Ask the Author: Jonathan Vatner
Answered Questions (3)
Jonathan Vatner
I say it all the time: To be a writer, you need to write. And anyone who writes is a writer.
I don't have good advice about how to become an author, except that most people don't realize how much writing is involved, or how much reading, for that matter.
I don't have good advice about how to become an author, except that most people don't realize how much writing is involved, or how much reading, for that matter.
Jonathan Vatner
I would guess that every writer has the same answer: It's the high you get when the writing seems to create itself, when the characters surprise you as you're writing them, when you write a sentence that's better than you, and when the world around you has dissolved, leaving nothing but the world you're creating, line by line.
The magic of it is, every writer can reach this high. And the more I write, the better it gets.
The magic of it is, every writer can reach this high. And the more I write, the better it gets.
Jonathan Vatner
A good writer needs both a powerful inner creator and an razor-sharp inner critic. When writing the first draft, the creator needs to be fully present, and the critic should be kept at bay. When revising, those roles should be reversed. I think writer's block is the result of an oppressive inner critic, who has grown so strong that the inner creator cannot squeeze out a single sentence without being censored.
So how to fix this? One way is just to write aimlessly -- a diary, or a silly story that doesn't matter, or morning pages (a la The Artist's Way). That revs up the creative engine and is often enough to quiet the critic. Another is to examine the critical voice and figure out what lies it's telling you, in the hope of dismantling them.
I've noticed that if I haven't written for a few days, the first day back is torture. I give myself permission for the writing not to be good, but I force myself to put in an hour or two. The next day, my writing always flows.
So how to fix this? One way is just to write aimlessly -- a diary, or a silly story that doesn't matter, or morning pages (a la The Artist's Way). That revs up the creative engine and is often enough to quiet the critic. Another is to examine the critical voice and figure out what lies it's telling you, in the hope of dismantling them.
I've noticed that if I haven't written for a few days, the first day back is torture. I give myself permission for the writing not to be good, but I force myself to put in an hour or two. The next day, my writing always flows.
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