Don't Be a Writer

Stop Mythologizing the Life of a Writer

"Stop mythologizing the life of a writer.  Don't wait for the muse to whisper in your ear.  Don't cultivate an affected personality.  Put your butt in a chair and write.  A writer is no different than a plumber, a landscaper or a dental hygienist.  We are doing what we are called to do and what we are suited for.  You don't need to escape to a cabin and write in a parchment diary with a special pen. Sit at a Starbucks or at home or in the middle of traffic and just write."

Don't Believe in Inspiration

"I don't believe in inspiration.  I believe that you sit at your desk, and you push your pencil around, and you feel lousy about yourself for a while, and eventually, you just start writing.  Everyone I know who's lucky in this business is lucky because they're working really hard, and then good stuff happens."

A Non-Writing Writer Is a Monster

You Have to Write

"The biggest pitfall to avoid is not writing. Not writing is really, really easy to do, especially if you're a young writer. The hope that elves will come in the night and finish it for you, is a very common one to have. That is my main recommendation. You have to write, and you have to finish what you write and beyond that, it's all detail."

Fight for Your Dreams

"You've got to go, 'No, I can't come into work on the weekends—[that's] when I work on my novel.' ... People deserve those dreams, and they have to fight for them.  You don't want to be at the end of your life and go, 'I met all the obligations people had for me.'"