Describe your writing practice?
I thrive on routine, so for me it’s getting up in the morning and just doing the thing. I have never been able to work in the evening—I was never one of those people who could stay up all night writing essays. Basically, beyond 4 pm, I will turn belligerent or dismayed. I do as much as I can in the morning and middle of the day. I just write and write as much as possible and try to stop myself from coming to the conclusion that I am completely wasting my time. I like to get a first draft done and then let it sit. I am a planner. Hell yes, I am. Having complete and utter control over narrative is probably why I write to begin with. For me, it simply makes it easier. I like knowing exactly what’s going to happen and how much I’ve done and how much is coming. I’m very mathematical in my approach to writing and life. I’m all about dates and word counts and knowing exactly what happened when.
Has your writing practice changed over the years? If so, how?
For sure. From penning down ideas on paper napkins before tennis lessons, big cardboard narrative sheets, medieval sagas writ at the family computer, spending an entire winter school break at the corner desk in my room with the same Eric Hutchinson CD on in the background, to the relative routine of now. I’ve always just written in whatever way suited me at the time. Last year, I got so used to sitting at the kitchen table with the digital drift of the Jonas Brothers from my sister studying in the next room, that when she went away on holiday I found it difficult to write. A couple of years ago I found it very conducive to go to a library to write, because it forced me to do the work and it established a proper routine and environment for my practice. I think that really helped me in forging my personal discipline so that now I can achieve that same ethic at home.
I don’t know if you can force inspiration, but you can certainly encourage it by consuming avidly and widely, and then thinking about what you’ve consumed.
How do you encourage inspiration to strike?
I don’t know. Consumerism as creation? Isn’t that the postmodern way? Now that I’m properly thining about it, I feel like a lot of my ideas happen when I’m absorbing other media. The moment after you consume something when you think, but what if it was like this? What if this was the focus? I don’t know if you can force inspiration, but you can certainly encourage it by consuming avidly and widely. Consume the hell out of anything you can. And then think about what you’ve consumed. I love learning things. Encountering new information and concepts is rad. Particularly when you pick up a book and you learn about something you never would’ve taken an interest in otherwise.
At the other end of the process, I think I am a lot more successful with finishing novels than I used to be simply because I have learnt to dismiss (or at least acknowledge and put aside) my uncertainties. I just remind myself that I always feel that doubt, and whatever I have written always looks better the following day. My big turning point was seeing Tim Winton speak at a bookshop a few years ago and he said something along the lines of ‘if you want to write, write’. Basically, a revelation. If it’s going to be your work, you’ve got to treat it like your work. Do the thing. You can always make it better later.
Loner is available now at your local independent bookseller.
Looking to kickstart your own writing practice? Check out our range of online Writers’ Workshops, with a great range of courses designed for writers across all genres and skill levels.
