How T.C. Boyle Finds His Endings
The author of The Harder They Come adheres to an organic, spontaneous finale-writing process ruled only by his desire to leave readers with room for interpretation.
By Heart
Authors share and discuss their all-time favorite passages in literature.
Laura Marling on Why Writers Should Look Back for Inspiration
The English folk singer-songwriter reveals how an appreciation for humanity's history has informed her art.
What Writers Can Gain From Seeing the World Through Different Eyes
The author Tania James shares a lesson she gleaned from a book about a poacher: The best prose comes from experimenting with new perspectives.
What Writing Has in Common With Happiness
The author Yasmina Reza says that Borges taught her fiction, like joy, is borne of mysterious, instinctual processes achieved in an unconscious state.
The Fine Art of Ambiguous Writing
The author Reif Larsen says Joseph Conrad and Anselm Kiefer taught him how to practice omission without infuriating his readers.
How Writing Fiction Masters Fear
When novelist Harriet Lane received a serious diagnosis, she started telling stories that let her meet anxiety on her own terms.
With Writing, Opportunity Comes From Small Moments
Author Katherine Heiny describes how the best details in fiction can be ripped from small talk and eavesdropped conversations on the bus.
Scott McCloud on the Secret of Humor
The writer draws inspiration from Art Spiegelman's Breakdowns, "a toolkit to think about humor using comics."
With Language, Seeking Out the Sublime
Writer Thomas Pierce finds inspiration in the concise beauty of Theodore Roethke's notebooks.
Mark Ronson on How Fiction Inspired Uptown Special
The songwriter-producer collaborated with author Michael Chabon on his new album.