Andrew Roe

Pretty interesting article from the Wall Street Journal.

The title (“How to Write a Great Novel”) is somewhat misleading. It’s really a look at how some writers — Nicholson Baker, Junot Diaz, Dan Chaon and several others — go about writing.

Richard Powers uses speech recognition software. Russell Banks writes his nonfiction on a computer but writes his fiction by longhand. John Irving starts all his novels by writing the last sentence first.

When it comes to process, every writer is different. And as some of the writers point out, that process can also differ greatly from book to book.

Colson Whitehead has some advice for you.

Rocktober started with two stories getting published, and in nice bookend fashion, it’s ending with two more stories finding their way into the world.

Earlier this week I posted news about a new story over at Twelve Stories.

And today I have another story — called “Glad We’re Not Poets” — up at Waccamaw.

(Also included in the fiction section of the issue: Jensen Beach [Hobart web editor], Ted Chiles, Rachel Furey, Greg Gerke and Zachary Vickers. Plus there’s a generous helping of essays and poetry.)

Nothing for months and months and months and then wow — four stories in a month. I’m trying to bask in it while also realizing that this is rare, especially for someone who writes as slowly and infrequently as I do.

So yeah, for now: basking. And how long is it socially acceptable for one to bask?

Issue two of Twelve Stories is now live, and it includes my story “Apology,” which is really, really short.

Edited by Molly Gaudry and Blythe Winslow, the issue also features Lydia Copeland, Roxane Gay, John Jodzio, Ben Loory, Larry Menlove, Ross Rader, Matt Salesses, Rebecca Serle, Jason Stout, Jacqueline Vogtman and Eric Vrooman.