Ask the Author: Robert I. Katz
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Robert I. Katz
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Robert I. Katz
I suppose that I don't really believe in writer's block. Writer's block is much more common to those who regard it as a "calling" rather than a craft or a trade. I've had a few times in the past when I was discouraged, and it's hard to concentrate when you're depressed, but most of the time, when it's time to write, then I sit down and write. Never forget, despite all the effort, the artistry and maybe the genius, you're not likely to change the world. If you can entertain your readers for a few hours, then you've done your job.
Robert I. Katz
Most of the time, I get ideas from books that I've read, sometimes from something that I've seen in the media. A lot of it is just being open to whatever ideas come along. I don't have a notebook full of ideas, like some writers do. Often, by the time I finish a book, I have plenty of ideas for the next one. Sometimes, I have to cast my mind around, thinking of what I want to write next. It rarely takes more than a couple of weeks between finishing one book and starting the next.
Robert I. Katz
It's not hard. I enjoy doing it. If I've written something good in the morning, it brightens up my whole day.
Robert I. Katz
I have four published novels, all of which have received excellent reviews, none of which have sold a lot or made me famous. The publishing process kills the souls of many good writers. Now that self-publishing has become a viable option, I'm in the process of getting my so far unpublished works up on Amazon, and of course, writing more.
Robert I. Katz
I was at a panel a couple of years ago and Connie Willis was asked this question. Her answer was simple: "Learn to plot."
In reality, it takes a long time for most writers to get good enough to be worth reading, and I suspect that every writer's journey to this point is different. I've always read a lot. I've always wanted to write. I majored in English in college (before going to medical school). It probably would have helped greatly if I had taken a creative writing course or two, but when I started to write, I did read a lot of books on the process. A few that I thought were better than most were The Art and Craft of Novel Writing by Oakley Hall, Technique in Fiction by Makauley and Lanning and Structuring the Novel by Meredith and Fitzgerald. There are plenty more.
Basically, you can't be a writer unless you write. I don't put a lot of stock in the blanket rules that you sometimes come across, like "you have to write every day" or "you can't be a writer unless you are obsessed with writing" or "a writer can't be anything else." For most of us, it's not a compulsion, it's a hobby and it's definitely a craft, since very few can earn enough to do it for a living. Some writers produce successful books working one day a week. Some write in the morning and some write in the evening. One writer supposedly can't write unless her feet are sitting in a bucket of warm water. Whatever works for you is what you should do.
One very good bit of advice, that I got from Lawrence Block: when you write, have a goal in mind, and stick to the goal. For me, it's 500 words a day. I'll sit there as long as it takes to get those 500 words down on paper. Make it a fixed amount of work. If you decide that you'll write for a fixed amount of time, it's all too easy to sit in front of the keyboard and produce nothing. If your goal is a page, or two or five or ten, then some days it's easy and some days it's hard but you can't give yourself the excuse that today, the muse just wouldn't come. Treat it like a profession, even if you never do become a professional. Make certain that you actually write.
In reality, it takes a long time for most writers to get good enough to be worth reading, and I suspect that every writer's journey to this point is different. I've always read a lot. I've always wanted to write. I majored in English in college (before going to medical school). It probably would have helped greatly if I had taken a creative writing course or two, but when I started to write, I did read a lot of books on the process. A few that I thought were better than most were The Art and Craft of Novel Writing by Oakley Hall, Technique in Fiction by Makauley and Lanning and Structuring the Novel by Meredith and Fitzgerald. There are plenty more.
Basically, you can't be a writer unless you write. I don't put a lot of stock in the blanket rules that you sometimes come across, like "you have to write every day" or "you can't be a writer unless you are obsessed with writing" or "a writer can't be anything else." For most of us, it's not a compulsion, it's a hobby and it's definitely a craft, since very few can earn enough to do it for a living. Some writers produce successful books working one day a week. Some write in the morning and some write in the evening. One writer supposedly can't write unless her feet are sitting in a bucket of warm water. Whatever works for you is what you should do.
One very good bit of advice, that I got from Lawrence Block: when you write, have a goal in mind, and stick to the goal. For me, it's 500 words a day. I'll sit there as long as it takes to get those 500 words down on paper. Make it a fixed amount of work. If you decide that you'll write for a fixed amount of time, it's all too easy to sit in front of the keyboard and produce nothing. If your goal is a page, or two or five or ten, then some days it's easy and some days it's hard but you can't give yourself the excuse that today, the muse just wouldn't come. Treat it like a profession, even if you never do become a professional. Make certain that you actually write.
Robert I. Katz
Always having a project going in the back of your mind is something that I enjoy. I always feel like something significant is going on in my life when I'm writing a book.
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