Is there any special method to your writing?
I write directly into a computer. I don’t use note cards or plot things out, specifically. I work sentence by sentence, and just see where it leads me.
How many hours a day do you spend reading/writing?
Oh, goodness—a lot. I’m the editor of One Story magazine, so any time I’m not spending on my own writing I’m reading and editing for the magazine. I would say I am reading or writing at least eight to ten hours a day, sometimes more.
What inspires you to continue being a writer?
When I have a good writing day, I feel like I’ve just won a marathon. There is a particular joy in writing a good sentence. I think it all comes down to communication. Writing is my way of connecting with the world.
If you could have been the author of any novel, which title would it be and why?
That’s a difficult question. I suppose I’m going to have to say Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, simply because that is probably my favorite book—the one I’ve re-read the most. It’s an incredibly satisfying book, and I’m always trying to be a bit more like Jane. She sticks by her principles, and never compromises, and also doesn’t let anyone push her around.
Do you think you will ever change audiences?
Do you mean write for Children? I’m not sure. Perhaps some day. Many young adults have been reading The Good Thief, and because there is little swearing or sex, some book stores and librarians have been recommending it for younger readers. Frankly, I’m just pleased that people are enjoying the book.
What advice would you give anyone who wants to become a published author?
Often it is not the most talented authors who succeed. It is the most determined. If you never give up, you will find an audience for your work. That said, I also think that writers sometimes share their work too early, without doing the proper editing first. Only send a manuscript out when you have set it aside many times and read it with fresh eyes. The last bit of advice I’d give is to read literary magazines and start by submitting your work to them. This is how most writers get their start.
And do you have a list of favorite books/authors?
I love the Bronte sisters, and Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson. All of them inspired The Good Thief. But I also love more modern writers like Flannery O’Connor, Raymond Carver and Donald Barthelme and Italo Calvino and George Saunders. I also love Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro and Andrea Barrett and A.S. Byatt.
