‘Conscious of Language and Power’: Katie Kitamura on the Physical Life of Words
Katie Kitamura has had quite the year. Her fifth novel, “Audition,” published in April of 2025, became an instant national bestseller, was one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of the summer, and is currently shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize. “Audition” will be turned into a film, with Charles Melton and Lucy Liu as leads and Lulu Wang set to direct.
Yet, despite her success, Kitamura notes that her road to becoming an author has been more of a “winding path,” as she began writing fiction while completing her PhD in American Literature at the University of London.
“I have a lot of friends and colleagues who started writing when they were quite young,” Kitamura said in an interview with The Crimson. “It took me longer, and I think, even now, I would say that I’m a reader before I’m a writer.”
‘Balancing Output with Input’: Margaret Rogerson on Writing Fantasy, Taking Breaks, and Balancing Inspiration and Hard Work
When a reader opens the pages of a fantasy novel, they might relish in anticipation of entering a new, imaginative world and a thrilling and delightful reading experience. But, what does writing fantasy novels look like? What is the journey and the daily routine of an author who creates these fantastical universes, traveling between foreign places from one novel to another?
While such questions might seem abstract and difficult to answer, sitting down and talking to the authors who have experienced them offers exciting insights. This column, “The Daily Desk,” strives to answer these questions: What is an author’s daily routine, and what can we learn from their writing experiences?
“A hug in book form”
‘There Is No Right Routine’: Zoulfa Katouh on Inspiration, Deadlines, and Navigating Growth
Have you ever wondered what the daily life of a writer looks like? What time they wake up and what they eat for breakfast? How many words per day they write, if any? How they get sudden bursts of inspiration after staring at the keyboard for what feels like an eternity?
Many are familiar with mainstream routines like “The One Billion Dollar Morning Routine.” While these heavily publicized articles tend to feature entrepreneurs in tech and corporate America, creatives aren’t traditionally given attention, as writing or pursuing art are often not considered lucrative career choices.
Attempting to shine a spotlight on authors of beloved modern releases and provide guidance for aspiring writers and journalists, I created this column, “The Daily Desk,” to pose an inquiry: What is the daily routine of a writer, and how can we both improve our writing and build routines at the same time?