Comments on: The Nabokov MFA http://www.jeffwalsh.com/2005/03/04/the-nabokov-mfa/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:38:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Kevin Harris http://www.jeffwalsh.com/2005/03/04/the-nabokov-mfa/#comment-100 Kevin Harris Wed, 16 Mar 2005 13:24:55 +0000 http://www.jeffwalsh.com/2005/03/04/the-nabokov-mfa/#comment-100 During my commute to work I listened to the audio book of Stephen King's On Writing. He does mention how he writes every day with no time off. He also discusses his reading habits. Apparently he considers himself a slow reader and yet he gets through about seventy books a year. He reads every day in the evening hours. So I guess I didn't think about that angle. If you're writing every day you would never read if you took that approach. After seeing you gush about Fight Club I had to go out and buy it. Luckily for me I never saw the movie so I can enjoy the book without those pesky movie images in my head. Its short length practically begs a publisher to put it out in trade paper format, which it is. During my commute to work I listened to the audio book of Stephen King’s On Writing. He does mention how he writes every day with no time off. He also discusses his reading habits. Apparently he considers himself a slow reader and yet he gets through about seventy books a year. He reads every day in the evening hours. So I guess I didn’t think about that angle. If you’re writing every day you would never read if you took that approach.

After seeing you gush about Fight Club I had to go out and buy it. Luckily for me I never saw the movie so I can enjoy the book without those pesky movie images in my head. Its short length practically begs a publisher to put it out in trade paper format, which it is.

]]> By: Jeff Walsh http://www.jeffwalsh.com/2005/03/04/the-nabokov-mfa/#comment-101 Jeff Walsh Wed, 16 Mar 2005 03:55:15 +0000 http://www.jeffwalsh.com/2005/03/04/the-nabokov-mfa/#comment-101 I tried that method as well, refusing to read, but decided to push through and learn to do both. When I finish this first book, the plan is to not breathe a sigh of relief and stop writing, but to plow through and write other things. Essays, etc., not to mention I already know what my next novel is about. So, if I plan to keep writing at a constant clip (a la Stephen King), which is my plan, reading has to be simultaneous, or it will be non-existent. It seems to work fine, so long as I write my novel first thing in the morning, and do my reading in the afternoon. About two hours before bed, I re-read where I am at in my novel, and focus on that when I drfting off to sleep. I intentionally don't fall asleep curled up with a book. I tried that method as well, refusing to read, but decided to push through and learn to do both. When I finish this first book, the plan is to not breathe a sigh of relief and stop writing, but to plow through and write other things. Essays, etc., not to mention I already know what my next novel is about. So, if I plan to keep writing at a constant clip (a la Stephen King), which is my plan, reading has to be simultaneous, or it will be non-existent. It seems to work fine, so long as I write my novel first thing in the morning, and do my reading in the afternoon. About two hours before bed, I re-read where I am at in my novel, and focus on that when I drfting off to sleep. I intentionally don’t fall asleep curled up with a book.

]]> By: Kevin Harris http://www.jeffwalsh.com/2005/03/04/the-nabokov-mfa/#comment-102 Kevin Harris Wed, 16 Mar 2005 03:49:13 +0000 http://www.jeffwalsh.com/2005/03/04/the-nabokov-mfa/#comment-102 I'm just curious as to your decision to read while you're writing your novel. I've heard some authors say they prefer not to read anything until their book is done. The reason for this is simple. If they read others work while still engaged in their own, they may find the other author's voice usurping theirs. What do you think about this? I’m just curious as to your decision to read while you’re writing your novel. I’ve heard some authors say they prefer not to read anything until their book is done. The reason for this is simple. If they read others work while still engaged in their own, they may find the other author’s voice usurping theirs.

What do you think about this?

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