Partita, by Barbara Kingsolver, is now available from Harper, so we asked her a few questions about her writing life.
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Partita, a Barbara Kingsolver title, has just been released by Harper; we asked her a few questions to understand her life as a writer.
What time of day do you write (and why)?
When I’m deeply engaged in a writing project, I tend to rise before dawn as ideas rush into my head. I let them gather there until they feel ready to spill out, then I sprint to my desk to start translating them onto the keyboard. I only pause to go to the kitchen to refill my coffee, with no other distractions until noon. If the flow continues smoothly, I’ll skip lunch and press on into early evening. That state of flow is so blissful that I forget I have a body. Quite often, my husband Steven quietly brings a sandwich to my desk. Without that small gesture, I’m sure I would have collapsed long ago.
How do you tackle writer’s block?
Whenever I’m attempting to begin a new book, I somehow convince myself it is the daftest thing anyone has ever written. Truly. It’s paralyzing. The only remedy is to allow myself to draft a terrible first version. Just do it—badly. After all, no one will see it at this stage. It won’t leave my office until it has been rewritten dozens or even dozens of times, gradually evolving from ridiculous to decent to the final book I intend to deliver.
What’s the best or worst writing advice you’ve ever received?
Francine Prose shared a bit of wisdom with me long ago: “The opening sentence (or paragraph) of a novel should promise something the rest of the book will deliver.” It’s brilliant. It obliges you, the writer, to be crystal clear about your aims from the outset. You’re not wasting the reader’s time. I’d defend that principle to the death.
What part of your writing routine do you think would surprise your readers?
I write while standing. I used to sit, like a typical office worker, and I endured severe back problems for decades. Then, about two weeks before a hard deadline on a final draft of a novel, I found myself in such agony in any position other than lying flat or standing that I rigged up a makeshift stand for my computer and finished the book upright. It worked so well that I ordered a proper standing desk and have been pain-free ever since. My most recent half-dozen books were produced with me entirely on my feet.
What was the first book you fell in love with (why)?
During a long family road trip when I was nine, squeezed in the back of our station wagon on the way to some grand destination, I became completely absorbed by Little Women. I distinctly remember waking up from the book long enough to glance around and think, I hope we never reach the Grand Canyon.
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Partita by Barbara Kingsolver is available from Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins.
