Pink Think: “If other people are willing to risk failure, then I should, too.” – Matrimony author Joshua Henkin on why he started writing – and submitting – fiction.
Novelist Joshua Henkin teaches Creative Writing at Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn College in New York. I caught up with him recently by phone. Read to the end of this post for a chance at a free copy of his novel Matrimony! Here are the highlights of our conversation:
Me: You said in your bio your first book took three years to write, Matrimony took ten years. I would have thought the second book might have been easier/quicker. What happened?
Joshua: My second book was a broader and more ambitious novel than (my first novel) Swimming Across Hudson. I was trying to figure out how to write about 20 years time. I reread Richard Russo’s Empire Falls which does a good job of skipping time.
Writing about a writer was a struggle. People say, go out and hike in Nepal, like a writer character wasn’t hefty enough. Well, if I were writing about a chef, mobster, I would take them seriously. So why not a writer? This helped me over that psychological hurdle, so I could finally finish the book. 75% – 80% got written in the last year, once I figured out the characters.
Me: How did you get agented (for first novel Swimming Across Hudson)?
Joshua: Funny, people think connections are important. I queried 8-9 agents of people whose books I admired and were similar to mine. Three agents who didn’t know me from Adam responded. Agents know their own taste, and they’ll go with a book they like. I met with each one and went with the one (Lisa Bankoff of International Creative Management) who was most enthusiastic, the one whom I felt most understood my work.
Me: What gave you the idea to write Matrimony?
Joshua: I started with the idea of a love relationship starting with a college reunion. And it certainly is about that, but there’s so much more to it. I found it best not to plan out, best for characters to take you wherever it might lead. Fly by the seat of your pants.
Writers have to either be naturally stupid, or have to cultivate a certain measure of stupidity. A friend of mine shared a study where adults group a banana with an apple, and kids group a banana with a monkey. Kids are better storytellers. In fiction it is better to be in a dreamlike state and think like a child, maybe just a little more sophisticated. Try not to have preconceived notions or advance an argument.
Me: Tell me about your revision process. How different was the first draft of Matrimony from the final? And what did it take to reach that stage?
Joshua: I rewrote everything from scratch. I have to re-type everything; I have to make sure it’s a decision. After I met with my editor at Pantheon, she sent me some notes. Some of my grad school friends also helped. By the time I sat down I had a pretty clear idea of how to revise my book.
Me: Is writing and publishing a novel a good way to make money?
Joshua: (Laughs) It’s a terrible way. And the publishing business is having hard times. Well, maybe some commercial fiction does well, but no, it’s not a good way to make money.
Me: If you are not in it for the money, then why do you do it?
Joshua: I like the process of writing, the feeling of creating something from nothing.
Me: How did you get into fiction writing?
Joshua: I started after college, reading fiction submissions for a magazine in California. I came across some terrible manuscripts, which made me think, if other people are willing to risk failure, then I should, too. I was 23, 24 years old. Why shouldn’t I do it? I didn’t want to regret not trying.
Me: Describe your writing ritual. Where and how?
Joshua: If I could have a choice, write all day Saturday or every day, 10 minutes a day 6 days a week, I’d choose every day. You don’t want to have huge gaps, you want to live with the characters constantly. I try to get it done first thing in the morning, so it is not constantly hanging over my head.
Early on in writing Matrimony, my computer broke, so I continued to write my first draft in long-hand, preventing me from revising. I still do that, I write my first draft long-hand, and then revise into the computer.
Me: Have you ever felt like giving up on writing novels? And what made you stick to it?
Joshua: All the time, but I feel compelled to do it. I enjoy it, I feel fortunate to be able to do it.
Me: What are some things you wish your students would do to improve their first drafts?
Joshua: My graduate students have beautiful language, but struggle with plot and story. They have characters spend a lot of time watching. First, make sure you have a good plot and story. The second is, “show don’t tell” is good but don’t go overboard. Some writers tend to overdescribe and not tell what a character is thinking about. Finally, get over the reluctance to revise.
Me: What was it like writing a woman’s POV as a male writer?
Joshua: I get asked that a lot because of many readers identify with Mia (the main female protagonist). You are always imagining other characters’ points of view. Old or young, rich or poor. It’s not different than a man versus a woman. It takes getting out of your experience, although with a wife, two daughters and a female golden retriever, I feel I have some insight.
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Readers, I am giving away an autographed copy of Joshua Henkin’s Matrimony. A comment on this post will give you an entry. For a chance at another entry, comment here. Deadline is December 14.
This contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone for participating. Our winner is Sunny!
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