Writing is Work
Stephen King
Amy Tan on finding meaning in writing. She has written both fiction and nonfiction. You may connect her short essay "Saying Thanks to My Ghosts" to her comments in this video.
Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods and Stardust, says that writers must read.
J.K. Rowling on research and invention or generating ideas. What can you learn about writing from her process?
Watch more clips of Rowling at The Leaky Cauldron.
Isabelle Allende on process and research
Juno Diaz, who wrote the award-winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, speaks on discovery, working and writing through unfamiliar territory.Charlayne Hunter-Gault on propaganda and stereotypes in writing about Africa. (Be careful in your writing to reflect the humanity of people you profile and write about rather than tired stereotypes.)
You may watch a video interview with Michael Hastings, author of the infamous Rolling Stone profile of McChrystal, "The Runaway General," at YouTube.com. It gives insight, perhaps, into how Hastings was interpreting his subject when he wrote the profile.Walter Mosley, mystery novelist, on writers as explorers
Amy Ellis Nutt, Pulitzer Prize winner for nonfiction, on curiosity, storytelling, and credibility.
Nonfiction author Malcolm Gladwell's interview at the Los Angeles Times, 2015
Elizabeth Gilbert--author of the memoir Eat, Pray, Love--on creativity
Related: "Late Bloomers" by Malcolm Gladwell, a piece that debunks the notion that creative genius always appears in youth or is only the product of mysterious inspiration. Hard work pays off.
The following advice from writers is in printed form. Click the photos to go to the link.
Alice Walker on writing
Toni Morrison on writing and reading
Lagniappe: Here is video from the event where Morrison gave her advice:
