Over the weekend, Louis Sachar visited New York City to headline an event for the 92Y’s Children’s Reading Series. Attendees listened to him perform a reading and joined in on a Q&A session.
When asked for writing advice, Sachar (pictured, via) recommended that one “always be willing to rewrite.” He shared that he always comes up with the best ideas as he is re-writing. He feels that initial ideas can sometimes seem superficial and it is only in subsequent drafts that those ideas become more substantial.
For Sachar, each book typically requires him to write six drafts. He usually devotes the first three or four drafts to ironing out the plot and character development. For his final drafts, he tries to write the story in the most artistic way he can. What do you think?