“Why We Write” edited by Meredith Maran

I can’t not write.

I need to tell a story.

It’s all I know how to do.

Every essay in Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors on How and Why They Do What They Do begins with some form of the above answers, or even others like “If writing were illegal, I’d be in jail” (David Baldacci, page 16).

Every author–from Isabelle Allende to Sara Gruen, from Gish Jen to Terry McMillan and more–shares the story of how they got into writing, their routine as they work on a new book, wisdom for writers, and some lessons they learned along their publishing journey. The editor of the collection, Meredith Maran, also includes a brief introductory page to each author, as well as other vital information and a list of their collected works, from novels to nonfiction to film adaptations.

The more I read this collection of essays, the more I was encouraged. No, the writing life is not an easy one, but knowing what the twenty authors in this book went through–especially in the early days of their writing careers–makes the journey seem more real and more likely to get through it and succeed.

Some of the “wisdom for writers” in these essays include:

1. Write for yourself, not for a “market.” You can’t predict which of your works will connect with the most readers. Some of my best work sold the worst, and vice versa. – Sebastian Junger

2. At the end of a workday, leave yourself a page marker, an instruction that tells you where to start the next morning, so you’re oriented immediately when you sit down at your desk. – Kathryn Harrison

3. You should read as much as possible. That’s the best way to learn how to write. – Susan Orlean

4. Don’t write a book you think a publisher will want to publish. Write the book you want to research and the book you want to read. – Jane Smiley

This is going to be a new favorite book on my writing shelf.

#book #authors #whywewrite #meredithmaran #writingessays #Writing