In honor of the National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honorees, here are “5 From TW Archives” – young writers whose craft engages the literary world.
5 (MORE) WRITERS UNDER 35
Book: Buck
Age: 33
Inspiration: “I’ve always known that I had a story to tell about my education. I don’t mean school. I mean my coming of age.”
On writing: “When I think of my memoir, I ask, what are the different layers that will help create an experience? I want you to be immersed in my world. The key is weaving those layers together.”
Book: Break
Age: 24
Inspiration: “I like to look at situations and think, ‘What is the predictable response?’ and then I do the opposite.”
On writing: “I write the first draft straight through, sometimes in just a few days. In the first draft, I try not to change where I’m going, and I really like to play with my characters.”
Book: Redeployment
Age: 32
Inspiration: “My writing feels deeply personal and vital to me, but precisely because of that, it doesn’t feel like it has to be the precious expression of a beautiful soul. It just has to be good.”
On writing: “I’m not wise enough to find my own blind spots, but I don’t have to be. I have smart readers and friends, people who help me figure out what it is I’m trying to say, or why what I’m trying to say is misguided.”
Book: The Boy Recession
Age:
Inspiration: “When I was in high school and college, I used lots of tongue-twister alliteration and repeated sounds. It was fun to play with language, but it wasn’t always good writing.”
On writing: “Even a character who’s supposed to be incredibly sexy should have flaws. Even a tragic scene should have those weird moments of humor or joy. Those little details are the rich part of your writing.”
TV show: The Affair
Age: 34
Inspiration: “We don’t talk about the differences in the way men and women are perceived. So I started writing about it.”
On writing: “I learned to trust the characters – to let them speak for themselves – and that you don’t have to rely on pyrotechnics to advance plot. You just need desire and despair.”
Originally Published
