What made you decide to be a writer?

What is your earliest recollection of sitting down and writing a story or an idea for a story?

When did you feel that burning inside that you had a story to tell and that you wanted to share it with others?

What event finally pushed you over the edge where you took the plunge into finishing your first writing project?

These are questions that many of us have faced. Here are some answers from some famous authors:

Talk to people – Cormac McCarthy

Pay close attention to your conversations, even remembering specific things the other person said. Cormac McCarthy used specific conversations with his son as inspiration for The Road. In fact, some dialogue in the book is word-for-word what his son and he said (“Papa, what would you do if I died?” / “I’d want to die, too”).

Take notes about your childhood – Tobias Wolff

Tobias Wolff…