The characters in Jim Savio's book
The Fairy Flag, and Other Stories ramble through many cities and towns in the United States, and the author himself is a mixture of peacefulness and restlessness. Savio is a carpenter, a longtime student of transcendental meditation, and a writing teacher at Parsons School of Design. He has also been published in http://www.brooklynrail.org The Promethean and other literary magazines. Jim shares a commitment to the craft and a strong sense of self-deprecating angst that any writer can relate to. Here's what he had to say to "Writer to Writer" about his process:
JD: How has your writing practice evolved over the years?
JS: Writing first drafts is still as painful as ever. But not writing at all is pure torture. Not much has changed on that score. Revision I have come to realize is not only about tweaking; it's often about re-visioning my ideas entirely and not being afraid to do so. One of the gifts the computer offers is the ability to compare multiple drafts. The morning is my ideal time to write but I find that I can drop into a writing spell at most anytime when I have the time. I'm fairly worthless late at night.
JD:Is there one thing in particular that stops you up, throws you off course with the writing?
JS: Anything has the potential to throw me off course. Answering these questions during a designated writing time is a good example. Imagining an e-mail of uber importance, sitting there in cyberspace. Strapping myself to a chair can help ground me, but I've been seen walking around looking for snacks with a chair lashed to my body.
JD: When you were putting your story collection together, how did you choose which ones to include/leave out? How did you come up with the order?
JS: At the time, they were the only stories I thought were complete. I've realized since, most of them weren't.
JD: What's the main difference for you in terms of working on stories vs. a novel?
JS: Really the form and structure is the same for me: stories are really little novels and novels are long stories. I've only completed one novel in my writing life. It sits in a drawer next to the first short story I wrote. They are perhaps the most important work of my life. Not because they are any good; but they were the start.
So what about you, writers?
What's the piece of writing that is most important to you? Why?
And for more writerly tips and wisdom, stop by the salon at http://www.bangthekeys.com and check out my new book,
Bang the Keys
And for today, just start!
JD: How has your writing practice evolved over the years?
JS: Writing first drafts is still as painful as ever. But not writing at all is pure torture. Not much has changed on that score. Revision I have come to realize is not only about tweaking; it's often about re-visioning my ideas entirely and not being afraid to do so. One of the gifts the computer offers is the ability to compare multiple drafts. The morning is my ideal time to write but I find that I can drop into a writing spell at most anytime when I have the time. I'm fairly worthless late at night.
JD:Is there one thing in particular that stops you up, throws you off course with the writing?
JS: Anything has the potential to throw me off course. Answering these questions during a designated writing time is a good example. Imagining an e-mail of uber importance, sitting there in cyberspace. Strapping myself to a chair can help ground me, but I've been seen walking around looking for snacks with a chair lashed to my body.
JD: When you were putting your story collection together, how did you choose which ones to include/leave out? How did you come up with the order?
JS: At the time, they were the only stories I thought were complete. I've realized since, most of them weren't.
JD: What's the main difference for you in terms of working on stories vs. a novel?
JS: Really the form and structure is the same for me: stories are really little novels and novels are long stories. I've only completed one novel in my writing life. It sits in a drawer next to the first short story I wrote. They are perhaps the most important work of my life. Not because they are any good; but they were the start.
So what about you, writers?
What's the piece of writing that is most important to you? Why?
And for more writerly tips and wisdom, stop by the salon at http://www.bangthekeys.com and check out my new book,
And for today, just start!
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