The Not-So-Odd Habits of Writers
They are both eccentric and disciplined.
Joyce Carol Oates may have been correct when she said that the reason why writers ask one another about their work habits is they really want to ask, “Is he as crazy as I am?”
Other writers would regard that question as a waste of time. The pragmatic and colorful William Faulkner said that “the only tools I need for my trade are paper, tobacco, food, and a little whiskey.”
Drawing on examples mentioned in The Paris Review and George Plimpton’s The Writer’s Chapbook, I’ve avoided any hints at the magical and have condensed their habits into the following:
Henry David Thoreau kept paper under his pillow so when sleep eluded him, he could write.
Paul Bowles chose to write most of his books in bed.
Robert Frost never wrote at a desk. He instead used a writing board.
Shelby Foote wrote most of his lengthy series on the Civil War while in pajamas and a bathrobe. His first drafts were always composed in longhand with a dip pen. He embraced his old-fashioned approach, saying, “The very thought of a word processor horrifies me.”
There is a common preference for writing in longhand. The failure to teach cursive in many of our schools may eventually be more harmful than we realize.
Many writers, such as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, found that early in the morning is the best time to write.
Truman Capote always wrote his first drafts in pencil but would type the third draft on yellow paper - it’s not clear why – and the final draft on white paper.
James Jones claimed that half a pack of cigarettes and six or seven cups of coffee were needed before he started writing for four to six hours.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote both fiction and non-fiction but often found that the daily output of his fiction was only a short paragraph.
The self-discipline of Anthony Trollope was formidable. He wrote 47 extraordinary novels while working full-time as an inspector for the British postal service. His writing schedule did not vary:
- Seven pages a day.
- 49 pages a week.
It is unlikely that Trollope ever waited to be in the mood to write.
Regardless of their approach to the job, the ultimate product of novelists is a combination of self-discipline, art, and inspiration.
When an interviewer asked Faulkner what he’d tell readers who’d read his work two or three times without understanding, Faulkner replied, “Read it four times.”
A combination of raw talent with Trollope’s discipline and Faulkner’s self-confidence may be unstoppable.
Here are my own 7 Ground Rules:
1. Early morning, late at night, or any time in-between, write when the odds of interruption are remote. If that’s difficult to achieve, find a location to assure them. I completed a book on leadership via a multiple day writing frenzy in a motel room in Yuma, Arizona. No interruptions did the trick. And Yuma remains on my list of escape options.
2. As the previous rule implies, learn to write in diverse locations. Carry a journal around with you so your thoughts can be easily and promptly jotted down. Keep it by your bed for those middle-of-the-night ideas.
3. Don’t wait to “feel like writing.” Write when you have the opportunity to write. Never wait to be in the mood. Start writing and you’ll get in the mood.
4. Don’t hesitate to make revisions. I often remember Dorothy Parker’s brutal editing advice: “Murder your darlings.” Any line or paragraph that I really like is carefully evaluated. Many are scratched.
5. Re-read for flow. Reading passages out loud can be particularly helpful.
6. Writing in longhand does make a difference, especially if you use a fountain pen. If I type an initial draft, I write the revisions in longhand.
7. Be a serious reader of other writers, but do not read any work which may, due to its style, content, or tone, adversely influence your current writing.
Good luck to all writers, current and future!