Now that he's released another book, novelist Philip Roth has given us a little more information about his writing process. In an interview with NPR, the author of "Goodbye, Columbus," "Immortality," "Sabbath's Theater" and a host of other masterworks said he puts in a long days writing.
On an average day, he produces one page. On a good day, maybe three. On a bad day, nothing. And that's one page before secondary revisions begin.
That floored me. Just think about the amount of copy you produce and the rate at which you do it. Perhaps it's why he's a genius.
Bob Edwards asked Roth how he remains productive after such a long career. Roth said he's cut back on teaching to conserve energy, but other than that, "I just go to work every day."
ReplyDeleteSimple, but inspiring.