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Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors Paperback – January 20, 2015

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Ernest Hemingway, Zadie Smith, Joan Didion, Franz Kafka, David Foster Wallace, and more. In Process, acclaimed journalist Sarah Stodola examines the creative methods of literature’s most transformative figures. Each chapter contains a mini biography of one of the world’s most lauded authors, focused solely on his or her writing process. Unlike how-to books that preach writing techniques or rules, Process puts the true methods of writers on display in their most captivating incarnation: within the context of the lives from which they sprang. Drawn from both existing material and original research and interviews, Stodola brings to light the fascinating, unique, and illuminating techniques behind these literary behemoths.

Print length

270 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 20, 2015
Dimensions

5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1477801081
ISBN-13

978-1477801086
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fascinating...Stodola takes an intimate and well-researched look inside the habits and traditions of 18 of your favorite writers." -Flavorwire
"[Sarah Stodola] spent the last few years researching, studying, obsessing over the peculiar writing habits of artists ranging from Didion to Hemingway, Rushdie to Morrison, Kafka to Wallace." -Dig Boston
"Completely devoured it ... really interesting stuff in short, punchy chapters." -A.C. Fuller, host of the Writer 2.0 Podcast

"[A] well-researched book that is affably written and organized...Stodola has focused on the "horizontal and vertical," things that avid readers might find interesting, such as the controlling "image" that guides Toni Morrison's work or how much time Ernest Hemingway really gave over to socializing. I was reminded of peculiar trivia I had read years ago, but hadn't fully appreciated at the time: James Joyce's early infatuation with Henrik Ibsen, Philip Roth's habit of writing hundreds of pages before finding the first useable syllable." -The Millions

"Feast on writerly habits, including Toni Morrison's penchant for No. 2 pencils, Junot Diaz's stand-up writing style, and Joan Didion's self-reward: one drink each night after work." -Mental Floss

"Stodola's approach to Franz and Toni and Margaret and Virginia is accessible and welcoming." -Entropy Magazine

“Fascinating...Stodola takes an intimate and well-researched look inside the habits and traditions of 18 of your favorite writers.” ―Flavorwire

“[Sarah Stodola] spent the last few years researching, studying, obsessing over the peculiar writing habits of artists ranging from Didion to Hemingway, Rushdie to Morrison, Kafka to Wallace.” ―Dig Boston

“Completely devoured it ... really interesting stuff in short, punchy chapters.” ―A.C. Fuller, host of the Writer 2.0 Podcast

“[A] well―researched book that is affably written and organized...Stodola has focused on the “horizontal and vertical,” things that avid readers might find interesting, such as the controlling “image” that guides Toni Morrison’s work or how much time Ernest Hemingway really gave over to socializing. I was reminded of peculiar trivia I had read years ago, but hadn’t fully appreciated at the time: James Joyce’s early infatuation with Henrik Ibsen, Philip Roth’s habit of writing hundreds of pages before finding the first useable syllable.” ―The Millions

“Feast on writerly habits, including Toni Morrison’s penchant for No. 2 pencils, Junot Diaz’s stand-up writing style, and Joan Didion’s self-reward: one drink each night after work.” ―Mental Floss

“Stodola’s approach to Franz and Toni and Margaret and Virginia is accessible and welcoming.” ―Entropy Magazine

About the Author

Sarah Stodola is a writer and journalist who has contributed to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Nation, Daily Beast, and Awl, as well as Condé Nast Traveler and Slate, among others publications. She founded the literary journal Me Three and served as an adjunct scholar for Lapham’s Quarterly. She is currently the editorial director of Strolby.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Publishing (January 20, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 270 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1477801081
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1477801086
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #817,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #92 in History of Books
- #809 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
- #1,782 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)

Customer Reviews:
602

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SARAH STODOLA has written about travel and culture for The New York Times, Slate, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC, among others. She is the author of Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors, and the founder and editor of Flung, a publication that challenges assumptions about travel.

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N. Wright

A book I’ve longed for

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2022

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I’ve always wondered about the processes of other writers, if only to justify my own. They are as varied as the people from which Stodola mines information.

I was struck by the fact that although their processes are extremely varied, as are their workdays, their sources of inspiration, and the tricks they play on themselves to increase output and reduce angst, none seem to be “plotters,” and that their inspiration comes from esoteric and often almost ethereal concepts, the types of ideas it is very difficult to plot around. And they change their minds and alter plots often and drastically. They may or may not believe in muses (most don’t) but something drives this behavior. Perfectionism, a never wavering sense of responsibility to the work, of getting it “right. Something.

These are great literary writers, and I am a genre fiction writer. The concepts they grapple with may be more complex, but the emotions are often the same. And as writers we all struggle with the same things. Fear, doubt, procrastination, guilt, the often never-ending urge to “fix.” It heartened me to learn that we struggle with the same issues in often the same way. As the great contemporary romance writer Susan Elizabeth Phillips has said, “you’re not special.”

Highly recommended to anyone who creates art in any form in which they put their psyches on the line. Which is all of us.

5 people found this helpful

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Courtland Hopkins

A good start for process

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2023

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I think this book is insightful for the careful reader but also for the aspiring writer in regards to what is necessary for a writing lifestyle to take shape.

Helpful

Cheryl Kaye

Listen, Learn and Live Through Other Writers

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2023

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My goodness, I affirmed so many of my own rituals, obsessions, and habits while reading how other successful authors start writing. I also am fixated with economical phrases and words. I take lots of notes. When I hear a phrase that attaches itself to me, I write it down. Eventually it will fit into dialog or simply be inspirational.

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2022

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There is a lot of interesting information in this book and it evidences a lot of effort and scholarship, but...

The writer is a so-so writer—and, needs a better editor. The idea of the book is to find similarities and differences among great writers—presumably as an aid to wannabe authors.

In this reviewer's opinion, Stodola focuses too much on minutia: whether authors write with pencil or type, whether they write standing up or sitting, etc., and not enough on the nuts and bolts of their writing process: do they outline or write from page one, how do they/how much do they self edit, etc.

She does a credible job detailing the later (writing process), but haphazardly, as the book is organized on a per author basis. Better to organize the book by common traits. Then... highlight the dissimilar.

One could argue it is more "interesting" to focus on each writer's life. My guess is, that was the editorial decision made early on in the book's writing. But this book is not fiction. And its likely readers are not general readers but writers thirsting for knowledge on craft. Such a reader's interest will be held—not by biography—but by answers. And the clearer those answers are presented, the more interesting, and effective, the book will be.

Moving on: chapters include a section on each author entitled "A Day In The Writer's Life." Too often, some of the information in this section has been covered earlier in the particular author's chapter. What editor missed this?

The author uses the word "abscond" incorrectly twice and in fairly close proximity. It means: "leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft." Stodola uses it to describe writers hiding themselves away to concentrate on writing. While perhaps "technically," her usage is not wrong, it sounds wrong the way she uses it as the "theft" element is missing.

A swing... and mostly a miss.

12 people found this helpful

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Jeannette Hartman

Fascinating view of writers at work

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2021

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It's eternally tempting to think if you just knew how a famous writer worked, you too could get similar results.

There are no magics secrets to writing. This book clearly shows that as it takes brief looks at writers classic and contemporary to see how they work. Over and over again, this book proves that almost any approach can work for a good writer -- the key is to keep writing. (It was interesting to learn how many great writers struggle with it.)

Each essay on a writer is short and follows a consistent structure so you get the same type of information for each. The featured writers span time and offer a good variety of authors. This is an easy book to pick up and put down as time allows (or inspiration is needed) and it doesn't have to be read in order.

7 people found this helpful

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Rev. Ed Freeborn

Delightful look into authors' lives

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2023

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This is a delightful book. It pulls back the curtains on a variety of authors showing the reader their professional and personal habits and styles as well ad who influenced them in their literary journey. I enjoyed it immensely.

Helpful

B. L. Lewis

Most Important Book I've Read as a Writer

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2023

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This book was like being a fly on the walls of your favorite writers. If you want insight on how they do it, read this book. This book will go in my permanent library.

Helpful

The Tate Family

Insight of the Greats!

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2022

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I enjoyed Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors. As an aspiring writer it’s interesting to see that I’m not alone in my quirky writing nature. The insight offered by Stodola about each author is shared in an interesting way. I found the book and authors written of within fascinating. Thank you!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Helen Musson

Brilliant!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2023

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Brilliant!

Placeholder

Brilliant. Inspiring.

Reviewed in India on August 20, 2023

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An amazing read on how writers are humans, with their own vices and virtues. There are different types of writers with different approaches to their craft - all of whom have something to offer!

Robert Rinne

Influential and changed the way I write

Reviewed in Canada on August 12, 2019

Verified Purchase

The one page synopses of each writer's process are nowhere near as important as the details of each writer's life.
In reading each one, you see where they are vastly different and all the same.
The message - to me - is very simple. Writer's write whenever they can, at all costs, and not all of them are stories they finish. I loved reading this and it seemed to open something in me. It gave me permission to write the way I want without having to worry about fitting into some mould created by someone who has no idea what I am.
Why stress about a story you don't finish? Get the idea down as fast as you can so you can get back to it later.
But don't forget, story comes first.
You can have all the cool characters you want - with nuance and depth and background and all that stuff. But you better give them something to do.
In the end, thank you for writing this book and I hope other writers get the same value from it that I did.

3 people found this helpful

Alok R.

A good book on writer's life

Reviewed in India on July 19, 2023

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It contains the writing lives of some of the great authors of all time.The book depicts their way of working, experiences ,habits and things which affected their writings.

StephenDS

Confirms writing is a personal pursuit

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2022

Verified Purchase

The author of this book has invested much time and effort in delving through existing documentary evidence on the way several well-known and renowned authors gave gone about writing their best known, and other works. Each author merits a short account of their life and writing habits, rounded of by a short account (rarely longer than one page) of a typical writing day for that particular author.
The overall result is interesting because the range of authors is wide and well chosen. But anyone who hopes to discern a secret to becoming a successful author will be confounded. Well -- I was. There are no patterns, and hardly any commonalities. However, the big plus point for me was that I came away reinforced in my self-belief. My approach to writing seems as good as anyone else's. What's required to become one of the greats -- apart from luck, and an excellent publisher, and adequate exposure -- is a genius idea (and they're few and far between) and a writing style that suits the genius idea and simultaneously appeals to a significant fraction of the reading publish. And keep in mind, apparently they are mostly female!
That's not asking too much, is it?

One person found this helpful

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