The Secret Of Writing Is The Secret Of Life

At 91 years old, William F. Nolan, the author of LOGAN’S RUN is still vital and engaged, still in love with writing, and has recently finished new short stories and a mystery novel. One of the last survivors of Ray Bradbury’s original circle, when I traveled to the Northwest last week I promised myself I’d do the smart thing and spend an hour with this amazing man. ALWAYS take the opportunity to speak to masters of any craft you care about. Even if you don’t want to enter that discipline yourself, what they have to teach is treasure beyond price.

Simply put, there is always a huge difference between what amateurs or beginners say about a discipline, and what the masters say. During the wide-ranging conversation, I was waiting for him to speak some particularly pithy truth, something to help me understand how and why he has loved this career path for so long, why his eyes still light up when he talks about it.

And here was the gem of the conversation. It is NOT something most people want to hear, but it is the truth:

“I was teaching creative writing on an adult level at a writing workshop in Bend Oregon. I said to them, `I’m going to tell you the secret of writing. I’m going to reveal to you tonight the secret of writing.’ And they were all excited. “Ah! Mr. Nolan is going to give us the secret! And I said you sit down…