I was at LAX today, waiting for my flight to SFO, the first of two flights I'd be taking today. I had a bit of time, so I went to the bar for a glass of cab and a salad.
There was a young man sitting at a small table. He looked like a writer to me; the small, spiral-bound notebook was just one of the things that caught my eye. So I sat down next to him and asked if he was a writer. He seemed surprised at the question but admitted he was a writer
It turns out that he received his degree in journalism two years ago. He's spent some of the time since teaching English in Asia but, like many recent grads, has had trouble finding a job. He's been thinking of writing about his experiences in Asia in some non-fiction format.
I suggested that sometimes you can tell more truth to more people through fiction than non-fiction, to which he replied that he wasn't much good at fiction.
I asked "How do you know?". A slow smile grew across his face as he realized that he really didn't have a good answer.
I was carrying a copy of Stephen King's On Writing. I've read it before but not for a long time. When I saw a reference to it here a week ago, I pulled out my copy and decided to read it again. So I told him that I'd buy his beer and he should use the money he saved to buy a copy of the book and read it. "Maybe it will speak to you. "
He protested that he'd had two beers and a sandwich but I told him that was ok; he should just buy the book. It was about this time that he admitted that he thinks about writing "all the time.". I told him about AW and suggested that he join. I hope he does.
It was one of those brief, pleasant encounters that happen so often on the road. They're one of the reasons that I like travel so much.
Sent from my iPhone at SFO.
There was a young man sitting at a small table. He looked like a writer to me; the small, spiral-bound notebook was just one of the things that caught my eye. So I sat down next to him and asked if he was a writer. He seemed surprised at the question but admitted he was a writer
It turns out that he received his degree in journalism two years ago. He's spent some of the time since teaching English in Asia but, like many recent grads, has had trouble finding a job. He's been thinking of writing about his experiences in Asia in some non-fiction format.
I suggested that sometimes you can tell more truth to more people through fiction than non-fiction, to which he replied that he wasn't much good at fiction.
I asked "How do you know?". A slow smile grew across his face as he realized that he really didn't have a good answer.
I was carrying a copy of Stephen King's On Writing. I've read it before but not for a long time. When I saw a reference to it here a week ago, I pulled out my copy and decided to read it again. So I told him that I'd buy his beer and he should use the money he saved to buy a copy of the book and read it. "Maybe it will speak to you. "
He protested that he'd had two beers and a sandwich but I told him that was ok; he should just buy the book. It was about this time that he admitted that he thinks about writing "all the time.". I told him about AW and suggested that he join. I hope he does.
It was one of those brief, pleasant encounters that happen so often on the road. They're one of the reasons that I like travel so much.
Sent from my iPhone at SFO.
Last edited:
