How to Write a Great Novel

An article by Alexandra Alter

From writing in the bathroom (Junot Díaz) to dressing in character (Nicholson Baker), 11 top authors share their methods for getting the story on the page :

http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703740004574513463106012106.html

"Put your left hand on the table. Put your right hand in the air. If you stay that way long enough, you'll get a plot," Margaret Atwood says when asked where her ideas come from. When questioned about whether she's ever used that approach, she adds, "No, I don't have to."
Margaret Atwood