John Green Gives Himself Permission to Suck

John Green's latest book, Hollywood, Ending, is now available from Dutton. We recently interviewed him about various aspects of his writing process. When it comes to readers, John would love for the individuals who worked on the movie adaptations of his books to give it a read. His spouse, Sarah Urist Green, is his most cherished reader.

He used to write late into the night, but now that he has children, he mostly writes while they are at school. John finds that the conditions surrounding his writing, such as time of day and setting, are not as crucial as he once believed. He is content to write in any location, whether at home, in a coffee shop, or on an airplane.

Dealing with writer's block is something John handles by giving himself permission to create subpar work. He tells himself, "Nothing you write today will end up in the book anyway," which is typically accurate, particularly when writing the initial draft. When he approaches writing as a quest for understanding rather than a pursuit of perfection, he manages to overcome writer's block.

Robert Frost's advice, "The only way out is through," has been helpful for John in both writing and other areas of life. Some of John's favorite books to reread include All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler.