Josiah Bancroft's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-process"

When I complete a major project, I go through a period of creative nesting.

Usually, it starts with cleaning and redecorating my workspace. This time, I moved my furniture around and painted my office gray, all except one wall, which I painted black (with chalkboard paint), thereby fulfilling a childhood dream.

Then I read all those books that I’ve been too scared to crack for fear that they would so outshine my own efforts that my courage and imagination would evaporate. (I was wise to avoid Italo Calvino’s Mr. Palomar until after finishing Arm of the Sphinx. The book is a merciless and beautiful mirror.)

And I allow myself to turn my obsessive eye to other creative ventures, which on this occasion have been dominated by music. I love writing songs, and I have an enormous mushy spot in my heart for most post-punk, all new wave, and anything with a synth hook and a female vocalist. I have no ironic or guilty pleasures in this vein: I am unapologetic in my love.

Of course, my creative nest is full of notes and plans for the next book, but it’s an arts and crafts kind of planning. I fill up moleskins, practice my penmanship, and buy pens, markers, chalk, and chalk markers (which don’t erase from blackboard paint, by the way). The purpose of all of this is to prepare myself for the next long dream-- the next book.