Ask the Author: Drew Hastings
Answered Questions (10)
Drew Hastings
Dan,
This is a really good question and not one that most people would think to ask. (At least my cynical mind doesn't think so).
I guess the first thing that comes to mind is trust. I trust myself--and the reader-- that what I'm writing will click with them. Either they will laugh at the sentence, be moved by it, or, if the sentence is simply structural, they will be compelled enough by it to move on to the next sentence. That is the microcosm of the process on a cellular (sentence) level.
But it's other stuff as well. If I compare one of my chapters to a standup bit, it would have this in common: there is a premise--usually in my standup it's a provacative or outrageous premise-- "I'm not only in favor of the electric chair, I think we should have electric bleachers so we can get rid of the backlog..." that gets your attention. It's the same with starting a chapter--I have to grab your attention, so I spend a lot of time crafting the opening of a chapter. Hell, I'm just going to send you an advance copy of my book and you read the chapters and you'll see what I mean. - thanks, drew
This is a really good question and not one that most people would think to ask. (At least my cynical mind doesn't think so).
I guess the first thing that comes to mind is trust. I trust myself--and the reader-- that what I'm writing will click with them. Either they will laugh at the sentence, be moved by it, or, if the sentence is simply structural, they will be compelled enough by it to move on to the next sentence. That is the microcosm of the process on a cellular (sentence) level.
But it's other stuff as well. If I compare one of my chapters to a standup bit, it would have this in common: there is a premise--usually in my standup it's a provacative or outrageous premise-- "I'm not only in favor of the electric chair, I think we should have electric bleachers so we can get rid of the backlog..." that gets your attention. It's the same with starting a chapter--I have to grab your attention, so I spend a lot of time crafting the opening of a chapter. Hell, I'm just going to send you an advance copy of my book and you read the chapters and you'll see what I mean. - thanks, drew
Drew Hastings
I kept noting over the years that a lot of my writing had to do with Success. What is it? What does a man measure success by? And legacy or immortality-meaning we all want to be remembered. Most men do that by having children. Children are the next edition of US. They are how we live on-except II had no children and didn't want any. And then that changed in a big way when I actually had one late in life. It became the last chapter of my book and made a lot of the book suddenly make sense. Yet, he was not even born when I started writing the book but it was about him all along. Does that make any sense??
Drew Hastings
This one's easy. I get inspired all the time by things I read. Or see. Or question. Getting inspired is the easy part for me. The hard part is sitting down and making it happen.
Drew Hastings
Right now I'm working on almost nothing but book marketing, which I don't really care to do but it's 75% of making a book successful. There are so many books out there it's easy for mine to get lost in the chaos of American consumer choices. But. I'm trying to continue on these short pieces that are mostly humorous that I write as a blog on substack. I've been writing little blogs called "Things that didn't make it into the book". There was a lot of stuff that got cut from the book that was good but had to go away for one reason or another.
Drew Hastings
Hmm. When I have an idea of what I want to say, then find a good way to say it in a sentence, then follow it up with another sentence that works well with the first, repeat that a thousand times, and finally step back and think, "I think that works pretty well in getting across what I wanted to say."
That sense of accomplishment.
That sense of accomplishment.
Drew Hastings
Wait until you're older and have something to say.
Drew Hastings
I'm not sure I believe in it. I think that as a write one can get stuck or uninspired but it's a matter of pushing through it.
Drew Hastings
My inexplicable inability to sustain a romantic relationship even though I'm in love at the time.
Drew Hastings
I don't understand this question. Is there a season for reading?
Drew Hastings
Well, it wouldn't be Game of Thrones. I hate the cold.
If I went to Love in the Time of Cholera, I'd bring a mask and avoid people.
I would go to Last of the Mohicans and try to keep up from getting killed and watch America take shape from the safety of the woods.
If I went to Love in the Time of Cholera, I'd bring a mask and avoid people.
I would go to Last of the Mohicans and try to keep up from getting killed and watch America take shape from the safety of the woods.
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