Writers on how they write: Margaret Atwood

The Wall Street Journal has a great article: “How to Write a Great Novel”, reflections by 11 novelists on how they approach writing. I’ll feature one writer per day, highlighting their process with a key excerpt from the article.

Today’s writer is Margaret Atwood, whose novels include “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Alias Grace.”

Ms. Atwood, who has written 13 novels, as well as poetry, short stories and nonfiction works, rarely gets writer’s block. When ideas hit her, she scribbles phrases and notes on napkins, restaurant menus, in the margins of newspapers. She starts with a rough notion of how the story will develop, “which usually turns out to be wrong,” she says. She moves back and forth between writing longhand and on the computer. When a narrative arc starts to take shape, she prints out chapters and arranges them in piles on the floor, and plays with the order by moving piles around.

Ah, taking notes when out and about. My iPhone has saved me, no longer frantically searching for scraps of paper and pen, I just email myself. Or use the Voice Memo app. How about you? What system do you have for keeping notes when you’re away from your writing station?

[Originally posted November 17, 2009]