On Writing and Research

Writing

When I speak to schools about creative writing, I take two New Yorker covers with me. One shows a chimpanzee at a typewriter. At first, he’s baffled, then terrified and furious, until finally, he arrives at that wondrous Eureka!—when ideas hit— and he starts typing. The other illustration is of a man putting a pencil to the floor, literally writing himself into a corner. (That's what happens when the author doesn't have an outline!)...

Research

People always ask where I find my ideas. RESEARCH! That’s my favorite part of writing. Research is the treasure hunt. That’s where I play detective, where I find the gems and truths of a story. Sometimes I liken it to wandering a wildflower meadow and picking a hundred blossoms, which then lets me make bouquet after bouquet, or scene after scene. For me, writing comes quickly and easily if my arms are full of my research...