Two prolific writers from two different centuries agree: 10 pages a day keeps... uh, "not being prolific" away. All those I think who have lived as literary men,—working daily as literary labourers,—will agree with me that three hours a day will produce as much as a...
Writing Convolutes
Writers on literary criticism and autobiography
What does literary criticism say about the critic? This is the story of my life—that is what must always be heard when someone speaks of someone else, cites or praises him or her. -- Jacques Derrida, Aporias p. 2 Dickens was no hero; he was a powerful, clever,...
Jacques Derrida and Stephen King on sleeping when not writing
I'm tempted to say this is true of any vocation. If you don't work at whatever it is you work at... That is to say, when I don't write, there is a very strange moment when I go to sleep. When I have a nap and I fall asleep. At that moment, in a sort of half sleep, all...
Charles Dickens, on not writing, for various reasons
On thinking about Barnaby Rudge (1840-41): "I didn’t stir out yesterday, but sat and thought all day; not writing a line; not so much as the cross of a t or dot of an i. I imaged forth a good deal of Barnaby by keeping my mind steadily upon him; and am happy to say I...
Slavoj Žižek, on writing books
I like his method. I have a very complicated ritual about writing. It's psychologically impossible for me to sit down, so I have to trick myself. I operate a very simple strategy which, at least, with me, works. I put down ideas, but I put them down usually already in...