Reading time: About 2 minutes
Mahtab Narsimhan says that she’s written in the morning for so long now, it’s become a firm habit and she feels as though something is missing if she doesn’t do it.
Mahtab Narsimhan is an internationally published, award-winning author of 25 critically acclaimed books in the fantasy, horror, mystery, and contemporary genres. Many have been shortlisted for the Silver Birch, Red Maple, SYRCA, MYRCA, Best Books for Teen and YA, and the CLA Book of the Year, Children’s Awards. Her debut novel, The Third Eye, won the Silver Birch Fiction Award in 2009. Ghost Queen and Careful What You Wish For are recipients of the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award. Get more information from her website.
I was excited to talk to Mahtab about how she approaches writing.
Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?
Two hours in the morning when I’m working on a new draft, on revisions or edits. Then it’s on to my day job in IT, which starts around 8 am and ends around 3 pm. In the evening, I might research, brainstorm or catch up on my reading.
Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?
American writer Peter de Vries said, “I only write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” I make sure I’m inspired at 5.30 am every day of the week which is when I’m the most creative. If I’m in the middle of a first draft and don’t want to lose momentum, I’ll write on weekends, too.
Q, What interferes with your writing?
Travel. Or any activity that disrupts my regular morning routine. Sadly, I’m not the type of person who can write anytime, anywhere (I know someone who could write a sentence or two while waiting for a traffic light to change). However, I make sure I meet all deadlines before I travel.
Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?
Sometimes, I’ll trick myself into it by saying I’ll only read a paragraph or two. Maybe tweak as needed. Once I start reading, I’m off! My problem is starting. I’ve done it for so long, writing in the morning is now a habit. On the rare days I don’t or can’t, it feels as if something is missing.
Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?
“You are not your grand plans. You are your daily patterns.” ~James Clear. Writing a few paragraphs or pages every day adds up. Take care of each day’s goal and the week, month and year will take care of itself.
Q, Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?
Brainstorming, researching a new idea and outlining it. The project is new, and the possibilities are endless. Only once I descend from a bird’s-eye view to start writing, the story does it get harder. Outlining helps. Even if it changes along the way, I know where I’m going, and the revision tends to be more streamlined.
Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. How often have we regretted a choice made and wondered if life might have been better had we only taken a different path? Haig has answered precisely that question in the most beautiful, evocative way possible. Highly recommended.
Q. What book are you reading right now?
The Future by Naomi Alderman. It’s a terrifying look at technology and what the future holds for us if we continue down this path. Though it’s a novel, it could very well come to pass in the next few decades, given the trajectory we’re on with AI, data mining and climate change.
Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?
That once you’ve written the first draft, minor tweaks will take you straight to publication. Writing is rewriting. No matter how well you plot, you will always discover more about your world and especially your characters once you start writing. Be open to revision to make your story the best it can be.
