I can’t isolate a single ‘aha’ moment. I felt I was always going to be a writer.
I love when my conscious brain shuts off and I’m able to access a mysterious subterranean place. Later, I look back at what I’ve written with surprise.
I really love the challenge of responding in the moment to what I’ve just heard. I consider everything from macro issues (i.e. how does this relate to overall plot/character arc) to tinier tweaks or refinements. I love when we as a group become collaborators, pulling for each other. We’re invested in each other’s stories, and we feel eager to hear more as they evolve. We make suggestions for next steps in the plot, or we bring a new insight into a character or situation.
I’m reading Zoe Heller’s The Believers. I’m not as taken with it as I was with her earlier book, Notes on a Scandal; she’s know for writing “unlikable” characters, and yet I’m finding these protagonists a little too crusty. They are, however, complex and full-blooded, and Heller’s writing itself is nimble. I’m an anglophile, and I love all of her British-isms.
I admire the E.L. Doctorow image of writing as being like driving at night in the fog; you can only discern what’s immediately ahead of you. Personally, I’m not one for outlining, and I enjoy uncovering what my characters are going to do and allowing them to guide me.
Whether you are looking for a gift for the other writers in your life or thinking of ways to commit to your craft in 2026, we put together a gift guide perfect for the holiday season. BOOKS We asked our instructors and staff to share the book they’re giving friends
BY SUZANNE FARRELL SMITH At my first grad school program, my inaugural class was a writing-heavy course on cultural criticism, co-taught by a famous, cantankerous, prolific author. He told us, in so many words, “Writers must write every day. If you don’t write every day, you are not a writer.”
