Gish Jen: Why We Write

“When I’m writing I’m unaware of myself. I’m in my characters, in the story. I know the writing is going well when I look at my watch and see that it’s ten p.m., and the last time I looked it was noon.

My writing has always been very intuitive. When I start a piece I don’t have a plan; I’m not looking ahead.  I’m looking only at what I’m doing, and then I look up and realize, Here I am at the other shore of the lake, so I guess I must have been swimming.”