Susan Orlean

Re: Amy's question...I write about things that I find interesting -- and hope that my excitement about them will draw other people in. I rarely write about anything that seems obviously "commercial", although dog stories seem to be perennially popular. I just count on my own enthusiasm for the story and my passion for ...storytelling to carry it, rather than the subject matter. But worrying about whether the work will be in vain is ALWAYS a concern -- a writer wants readers! In the case of my new book about Rin Tin Tin, I'm counting on the story being fascinating (which it is) and full of great historical stuff, as well as having compelling characters and themes that anyone (even a cat lover) can relate to. I hope.
As for telling my younger self something...trust your instincts; write what you love; work hard; be honest. And keep your receipts.Read More

Okay, now I'll be careful about how wordy I am so I don't run out of space again :)
Devan asked about including my thoughts, and knowing when it's too much or too little. I definitely struggle with this -- it's important to me to be in the piece, just as a guide to the reader and to acknowledge the subjectivity of my ob...servations. I try to include as much as feels natural -- that might sound vague, but it should never be forced or obvious. It should feel as if you were telling the story out loud, to a group of friends -- in that setting you'd include yourself where it was part of the story but not try to draw attention to yourself as much as just refer to your experience. It's a matter of instinct and it's not always easy to tell if you've gone overboard (or not shown yourself enough!)Read More

Greetings to all of Professor Underhill's students -- happy to see you here!
I'd like to try to get to all of your questions...might take a bit of time but I'll do my best.
First, Kate's question about quotations...it's obviously very important to me, and I find that sometimes a perfect quote just makes a story. That sa...id, it's impossible to "get" someone to say something witty/insightful/portentous/meaningful. I find that the more time you spend with a subject, the more likely he/she will begin talking freely, unselfconsciously, & that's when you get the "good quote". There is also a weird phenomenon that as soon as you put your notebook away, your subject will begin saying the things you're dying for. When that happens, I try to keep them talking and slowly bring my notebook back out and start scribbling, and lead them back to what they said that sounded great. I also find the best quotes come during conversations that seem off-subject. Oops I've exceeded the space limit of posts!Read More

Hi Kelly,
I have mixed feelings about MFA programs...I think the best effect they can have is to pry you from your day-job and from treating writing as the thing you do when you have a little extra time and instead make you feel purposeful and really determined to write. They also introduce you to a lot of great people ...and you get serious, focused editing. On the other hand, I have always felt the better way to go is to try to find any writing job you can find and just write, write, write -- and have real deadlines and not school deadlines; real stories instead of class assignments. But honestly, it's a tough call. I'm not sure that the kinds of writing jobs that I think are great training grounds are that easy to find anymore, and maybe getting into an MFA program is a good way to get yourself geared up to Be A Writer (notice the important-looking capital letters). Short answer: I'm not sure!Read More