I Am the Writer Sarah Pinsker and This Is How I Work

There are many Sarah Pinskers from many alternate universes. They gathered at SarahCon, a convention hosted by scholar Sarah Pinsker. And one of the Saras killed the other. This is the premise of And Then There Were (N-One), the first story I ever read of the real Sarah Pinsker, the author of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Pinsker’s first collection of short stories, Sooner or Later, Everything Falls into the Sea, was released in March; her first novel, A Song for a New Day, came out in September. I spoke to her about her career in writing, music and nonprofit organizations.

Location: Baltimore, Maryland Current concert: Writer Current computer: MacBook Air, replacing the previous Air, which tragically died in a coffee shop. Current mobile device: um, that’s Android. Moto G6. For some reason, my wife gets the iPhone, and I get the phone that is currently being labeled as “the best value smartphone.” One word that best describes how you work: ineffective

First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.

I always knew I would be a writer, but I went a long way. I got my degree in history, so I knew how to do research, and so I had something to write about besides the works of other people. Then I decided to ditch it all in favor of the much more lucrative field of touring musician (/ sarcasm). Did it for a while. Did two solo albums and one with my band [Stalking Horses] and saw a lot of cool places. Bought a house, discovered the charm of day work. I started writing fiction again. Fifty stories, a collection, then a novel – here I am!

What are your job responsibilities?

Writing short stories and novels, and all related material such as readings, meetings, and teaching. I still play concerts when I can. I also have a part-time job at a non-profit organization where I wear a whole bunch of hats and fake mustaches and change them frequently.

Tell us about a recent work day.

All my days start at 7:15 am because that’s when my dog ​​gets up. He is very punctual; I only need an alarm if I catch an early plane or something. We walk two miles before I even woke up. I use this time to make sure I know what I am doing that day and how to mentally prepare myself.

We have breakfast, and when we get back, I take a shower. I do day work two and a half days a week. Otherwise, I do one of two things: stay at home or go to a local coffee shop.

I work best in a coffee shop. Public accountability is an effective tool for me. I know I spend money, so I need to make money, which makes me work hard when I’m there. They are wonderful people and I think this is the place to write.

If I’m at home, my main instrument is an old-fashioned half hour sand hourglass. I turn off my phone and do a half hour “sprint” with a fifteen minute break after each. I try to draft first and achieve whatever goals I have for the day. Then I’ll move on to any edit I need to do. Email interviews and blogs can be done later as a marker of my attention. Another walk with the dog when the weather permits. I have a bad tendency to just keep going, so I try to stop better when my wife gets home.

I try not to create too many rituals. The words on the page are important and nothing else. I can do it anywhere. I love writing retreats. If I am in a city for a long time, I find a local coffee shop where I can work.

I try to write most of my writing during the day, so I can be outgoing when other people are talking, and I go to rock shows, dinner, or movies.

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without?

I write stories in Word, which I don’t really like, and novels in Scrivener . I love Skrivner from novels; I cannot imagine a big project without this. The ability to color in viewpoints, select different areas, look at them like a corkboard … oh, and a word counter! I like the little goal meters. I am a lover of a good goal.

And I guess I can’t live without Dropbox because it saved me when my computer was killed.

How is your workplace arranged?

Laptop on an old table on wheels. Nice chair. My wife built a library for me a couple of years ago. I have another table upstairs which is suitable for spring and fall, but the attic is too hot in summer and too cold in winter. Ever since she built the library, I wrote everything around the house in it. He has a great feeling. All these great books surround me, art that I love. I do have a bad habit of curling up in my chair to write instead of sitting at my desk, but I actually do my best work when I’m sitting well and focused on a table or coffee table.

What’s your favorite shortcut or hack?

My biggest writing trick is walking the dog or jogging. I never experienced writing block during the time I was physically active, but if I start to move less, my brain seems to slow down.

When I go, I think. Solving problems. I come up with a better first line or next place to go so that I never look at a blank page and see it as blank. Am I sending this text to myself, or am I just focusing on memorizing it long enough so that I can write it down as soon as I get home.

I don’t listen to music while walking; I just think about what is confusing me and it unravels along the way.

What is this “writing trick” that you saw another writer used, but that never works for you?

Anyone – was it V.E.Schwab? “I recently saw an author in a live Q&A session who said she started at the end of the novel and worked backwards so she knew where the characters needed to get. It sounds completely odd to me, but I cannot criticize as it clearly works for her.

I often write with a friend who listens to the same song on repeat while writing a draft. Music in general distracts me too much while I write. I like to listen to cheer myself up, but not while working on a draft or editing.

Take us through an interesting, unusual or challenging process that you have.

I’m not sure if I have any finicky processes? Oh, except that I’m totally and totally paranoid about not being able to drink on the same surface as my computer. I was writing at my coffee shop last winter and someone dumped all of her iced coffee into my computer. Fry completely. Obviously, even if you can dry it out, the acid in the coffee just eats away at everything.

The woman took responsibility for what she did, which many people would not do, but since then I am simply terrified. I put coffee on the chair next to me or in a sealed mug and drink water from a resealable water bottle. I used to sit at the “family table” with the hostess while she ordered, but now I sit at a small table where no one else can damage my computer. I have Dropbox so I didn’t lose my job, but it was all very stressful.

Who are the people who help you achieve results, and how do you rely on them?

My agent Kim-May Kirtland is always helpful and quick-witted. I know how much I don’t know, so I appreciate her thoughtful approach to everything.

I have two criticism groups that meet monthly and both force me to ask the next question and improve my stories. They also make me learn from other great writers.

Writer K.M. Szpara is one of my best friends and I know that I can participate in projects that I have taken on myself, such as programming a book festival or creating a pair of mentors. We reached many important career milestones at the same time, so we bounce off each other a lot.

I can’t even begin to talk about everything my wife does so that I can do my job. She is very understanding, but also knows how to say, “Are you sure you want to make this commitment when you have the rest?” This balances out my tendency to say yes to everything.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in your career and how did you deal with it?

I’m not sure yet that I’ve made terrible mistakes in my writing career? I feel like I made a lot of mistakes in music that I could learn from and not repeat. Some of them came from being young and cocky, some from not knowing how to read the contract yet. Fortunately, none of these mistakes had serious consequences, and it seems to me that I have become older, wiser and more humble.

How do you keep track of what you need to do?

Old school. I have a table with three columns: cases, cases, and cases. The point is that it is on the agenda now. You can do it further. There are dates next to both, and I keep them in priority order. The act of moving them to the “Ready” column is very, very satisfying to me. I’ve always enjoyed crossing things off the lists. Sometimes I write things of that day on an envelope just to cross them out physically.

How to recharge or relax?

I feel like I’m not doing very well at this time. I keep saying “after this deadline” until the next deadline pops up like an endless Whack-A-Mole game. Theoretically: Hiking, walking the dogs. Riding horses of my friends. Going to a rock show. Plays music. Going to the movies.

What’s your favorite side project?

Don’t know if I have side projects right now! I think my music is a side project now. Our new dog is very smart and very fast, and I would love to work with him on agility, but it takes a completely different level of commitment.

What are you reading now or what do you recommend?

I read a bunch of stuff at once, but ” Destroy All Monsters” by Sam Miller and ” Meet Me in the Bathroom” by Lizzie Goodman are upstairs now. What do I recommend? Vivienne Goldman’s ” Revenge of the Punks” is amazing. She included playlists in every chapter and did a great job integrating both classic and new bands, many of which I enjoyed discovering in the book.

Can you share the music playlist you’ve created for work or somewhere else?

Yes! The chapter titles from my novel are actually a playlist. Some songs exist only in the novel, but those that exist in our world are found here:

Who else would you like to see to answer these questions?

Charlie Jane Anders, Malka Alder or Janelle Monet, because I don’t understand how they do as much as they do.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Read everything you write aloud before calling it done.

What problem are you still trying to solve?

How to stop saying yes to everything.