Emily Temple

How did you become a writer?

I started out as a reader. My parents were big readers too, so I had the advantage of growing up in a house full of books. When I started writing, it was because I wanted to be able to recreate the magic I found in books, and maybe even find a way to give other people what the books I loved had given me. 

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

So many: W. G. Sebald, Vladimir Nabokov, Katherine Dunn, Italo Calvino, Mary Gaitskill, Donna Tartt, Anne Carson, Octavia Butler, Mary Robison, Kelly Link, Sylvia Plath, Kobo Abe, Virginia Woolf, Helen Oyeyemi, Aimee Bender, Shirley Jackson, Renatta Adler, Maggie Nelson, Donald Antrim, Steven Millhauser, Donald Barthelme, Tom McCarthy, Jenny Offill. This is the problem with reading too much. 

When and where do you write?

I write in the mornings, in bed; for me this achieves the perfect balance of mental clarity and physical comfort required to forget myself. 

What are you working on now?

A second novel, reportedly.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

Technically, I suppose. But I don't really see it as writer's block—I see it as a cycle. Some days I wake up and I'm ready to work, I have tons of ideas and energy. Other days I wake up and I can only blink at the blank page. But you know what? That's okay. On the bad days, I try for a while (in case it's just sleepiness or stubbornness) and then, if it's not working, I give up and read a book, or go for a run, or have a snack. It is my policy not to give myself a hard time about this. For me at least, no good writing ever comes from forcing it. 

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

The best writing advice I've ever received directly was from one of my graduate school professors, who advised me to write a novel, and then when I said I'd try, raised an eyebrow at me and said, "Try?" That eyebrow raise was very good writing advice. That eyebrow raise said: stop waffling and self-doubting and worrying and go do it already.

What’s your advice to new writers?

In first drafts, whether stories or novels or poems, start by simply getting to the end. Even if you get there by jumping over plot holes, and writing bad sentences, and punctuating your prose with "SOMETHING ELSE HERE," just get there. Once you've written through to the end once, you can see the shape of the thing, and then you can change it. Maybe a lot. Don't worry—no one else has to see your bad draft full of SOMETHING ELSEs. Just use it as scaffolding: a temporary support system that will allow you to start building in earnest on the next go-around.

Emily Temple was raised by Buddhists in Central New York. She earned an MFA in fiction from the University of Virginia, and now lives in Brooklyn, where she is the Managing Editor at Literary Hub. Her first novel, The Lightness, was published in 2020.

James Wade

How did you become a writer?

It was probably a clustering of things. I like to read, to listen to and tell stories, and I grew up around a lot of characters in East Texas. I have an ego, all writers do-- how else would we convince ourselves that someone needs to read what we have to say? There's also so much pain and poetry in the world, I can't help but be affected by it. And at the end of the day, like many Americans, I have terrible health insurance and writing is cheaper than therapy. 

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

I believe Cormac McCarthy is the greatest writer to ever live, and I don't think the race is very close. I also love Flannery O'Connor, Walt Whitman, Larry McMurtry, William Faulkner, and Thomas Wolfe. I'm influenced a great deal by nature, as well as by textbooks on philosophy, geology, and astronomy. 

When and where do you write?

I have a home office with a desk by the window. I write best in the mornings, before the day has beaten me down. I also write at the dinette in my travel trailer, when my wife and I are on the road as we often are. The routine is pretty simple: coffee, read a few paragraphs from a writer I admire, then dive into the work. I equate reading good prose before writing to a musician tapping their foot before beginning to play. Reading is an excellent way to get "in rhythm" when you sit down to write. 

What are you working on now?

I just finished the third novel in my three-book deal with Blackstone Publishing, so right now I'm weighing a handful of different ideas before beginning novel number four. 

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

I haven't suffered from writer's block, but certainly I've faced writer's indecision on several occasions. A novel takes months, or even years, to write-- so, I get a little apprehensive when it comes time to start a new project. I want to be sure I choose a story and subject that keep me interested. If you get bored writing something, the reader will likely be bored reading it. 

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Joe Lansdale, a fellow East Texas writer, told me to write every day. I believe his exact words were, "put your ass in the chair." That philosophy works well for me, because I respond better to routine. Stephen Graham Jones once said in an interview that he tries to read so much fiction that he has no choice but to vomit it up. I abide by that principle as well.

What’s your advice to new writers?

Try to make a habit out of writing. Waiting on inspiration or waiting for perfection are two things that can kill the desire to write. Write as much as you can, especially on days when you don't feel like it. You may find that forcing yourself to write on a "bad" day will result in good writing. If not, at least you flexed your self-discipline muscles. You have to self-motivate. You also have to have thick skin. You'll get rejected. You'll doubt yourself. That's okay. Cut yourself some slack. Be kind to yourself and be kind to everyone else you meet in this industry. You never know when you'll need someone's help, or when your support might make the difference in someone else's career. 
Bio: 

James Wade lives and writes in Austin, Texas, with his wife and daughter. He is the author of the novel, All Things Left Wild, as well as numerous short stories. He is a winner of the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest, and a finalist of the Tethered by Letters Short Fiction Contest. Before his fiction career, James spent time as a journalist, water conservation lobbyist, and a legislative director at the Texas State Capitol.

A.J. Jacobs

How did you become a writer?

Partly by design, partly by luck. I graduated from college with a degree in philosophy. There weren’t a lot of jobs out there for philosophers. But one of the few skills I did possess was the ability to (sort of) put a sentence together. So I tried freelance writing for small newspapers. Eventually, I worked my way up to magazines and books. 

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

Among my favorite writers: Bill Bryson, Anne Lamott, and David Sedaris. Also, my high school English teacher Mr. Bender, who always says that I am the second-funniest writer he ever taught. The first is Simon Rich, who is indeed a genius and far funnier than I am. I’m happy to get the silver medal. 

When and where do you write? 

I once read that Hugh Lofting, the author of Dr. Dolittle, wrote his book while in the trenches in World War 1. It’s an amazing and inspiring story.  A skill, to be able to write anytime, anywhere, even in the worst of circumstances. Sadly, I fall far short. I wish I had Lofting’s discipline. Unfortunately, I have trouble writing unless I have three or more hours of uninterrupted quiet. I need at least half an hour just to get into the flow. I often write with the knowledge that the first half hour’s output will be total junk, but with the hope that it will get better. 

What are you working on now? 

I’m writing a book about my love of puzzles. All kinds of puzzles – crosswords, riddles, jigsaws, you name it. I’m exploring whether thinking like puzzle-solvers can help us solve the really big problems, like climate crisis and tribalism. For research, my family and I went to Spain a few months ago and competed as Team USA in the World Jigsaw Puzzle championships. We had a blast, despite being trounced. The Russians won – they are a jigsaw force of nature.  

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? 

I often have trouble getting started. One useful strategy: Just start writing. I’ll write about anything – the broccoli pizza I had the night before, the sparrow on my windowsill. I know I’ll never use this writing, but just the feeling of my fingers tapping on the keyboard gives me some momentum. And eventually I feel confident enough to start writing something that I hope will be usable. 

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

My friend who used to write for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart told me he likes to surprise himself in his writing. Which seems weird. How can you surprise yourself? You’re the one writing the words. But I’ve come to understand it a bit, and I find it hugely helpful. You sort of let your brain off its leash and let it go down weird rabbit holes. Often those rabbit holes will be dead ends, but sometimes they’ll lead to little treasures. 

What’s your advice to new writers?

Get accustomed to rejection. (Advice I’m still trying to follow myself). When I started out, I’d send out 100 article ideas to magazines and newspapers, and maybe one would get the go-ahead. Nowadays, my hit rate is higher – but I still get rejected a lot. It’s just part of the job. You don’t have to embrace it exactly, but you have to be okay with it. 

A.J. Jacobs is the author of the new book Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey in which he thanks every single person who had a role (however small) in making his morning cup of coffee possible. ajjacobs.com, @ajjacobs.