All the books I was reading as a teenager were about individuals having adventures. So I thought that was what writers were supposed to do: to go out on the road.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The business of writing a novel is a long, meandering road into the self, into the imagination. And it's a road the writer travels alone.
One of the ready advantages of writing a road or quest story is that it mirrors the experience of writing a novel.
I know some writers can write on the road, but I'm not one of them.
I think 'The Road' is a good example of a book everyone should read, but I wouldn't recommend it to young kids.
When I was young, I assumed that authors must have traveled the world or done exotic things in order to tell great stories.
When I'm done with all of this, I'm going to write a book on it: have a guide to having a life and being on the road. Especially having a family and being on the road.
I don't think you can write novels on the road. You need a certain stability.
I have no doubt that 'On the Road' is a Great American Novel. But I'm also certain my students will do fine without it.
I wasn't one of those kids who grew up wanting to write or who read a particular book and thought: 'I want to do that!' I always told stories and wrote them down, but I never thought writing was a career path, even though, clearly, someone was writing the books and newspapers and magazines.
The road, lyric-wise, is a trap, and a bore. Maybe it's interesting to me, but I don't think it's a connecting thing with other humans. What is there to write about? Truck stops, hotels, clubs?