Writers' craft

It took me many years and a lot of work to complete my first crime novel. Along the way I learned a lot about the writing process - or at least, as it applies to me. Every writer is different, so different things will suit different people. There is no right or wrong way. It's really about what works for you. Having said that, here are some things I learned which I hope you may find useful.

Editing is energizing, where you take your solid creation and nudge it into brilliance. It's taking a pile of words and shaping it into something that resembles the story you envisioned. Sometimes, a book looks mighty ugly in its early draft form, but even rough, flawed words are so much better than a blank page. You've already conquered the blank page. No problem, right?  Read more

You've been there. You're having dinner with friends, talking up a storm. After a laugh or a sigh, the conversation falls to silence. You've exhausted a topic. The silence feels awkward, and no one puts forward a new topic. How do you tolerate that moment of nothing?

Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other, which recently won the Booker Prize, is out now from Grove Atlantic. We asked her about writers' block, her favorite books, and more.

When I was a 29-year-old freshman at Portland State, I was lucky enough to work with Pulitzer Prize-finalist Craig Lesley. He gave me some advice that has always stuck with me: write about work. Or more specifically: figure out what your characters do for work and show them working.