewis, as does Malcolm Gladwell, and she most wants to meet JK Rowling—whose book The Cuckoo’s Calling Gladwell chose not to finish.

          This book is a great version of “Six Degrees” usually of Kevin Bacon, but this time with writers.

          I also like knowing more about where others write. However, only four writers had their answers published:

Carl Hiaasen: The first thing you see outside my office is a doormat that says: LEAVE…Inside, my so-called work space looks like it got tossed by burglars. (page 26)

John Irving’s description on page 31 sounds to be the most efficient and comfortable with two tables, a computer in a far corner, a couch, and a chocolate Lab for company.

Sylvia Nasar’s office is very neat and colorful also with a Lab for company—see page 50.

And PJ O’Rourke’s is a mess—see page 102.

 

Some of the other writers included in this book are: David Sedaris, Neil Gaimen, Mary Higgins Clark, Colin Powell, Junot Diaz, John Grisham, Dave Barry, Katherine Boo, James McBride, Jhumpa Lahiri, Donna Tartt, Ann Patchett, Michael Connelly, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Chang-rae Lee, and dozens more.

While all of the answers to the following question were enlightening, this one made me laugh aloud:

If you could meet any character from literature, who would it be?

Isabel Allende: Zorro, of course. If possible, at night and in bed, with the mask but not the whip.

      

          Good to know--as are all the revelations and recommendations in By the Book.

 

Writing Careers Are Possible

From Kate's Writing Crate…

 

        My writing career started when I was an unhappy accountant and I signed up for my first writing class after writing in notebooks and journals for years. I arrived an hour before the evening class started every week as it was close to my office, but far from home. The second person to arrive was always the new owner of a local community magazine—a fortuitous benefit for following my dreams.

When the class session ended, the magazine owner hired another classmate to be the editor of her new second magazine. I signed on as a freelance writer and the proofreading intern. I moved up to assistant editor then editor of one magazine leaving accounting behind forever! Eventually, I became the editor of both magazines.

I still write one to four articles and an essay each month which means the fun of interviewing authors, volunteers at the local senior center and animal shelter; the women's club behind the Clown Town fundraiser; the Rotary Club's annual ALS Race; the Turkey Trot organizers; the National Guard Air Show; Movies on the Beach events; locals bands and choruses; art festivals; an American Red Cross Hero, and people dealing heroically with all kinds of cancer and other health issues including a brave and cheerful five-year-old boy 18 months into chemo and radiation for a brain tumor. He wants to be a police officer when he grows up and mentioned he would like to meet a K-9 team. The local police station and an officer arranged to take him to school in a squad car as well as meet a K-9 officer and his dog.

These articles let residents know about upcoming events as well as about neighbors helping others and those neighbors in need of help. It feels good to be part of a vibrant, caring community. Writing articles makes a difference in people's lives and my own.

I am a writer. I have known that since I learned to read. I was side-tracked into another career as writing isn't revered in this country until you are a bestselling or well-known author.

While being a New York Times' bestselling author (NYTBSA) may be most writers' goal, there are many other writing careers available to us. Even as I was told there was no money in writing, there are millions of publications and web sites that have pages and space that need filling daily, weekly, and monthly.

        Okay, you probably need to write a lot before you get paid so start filling a notebook a month as soon as you can as per Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. The more you write the more you improve. Also, read Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott for inspiration and a reality check.

Writers write so write no matter what!

        Start a writing project—book, essay, article, poem, post, etc. Then finish it!

Blogs are a great way to get going. Start one. Now you have a weekly deadline. Meet it!

For inspiration, read blogs like MegWaiteClayton.com/1stbooks and Kristen Lamb's warriorwriters.wordpress.com.

Take a writing class and/or join or start a writing group. Support and discussions about improving writing are essential.

Read local publications. See if there is space for writers to submit letters, essays, etc. Then submit something or email/call to ask about writing opportunities. Working with editors who give you feedback will improve your writing and get you published.

When you feel ready, go on web sites like Thumbtack to find freelance opportunities across the country. Make sure you complete assignments and turn them in on time. Build a reputation as a writer who works quickly and competently, and editors will contact you with assignments as well as remember you when they move from one publication to another gaining you a larger audience and more money.

Usually the rights to your assigned articles revert to you after publication. Don't forget, you can tweak articles to work for other publications. For example, if you write about a person or event in the northeast for a local publication, Yankee Magazine might be interested in the same topic. Double pay is a good thing!

The Writers' Digest is a helpful resource to find publications interested in your submissions. Why not make the most of your hard work? This also gets you more bylines which then makes it easier to be accepted by other publications.

Agents, editors, and publishers read magazines and blogs. Writers have received representation and book and movie offers based on their work published in these venues.

You never know who is reading your work or where it may lead. The important thing is to write and to keep writing. Then send your work out into the world. If your goal is to be a writer, NYTBSA or otherwise, start writing now!

 

Gifts for Writers

By Kate Phillips

 

        If you're looking for some gift suggestions for writers you know or for yourself, here are some of my favorites:

 

        Writers need time to write so ask family members for 30- or 60-minute Time-to-Write coupons. Redeem the coupons by posting them where you write and listing a start time.

 

        A timer to get yourself writing quickly. Works great with the Time-to-Write coupons!

 

Mascots to keep you company in your Writers' Crates. A gift of a stuffed dragon became my first mascot. I also have two small plastic dragons on my computer tower that make me laugh. They have such disapproving faces and body language that I feel compelled to keep writing whenever I stop and they catch my eye. I also have a deep blue solid glass turtle with a smooth shell that I hold sometimes when I am considering what to write next.

 

Quote posters and large quote transfer stickers to decorate the walls of your Writers' Crates. I love the "You're A Writer" mantra available at www.kmweiland.com. (Cheryl discovered this gem.)

 

Cheap notebooks so you feel free to write anything in them. Filling one a month, as recommended by Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones, is a great way to keep you writing on a regular basis.

 

        InkJoy pens come in bright, assorted colors. The ink does glob a bit, but they're cheerful, fun, and especially helpful when you don't feel like writing. Pilot V-Ball fine point pens are excellent everyday pens. (Not paid endorsements.)

 

Blank journals to use as common books where you copy down inspiring quotes and passages written by other writers or to record your Six-Word Memoirs—they're great warm-up writing exercises. Search Six-Word Memoirs online for details or buy the Six-Word Memoirs books.

 

        For book suggestions, I recommend all the books I wrote about in the Masterclasses and Reads for Writers categories on this blog as well as the 16 I listed in my post on 12/17/12. However, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott, and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield are hard to top. If I'd discovered/been given just those three books when I first decided to become a writer, I'd have felt invincible. In her first book, Goldberg reveals how to start living a writer's life with practical ideas and prompts. Lamott shows you the good, the bad, the funny, and the tough aspects of living a successful as well as a published writer's life. Pressfield keeps you writing with his advice and experiences on fighting through Resistance. There are no excuses not to finish your projects. It's a book I refer to whenever I feel myself faltering.

 

        As I think every writer should blog, I recommend Are You There Blog? It's Me, Writer by Kristen Lamb and Publishing a Blog with Blogger, second edition, by Elizabeth Castro (reviewed on 9/2/13).

 

        I'd specifically recommend Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar (and her best seller Wild) by Cheryl Strayed (reviewed on 1/28/13) and Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir by Beth Kephart (reviewed on 8/26/13) as each author has a strong, unique voice that resonates with readers. I aspire to reach as deeply within myself and write from that place.

       

        Happy Holidays!

Highly Recommended Writing Books 1

By Kate Phillips

 

        Recently I was at a book event where I was seated next to a school librarian. Among other topics, we talked about some teachers and other adults discouraging students from becoming writers. The biggest reasons given were: you don't have enough experience and you won't make any money.

        Why do non-writers feel they have any say in who becomes a writer anyway?

        Every person has experiences interacting with others and overcoming hurdles in life. Add in unique insights, imagination, and the willingness to put in hours at the keyboard or pen in hand and a writer is born.

 

        Someone has to be a bestselling author, top songwriter, in-demand script writer, and popular playwright. Work hard, use your talents, and why not you? And good livings can be made in those fields even if you are not the most successful. Writers are also needed to be columnists, journalists, staff writers, bloggers as well as in the advertising and greeting card businesses.

 

        However, not many writers are given support and/or approval. If you cannot find a person in your life to support your dream of writing, turn to the company you keep—books by authors who speak to you. Here are a few of my favorites:

 

 

        Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg is one of the best support systems for beginning and intermediate writers. Goldberg shares her story, believes in yours, and shows you how to integrate writing into your life. It's the book that got me to write on a regular basis which led to my writing and editing career. In my opinion, it's a must-read.

 

        Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott is a masterclass. She recounts her journey as a writer (starting when she was seven), a bestselling author (after decades of writing and the publication of her fourth book), and a writing teacher. It's a funny and realistic look at the writing life. Another must read!

 

        The Writer's Life: Insights from The Right to Write by Julia Cameron is an inspiring pocket-size book perfect to keep with you all day. When you have a spare moment, open to any page and read about the writing life, i.e., your life.

 

        The Writer's Chapbook: A Compendium of Fact, Opinion, Wit, and Advice from the Twentieth Century's Preeminent Writers Edited from The Paris Review interviews and with an introduction by George Plimpton shares insights from over 200 writers on an array of topics including first efforts, work habits, style, success, failure, plot, characters, symbols, dialogue, writer's block, criticism, and much more. In the chapter "On Motivation: Why I Write", you can find support from over 55 writers as they discuss the importance of writing.

 

        I've recommended many writing books on this blog including most strongly The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. Click on "writing books" under Categories to see other books that might appeal to and support you.

 

What books support your writing?

 

16 Gift Book Suggestions

By Kate Phillips 

            If you are buying a book for another writer or using a gift certificate to buy one for yourself, here are 16 books I found helpful at different stages in my writing career:

At any level:

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. If I could only own one writing book, this is it. You are not a writer unless you are writing on a regular basis. If I am having a tough time getting started one day (or every day), I randomly open this book and read until I cannot wait to pick up my pen or go to my computer and write. It has never failed to get me going. Pressfield followed up with Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. This bestselling author shares his life story and writing advice. It's moving and inspiring. While I am not a fan of the horror genre, I truly enjoyed Mr. King's personal tale.

Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. This funny, irreverent author shares how and why she became a writer as well as what it really means to be a writer. She offers both specific advice and broad overviews. It's an excellent book to reread to keep a fresh perspective.

The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt, who also wrote the bestselling award-winning novel Diamond Dogs. Despite the gimmicky title, this is one of the best writing books I have read. The author's thoughts and insights before each day's exercises are terrific and inspiring. As of this post, I am on Day 30. Future posts will track my progress.

A grammar guide that works for you. Cheryl wrote about Grammar Girl who has written several excellent books. I also use The Chicago Manual of Style at work so it carries over to my other writing, Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, and Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing both by Patricia T. O'Conner.

The Synonym Finder by J. I. Rodale is my preference when I am searching for just the right word.

In the Beginning:

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. This is the first book that got me to write on a regular basis which is the only way to become a better writer. Her suggestions and advice are easy and fun to follow. The most important is to fill an 80-100 page notebook every month. No excuses.

For Writers Only: Inspiring thoughts on the exquisite pain and heady joy of the writing life from its great practitioners by Sophy Burnham. The title says it all.

Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury. The author shares his life story, the fight to be true to himself and his muse as well as amazing writing advice. In the back of the book, his poem, "What I Do Is Me—For That I Came for Gerald Manley Hopkins", should be framed or painted on the wall of every nursery and Writing Crate, in my opinion, so children and writers and everybody would know the importance and happiness of using your unique gifts while living your lives! (Please note: God is mentioned in the poem so do not read it if you will be offended by that.)

The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron. Famous for writing The Artist's Way, this book continues the author's work to help and support people who want to be writers. A combination of essays and exercises help make her points clear and easy to follow.

Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block. With 48 titles of his books listed in the front of the 1994 version of this book, Block is more than qualified to tell writers how to make a living—and he does so in a funny and approachable style.

With some writing experience:

The Successful Novelist: A Lifetime of Lessons About Writing and Publishing by David Morrell. The author offers lessons to writers starting with beginners and working up to writing successful books. It's the life he has led having written a couple of dozen books, novelizations, short fiction, as well as worked in Hollywood on the Rambo series, a character he created and wrote about in his debut novel, First Blood, at the age of 25.

Architecture of the Novel: A Writer's Handbook; Plot, Story, and the Mechanics of Narrative Time by Jane Vandenburgh. Plot and characters are front and center, but they are not enough alone to support a novel. A structure holding everything up and together is also necessary. This beautifully written book shows how to do this while also improving your ideas and writing.

Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Paula LaRocque. According to the introduction, "This work is based on one chief assumption: That good writing is clear, precise, graceful, brief, and warm, and that bad writing is not." It is written for journalists and professional writers.

Is Life Like This? A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months by John Dufresne. This book is not a step-by-step guide, but rather a guide to all the facets you need in a successful novel. Each facet is discussed by Dufresne with other writers quoted or shown as examples so you can use the information and insights with your own characters, setting, dialogue, and plots to improve and complete your novels.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee. Whether you want to write a screenplay or a book, the author's advice and insights about stories applies. The list of his students' movies and TV show credits on the back cover is impressive enough to make you buy the book—and you won't regret it.

What books do you give as gifts?