Who are you?
I’m Erika Swyler, a novelist based out of Long Island, New York.
What do you write?
I’m mostly a novelist, with the occasional essay and short fiction sprinkled in. I write literary fiction as far as attention to language and interiority, but I pull from science fiction, mystery, historical fiction, romance, magical realism, and fabulism. My latest, We Lived on the Horizon is literary science fiction with a touch of speculative. I’m an omnivorous reader and it shows in my writing. My books don’t fit neatly in any one spot—for me that’s the fun part of writing. I’ve always written, though for a time I thought I’d be an actor. I came out of theater school as a playwright, then discovered I was accidentally writing a novel, and it was a little unusual. I tend to avoid writing strict realism. Given the infinite time and space of the page, my brain refuses to recreate the world as is. That’s not how my best self thinks. I love what I do in that writing allows me to create something that doesn’t exist but feels like it could. I’m giddy on days I’m writing dialog. Getting to dissect the way all communication is also miscommunication? That’s the good stuff. It’s a great job, aside from it being a job.
Where do you write?
I work mostly at home and in coffee shops. I often write in what was my childhood bedroom, where my house rabbit also spends most of her days. That’s where I do the less pleasant writing when I need the emotional support of a pet. For that, I’m on a laptop with a wireless mechanical keyboard—a really clacky one, because I’m obsessed with sound. I do most of my editing on a full desktop setup on a treadmill desk, in a basement studio I affectionally call The Writing Dungeon. I do find that walking while editing helps me feel my way through a book. I also spend a lot of time working in a specific coffee shop, where I can sit by a window facing the harbor and watch the boats come in. There, my writing is split 50/50 between my laptop and notebook work. Working in different places helps keep my thinking fresh. I write mostly in Word, as it’s one less step between writing and working with edits. I’ve tried Scrivener multiple times, but it’s not a great tool for me. That said, I do the bulk of early drafting in notebooks, Apica notebooks specifically. They’re inexpensive, easy to fill, and there’s no ink bleed-through. At the moment, I favor writing with a Lamy Safari. It’s a terrific introductory fountain pen.
When do you write?
I’m at my best between 10am and 2pm. I fantasize about being an early morning writer, but when I’ve tried, I’m too foggy and my focus just isn’t there. I need a cup of coffee when writing—a latte if I’m out—and some sort of light background noise. I try for a minimum of two hours, a maximum of four. If I’ve been procrastinating on a project and I need to make headway in order to have something to edit, I’ll aim for 1,500 words. Otherwise, I set a goal of two hours of focus at the keyboard or in the notebook. That’s all self-imposed. I’m a thinker more than I am a writer, and only aim to sell one book at a time. Deadlines from a publisher, when they happen, usually feel very doable because the bulk of my thinking and writing is already done. I’m also not a person who writes every day, by that I mean physically writing, be that in a notebook or on the computer. I try my best for five days a week for the physical part, but the mental work of picking at a novel is essentially non-stop.
Why do you write?
I write because there’s something in the world I need to figure out, and fiction lets me examine a problem from every side. Novels are gruelingly long projects for me, so that thing I want to figure out tends to be a large idea with lots of facets. Mental illness, parent-child relationships, time. You know, the small stuff. We Lived on the Horizon came out of a fascination with extreme altruists and all the ways governments and other people exploit them. A fixation will inspire me, but it’s the specificity required to make a nuanced book that keeps me going. I want to know how many angles I can explore before it loses shape. I want to see how much I can bend something and still have it be relatable. The dream, for me, is for a book to fight itself but still be cohesive. That’s existence, you know? Ultimately, human connection is what keeps me at the desk. The idea that someone I’ll never meet, years from now, might read something and feel the same emotion I did when I thought it—that’s everything. It’s connection, time travel, and maybe that good thread of being human.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I’m a firm believer in playing your way out of writer’s block. Blocks happen for many reasons, be it fear, vulnerability, fatigue, or even boredom. For me blocks often happen when a routine becomes too routine. So, I’ll start a new notebook of something wild that I have no intention of keeping. Allowing myself to be truly weird in a way that’s not meant for anyone else’s eyes can function as a reset. I’ll often indulge the child part of myself and play a video game, read something silly, or take in the outdoors. It’s awful that physical exertion is also helpful—as a person dedicated to leisure, this is repulsive to me—but jogging or running helps me cut writer’s block down to its proper size. Blocks are more frequent when my mind and my body aren’t getting the same amount of care. And this may be unpopular, but I allow myself to take time away from writing. I’ve spent a significant portion of my life managing depression, so when a block hits, I have to use it as a signal to check in with my mental health and do that kind of housekeeping. There’s no real obligation for anyone to write novels, but every person has an obligation to take care of their mental health.
Bonus: What do you enjoy doing when not writing?
Reading is the most obvious answer, but my interests are eclectic, and I pick up hobbies like I pick up books. I’m a casual gamer, gardener, doodler, runner, and I still love the theater. I’m also a docent in an art and history museum, so I really enjoy learning, teaching, and meeting new people.
My thanks to Erika Swyler for today's interview.