Junot Díaz: Writing as an Act of Persistence

Years ago, after a few online conversations, I had the pleasure of meeting Junot Díaz in person at a sold-out literary event in Washington. (I was later thrilled when he blurbed one of my novels!)

His insights into the writing process have profoundly influenced many writers–and entertained even more readers. He’s author of the Pulitzer-winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and of the short story collection, This is How You Lose Her. Here are some of his key pieces of advice:

• Embrace Reading as a Foundation: Díaz emphasizes the importance of reading to fuel writing. He mentions, "My writing routine begins with my reading. I read immense amounts. The reading inspires my ideas, my sentences, my imagination."
• Maintain a Consistent Routine: He advocates for a disciplined writing schedule, sharing, "I write in the morning, very early. I wake up a few minutes before 5 every day, like clockwork."
• Persevere Through Challenges: Díaz believes that persistence defines a writer. He states, "A writer is a writer because even when there is no hope, you keep writing anyway."

For more about Junot Díaz and his work, visit his profile in The New Yorker.