Andrew Lipstein on Pseudonyms, Failure, and How to Make a Plot Move
In Conversation with Alex Higley and Lindsay Hunter on I'm a Writer But
Welcome to I’m a Writer But, where two writers-and talk to other writers-and about their work, their lives, their other work, the stuff that takes up any free time they have, all the stuff they’re not able to get to, and the ways in which any of us get anything done. Plus: book recommendations, bad jokes, okay jokes, despair, joy, and anything else we’ve got going on that week. Hosted by Lindsay Hunter and Alex Higley.
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Today, Andrew Lipstein (Last Resort) talks to us about using a pseudonym to sell his novel, writing in such a close first person headspace, pushing forward after books have failed, learning how to make a plot move, working without an outline, Patrick Somerville’s advice on writing a novel, rewriting the ending, wanting/not wanting to find yourself in someone else’s art, and more!
From the episode:
The best-case scenario is that you’re generating perspectives or actions that are unexplained but feel real. I think it’s okay if you feel far away from a character who you’re making decisions for, as long as you and the reader feel there is real—even if opaque—justification and decisions underneath that, as opposed to an action only satisfying a plot necessity.
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Andrew Lipstein is a writer based in Brooklyn. His debut novel Last Resort is out now from Farrar, Straus & Giroux in the US, and Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK. His second novel, The Vegan, will be published in July 2023, also by FSG and W&N.
