How I Write Richard Powers: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Stanford Professor | How I Write
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Oct 9, 2024 Richard Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Overstory," shares his insights into crafting unforgettable characters. He discusses the emotional relationships between authors and their creations, likening them to personal journeys. Powers explores the intricacies of dialogue, rhythm, and narrative tension, while emphasizing the role of empathy in storytelling. He also reflects on the evolution of his writing process over 40 years, from focusing on word count to creating deeper connections with readers through nature and personal experiences.
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Three Story Types
- Three story types exist: people against people, people against themselves, and people against the environment.
- Richard Powers explores all three, adding depth and complexity to narratives.
Character Development
- Develop characters like an onion, with outer traits, mannerisms, and core inner values as layers.
- Create conflict by forcing characters to choose between these values under pressure.
Empathy for Trees
- Powers developed empathy for trees by spending time in nature, reconnecting with his childhood pantheism, and studying old literature.
- He rediscovered the interconnectedness of humans and nature.
