How I Write: Junot Diaz, Margaret Atwood, More

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By Rachel Kaufman on Nov 06, 2009 02:34 PM

Is the Wall Street Journal getting into NaNoWriMo fever too? They've published a huge piece in their Books section about how famous writers do it.

If you're looking for inspiration for your own novel, NaNoWriMoed or not (ours is at 8500 words, and yes, we just want to brag), read this piece.

Highlights: "The Mezzanine" author Nicholson Baker writes in a half-asleep state starting at 4 a.m. Margaret Atwood says writers should put one hand on the table and the other in the air to get ideas (har, har). Junot Diaz writes "90 percent" of his books in his head. Lots of writers swear by color-coded index cards, longhand, a specific font, a specific brand of pen.

Any writing superstitions/traditions you swear by?

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