Six Simple Questions With Philipp Meyer

Welcome to Six Simple Questions With...

This is the first post in a series aimed at providing insight and knowledge to readers and aspiring authors alike.

Today's guest is the incomparable Philipp Meyer.

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Philipp Meyer dropped out of high school at the age of 16.

Over the next nearly-twenty years, Meyer got his G.E.D., worked odd jobs, began writing, studied writing at Cornell, worked as a derivatives trader on Wall Street, quit his job as a derivatives trader in order to focus on writing, failed to be admitted into every M.F.A. program he applied to, moved back in with his parents, wrote two novels that were rejected by every agent and publisher out there, worked as an Emergency Medical Technician and as a construction worker, and wrote a novel called American Rust.

American Rust was published in 2009. It was awarded the Los Angels Times Book Prize, was a New York Times Notable Book, landed on a number of "Top Ten Books of the Year" lists, and was listed on Newsweek's "Best. Books. Ever."

Last year, The New Yorker included Philipp Meyer on their prestigious "20 under 40" list - naming him one of the 20 best writers under the age of 40.

Here Are Six Simple Questions
with Philipp Meyer:

1) Do you write each day, or do you write "when the mood strikes"?

I write every day. If you want to get good, you have to. I doubt you could reach the professional level in any field by practicing only when the mood strikes.


2) Do you have a "writing spot," or do you move around?

I move around. Some spots are more comfortable than others, but if you think you can only work in one place, you are procrastinating. You need to be able to work anywhere, in almost any condition.


3) What is the one book (written by someone else) you wish you had written yourself?

Hmmm. I am not sure I really think of books like that. I am just happy when I stumble across a very good one. Out Stealing Horses by Pers Peterson is one I liked a lot recently.


4) What is the one book you feel every aspiring author should read?

It's a short book called Hemingway on Writing, or something like that.


5) What is the best writing advice you have ever heard/read?

The best writing advice I ever got was "keep writing." You are probably going to fail for about 10 years longer than you think you will.


6) What is the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

See number 5. I think because we are all literate, we think that writing a paper, or writing in our diary, is the same as creating a piece of art for an audience. It is not the same. Being literate and deciding you are going to be a writer is like having two working legs and deciding you are going to run in the Olympics. You can do it, but it's going to take a lot more training than you probably think.

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[Check out American Rust]



[Come back next Friday for Six Simple Questions with another awesome guest - a tremendous author who was recently a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize!]

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