I think I wrote 'The Trysting Place' in about three weeks. But it was inexperience that made me have to do that. I didn't feel good about the book all the time I was writing it. It felt a bit like wading through molasses.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
With the novels, I try to write a few pages a day - it doesn't sound much, but it can be difficult if I'm not sure where the story is going.
Getting to the point where I was ready to write a book has been about a 20-year journey of being, really honestly, too afraid to try - which I think is pretty common for people who are trying to write a large piece of fiction.
Usually it takes me about nine to 12 months to write a book.
Typically, a book takes me about a year to write.
The most difficult novel I have had to write in terms of just getting it done was The Vampire Lestat. It took a year to write.
I wrote each book in thirty-five days flat - just to get the darned thing finished.
I'm remembering one book that I wrote, 'Fourth Grade Rats,' that took a month to write, but most of them, full-length novels, I would say about a year.
I've always wanted to have a book published - it was a dream of mine, but the thought of actually writing a book made me feel really sick.
I started writing short stories. I tried writing horror, mystery, science fiction. I joined a little critique group here in town and ran my stories past them. After about three years, I tackled my first novel, Subterranean. It took me 11 months to write.
I've been writing for a long time. I sat down to write my first novel in the middle of March of 1982.