I'm not one of those writers I learned about who get up in the morning, put a piece of paper in their typewriter machine and start writing. That I've never understood.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Writing can be a very isolating profession. By its very nature, you spend a lot of your time barricaded in your house or office, typing on your own.
As far as I'm concerned, the entire reason for becoming a writer is not having to get up in the morning.
I started writing morning pages just to keep my hand in, you know, just because I was a writer and I didn't know what else to do but write. And then one day as I was writing, a character came sort of strolling in and I realized, Oh my God, I don't have to be just a screenwriter. I can write novels.
I like to believe that I don't think of myself as a writer. I am an amateur. Back when I was teaching, I wrote when I could. Weekends were good typewriter time. Now, it's whenever I feel there's something to be put on paper. I don't care what time it is, though I always write in the notebooks at night.
The tough thing about writing is you go into a room alone, you close the door and you do your work.
When I began to write and used a typewriter, I went through three drafts of a book before showing it to an editor.
Writing is like playing golf - you have to keep working at your swing.
Writing is never, ever easy but I wake up every morning grateful for the gift of being able to do this.
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
The main thing about writing is... writing. Sitting your butt down in the chair and doing the work.