Richard Powers: Each Try Launches Another()  

November 20, 2006 Richard Powers is the author of nine novels. His latest, The Echo Maker, won the 2006 National Book Award for Fiction. He teaches creative writing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Summary

Scott Turow: Fasten Your Seat Belt and Write()  

November 27, 2006 We've asked fiction writers from all genres for the essence of noveling: how they write, how they overcome writer's block and their best written sentence. Today's Author: legal thriller Scott Turow

Summary

Walter Dean Myers: An Outline Plus Family Advice()  

November 28, 2006 We've asked fiction writers from all genres for the essence of noveling: how they write, how they overcome writer's block and their best written sentence. Today's Author: children's author Walter Dean Myers.

Summary

Neal Pollack: Looks at Checking Account Balance()  

November 27, 2006 We've asked fiction writers from all genres for the essence of noveling: how they write, how they overcome writer's block and their best written sentence. Today's Author: Neal Pollack

Summary

Max Apple: Carry Earplugs. Always.()  

November 28, 2006 Max Apple is the author of six books, includng I Love Gootie: My Grandmother's Story, a memoir about his relationship with his Yiddish-speaking grandparents. Apple teaches creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania.

Summary

Rita Mae Brown: Too Many Mouths to Feed()  

November 27, 2006 We've asked fiction writers from all genres for the essence of noveling: how they write, how they overcome writer's block and their best written sentence. Today's Author: mystery writer Rita Mae Brown

Summary

Lewis Buzbee: 'Invention Invents Itself'()  

Lewis Buzbee

November 27, 2006 Lewis Buzbee is the author of the novel, Fliegelman's Desire, as well as a collection of short stories and a nonfiction book. He has been teaching in the University of San Francisco MFA program since 2000.

Summary

Michael Cunningham: Segues Straight From Sleep()  

November 27, 2006 Michael Cunningham is the author of five novels and one non-fiction book. His most recent novel, Specimen Days, weaves the lives of three characters with the life of Walt Whitman. Cunningham won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award for his 1999 novel The Hours.

Summary

Dan Chaon: Meat Is the Reward()  

November 28, 2006 We've asked fiction writers from all genres for the essence of noveling: how they write, how they overcome writer's block and their best written sentence. Today's Author: Dan Chaon

Summary

Kaui Hart Hemmings: Off to the Writer's Room()  

November 27, 2006 Kaui Hart Hemmings's first novel, The Descendants, will be published by Random House in May. Hemmings grew up in Hawaii and now lives in San Francisco.

Summary

more Novel Ideas >

Podcast + RSS Feeds

Podcast RSS

  • Novel Ideas
     
 
 

About Novel Ideas

We asked fiction writers to explain the essence of creating a novel, from how they write to their approach to writer's block. Read new responses each day, in honor of National Novel Writing Month.

Questions & Comments

 

NPR thanks our sponsors

Become an NPR Sponsor