Philip Roth, regarded as America’s greatest living novelist, on writing:
‘You’re always lost at the beginning. You may be so lost you don’t even know what you’re going to write about. But even when you discover what you’re going to write about, you don’t know how you’re going to go about writing it. The sentences are ugly and clumsy and awkward, and you can’t imagine you could ever reach any competence again… And then gradually over time as you come to grips with the subject, the manner begins to become more apparent and easier to handle.’
This blog will be returning to Philip Roth’s work at a later date.