![]() It takes me a long time going down, and a long time returning to air, and I have significant fallow periods in between. Writing for me is like descending to the bottom of the ocean. This made me feel awful about myself because it was completely different from my process. What is the best piece of writer’s advice you’ve received?Īs a young person, I read lots of books about writing, and one piece of advice that popped up often was that if you want to be serious, you should be sitting at a desk seven days a week, 365 days a year, and the moment you finish something you should start something else. It was the type of good that when I finished I thought: I am going to read everything this author writes forever. More recently the book that knocked my socks off was “Cantoras” by Carolina de Robertis, which is a gripping, lush, and ultimately hopeful story of five queer women fighting for their lives under a dictatorship. It should be on the top of any list about retelling or reframing stories. My research for “Circe” took me into the history of witches, and through that I discovered the brilliant writer Maryse Condé, whose novel “I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem” is a ferocious masterpiece that I have already re-read twice. What is something you’ve seen, watched or read that you think is overlooked and deserves more attention? There are so many books I love to press on people, but right now I am talking a lot about Richard Powers’ “The Overstory.” I think there is no more urgent challenge facing us than the climate crisis, and “The Overstory” brings viscerally home what is at stake, and makes a passionate case for acknowledging our connection with the natural world. “Discipline is important, but so is taking a breath and looking around.” I still revisit it from time to time for comfort and inspiration. I keep my old copy, which is worn with reading, like some people keep childhood stuffed animals. It is a brilliant example of epic storytelling and has a dynamite, breathless ending. What is your favorite childhood book? Or one book you think everyone should read? I love working in a dark, quiet house, and when I’m deep in a novel, I like the story to be the last thing I think about before I drift off, so my brain can keep turning it over while I sleep. I write a bit more, then take a break until around 10 p.m. Then I work out or take a walk, which is my surefire remedy for any sort of creative stagnation. and go until early afternoon, which is usually when my inspiration dries up and frustration sets in. “Discipline is important, but so is taking a breath and looking around, and giving things a chance to germinate.”īelow, read more from Miller on how she writes, the books she loves, and how she got the idea for our December book club pick, “Circe.” What is your daily writing routine? ![]() “It takes me a long time going down, and a long time returning to air, and I have significant fallow periods in between,” she added. Luis Urrea shared that his productive periods are actually “seasonal.”Īs for Miller, who went on to write two best-selling novels - “Circe” and “Song of Achilles,” which both revolve around Greek mythology - writing is “like descending to the bottom of the ocean,” she said. Meg Wolitzer told us she reads when she doesn’t have the inspiration to write. Richard Powers said he schedules his writing around what nature is doing. Our Now Read This book club authors have certainly proved this to be true. She said this made her feel awful about herself, because it was so different from the way she worked.īut when she got older, Miller realized not every writer operated this way. When Madeline Miller was young, she believed that if she wanted to be a writer, she had to write around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
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