Habits of Famous Writers
Here are some habits of literary geniuses:
Truman Capote had to write lying down on his bed or couch with a pencil in one hand and a drink in the other. The drinks each day ran the gamut from coffee to mint tea to sherry and finally martinis.
John Grisham as a beginning writer would be at his desk at 5:30 a.m., his first cup of coffee in hand.
William Faulkner had to have whiskey around when he was drinking.
Maya Angelou checks into a hotel room, removes pictures from the walls, and writes while lying on the bed with a bottle of sherry, a deck of cards for solitaire, a thesaurus, and a copy of the bible.
Garth Stein listens to pumping music such as the Beastie Boys or R.E.M.
Richard Wright took his lined, yellow legal pad, fountain pen, and a bottle of ink to a park near his home where he wrote on a bench at the top of a hill.
Philip Roth writes on a lectern. When he is thinking he paces, returning to the lectern to jot down words.
Francine Prose wrote while wearing her husband’s flannel pyjama pants and a t-shirt.
Toni Morrison has to write early, usually around five a.m., and she writes with a pencil.