wasted a lot of years
11th June 2016 | for Creatives | create for YOURSELF, Chris Bohjalian, short stories, novel writing, writing |
"I wasted a lot of years writing short stories when I clearly should have been writing novels because that’s what I loved."
Similar for Creatives
Write What You Want
"The biggest for me [by self-publishing] is the freedom to write what I want when I want. I can jump genres and write several novels a year. Traditional publishing is much too restrictive. I don't want to pump out the same book over and over. I want to challenge myself and produce the work that I feel is missing from the marketplace."
Worrying That I Wasn't Being a Writer
"I spent a lot of time worrying that I wasn't being a writer in the correct way. I don't write every day—I write when I'm burning with an idea. I don't really want to write novels—I prefer stories. These are temperamental issues."
The Most Important Lesson
"I think the most important lesson isn't necessarily to try and write a different book every time, or to try to brand yourself, [but] to write the kind of books you love to read. Because first of all, you're doing something you love. Second, you're working in your comfort zone, and third, even if this particular book doesn't work, it's going to be a lot more pleasant an experience."
Strong Short Story
"Sometimes you might think of TV as writing a long novel, but it's kind of not. You have to do a very strong short story to start with."