Tag: james joyce

• November 6, 2013

  Writing on Rails

  

  Writers are notorious for writing in strange places. James Joyce wrote in bed, Agatha Christie composed in the bathtub, Edith Sitwell did her best work while lying in an open coffin. Having a ritual for writing — a special place or writing instrument — is often recommended to beginners in the craft as a way to channel their creativity. I’ve never been one of those writers.

  I’ve written on notebooks and laptops. In the middle of the night and in the early morning hours. At my desk, on my couch, on the floor and on airplanes. But it wasn’t until now that I discovered the perfect place to write every single day.

  British author (and secret agent) John le Carré used his 90-minute train commute to and from London as an opportunity to pen his famous spy novels. I have a similar, 40-minute (each way) train ride to my place of employment. It’s perfect. Dedicated time to myself to write without interruption. I don’t have to worry about traffic on the I-5. I am free to write while conductor takes care of the driving.

  I’ve been writing over 1,000 words a day since I started taking the Sounder train. Every writer needs a ritual. The clatter of the tracks and the sounding of the horn is mine. The start and stop at train stations regulates my writing schedule and there is a romantic quality to riding this old fashioned mode of transport.

  Why would any writer choose to sit on the highway when they could be writing the next great American novel on their way to work?

  

  — 30 —

  Jonny Eberle has been in love with trains since he was a boy. He is a writer, photographer and ferroequinologist in Tacoma, WA. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!

  Related Posts:
  In Praise of Moleskine Notebooks
  Leaving on a Jet Plane
  Discovering the Write Place
• October 16, 2012

  An Experiment in Form

  

  When James Joyce wrote his groundbreaking novel, Ulysses, he changed novels forever. His style was wildly experimental and his themes controversial. He threw out beginning, middle and end; he replaced scenes and chapters with a stream of consciousness. Ulysses was bold. It was different. And it set the writers of the 20th century free to push at the boundaries of how stories could be told.

  For some time now, I’ve been interested in how social media is changing the way human beings communicate. He tweet instead of speak and Facebook instead of talk face-to-face. Looking back at Joyce’s revolutionary approach to storytelling, I began to wonder — could a series of online interactions carry a compelling narrative? It didn’t seem all that far-fetched that social networks could drive a piece of serious fiction. After all, books written as letters have been around for years and novels as emails are increasingly common (my favorite example being The Book I Will Write by John Henry Fleming). What could be a better reflection of reality than a story that unfolds in the digital world we live in?

  So, I decided to take on a new project: a short story where all of the main action happens in tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram photos and the like. So far, it’s the story of estranged siblings who reconnect online after a family tragedy. I’m not entirely sure how it will work (or if it will work), but I like the idea. And sometimes a weird idea is all the motivation you need.

  I think James Joyce would approve.

  — 30 —

  I’m still in the early stages of this new writing project, but you can follow my thought process on my Twitter feed, @jonnyeberle.