"I know I won’t call out for any of my characters on my deathbed."
INTERVIEWER
But surely you read each novel countless times, going through multiple drafts—you never think about your characters once you’re finished with them?
NDIAYE
Never. That anecdote about Balzac, that just before his last breath he called for Doctor Bianchon—I find it astonishing. I know I won’t call out for any of my characters on my deathbed.
In any case, I rarely go back over what I’ve written. There are no drafts. I revise very little.
--
INTERVIEWER
So how do you write?
NDIAYE
You mean literally?
INTERVIEWER
Yes. Do you have a ritual or routine?
NDIAYE
Well, I sit over there, at the table, or maybe in bed. Or not in bed, but on my bed. I don’t need an office, just my computer. It’s okay if I’m interrupted—if the phone rings, say. It doesn’t bother me to be bothered. When the children were still little, I was interrupted all the time. Mostly, back then, I worked during their school hours, but I maintained a similar kind of discipline even after they left home. My working sessions have always been short, about two hours, so they must be two very productive hours. After that, I feel I can go no further.
(From The Paris Review: Marie NDiaye, The Art of Fiction No. 268)
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