The key insight in this snip is that when writing a story, it is important to be patient and discover the DNA of the story. Rather than forcing ideas onto the reader, the process should be exploratory and focused on privileging the high-energy moments in the story. This approach requires a willingness to embrace uncertainty and be open to new possibilities.
George Saunders is the author of eleven books including, Tenth of December, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the inaugural Folio Prize in 2013 (for the best work of fiction in English) and the Story Prize (best short story collection). He has received MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, the PEN/Malamud Prize for excellence in the short story, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. George also teaches in the Creative Writing Program at Syracuse University.
In this episode, Eric and George discuss his book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.
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In This Interview, George Saunders and I discuss Writing and Transformation and…
- His book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
- That we are not powerless to decide what kind of person we’ll become
- Some key Cognitive Distortions from which we all suffer
- The Darwinian Confusions that we have
- Living with the Ego while also renouncing the Ego
- The question of can people change and if so, how?
- How and why small adjustments do matter in the grand scheme of things
- The exponential impact of setting an intention
- The way he maintains a beginners mind amidst repetition
- The “urgent patience” he’s cultivated within himself
- The “cousins” of meditation
- Valuing and blessing our own reactions to what we read
- How to know when we should trust ourselves
George Saunders Links:
George’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
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If you enjoyed this conversation with George Saunders on Writing and Transformation, you might also enjoy these other episodes:
Improvising in Life with Stephen Nachmanovitch
Todd Henry
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