Writers on how they write: Michael Ondaatje

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

Today’s writer is Michael Ondaatje, whose novels include The English Patient and poetry collections include The Cinnamon Peeler.

Words come easily for the author — the bulk of the work is arranging and rewriting sentences. “I don’t understand this whole concept of writer’s block,” says Mr. Ondaatje, who says he is working on a novel at the moment but declines to elaborate. “If I get stuck, I work on another scene.”

Seems simple enough: If you’re blocked, work on another scene.

[Originally posted November 13, 2009]

Comment Archive