Interview with "Twelve Pencils" Author Renee Thompson

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with Renee Thompson, acclaimed author The Plume Hunter and The Bridge at Valentine. Her work has appeared in Narrative Magazine and one of her recent short stories, titled “Twelve Pencils,” was selected to be included in the Literary Writers Network’s “Best Of” anthology. “Twelve Pencils” is a story about a writer named Nigel who only writes in pencil so, naturally, I had to find out more. In this interview, Renee discusses pencils, her story, the creative process and writing in general. Enjoy!

Interview with Author Renee Thompson

Can you give our readers a little bit of background about yourself? Where did you grow up? What did you study in school? When and why did you decide to become a writer?

First, thank you for inviting me to Studio 602 – I’m delighted to tell you a bit about myself. I grew up an Army brat, living in five states and one foreign country (Japan) before the age of nine. My parents divorced when I was ten, and I remained in California with my mom and step-dad until I was 20, studying environmental resources at California State University, Sacramento. After I married my husband, Steve, I started writing non-fiction to earn extra money. Over the years (and in between various jobs), I segued into fiction, which I’ve been writing exclusively since 2002.

What inspired you to write “Twelve Pencils?” What’s the story behind the story?

I’d written an earlier story, “Farallon,” published by Narrative Magazine, which featured a protagonist, John Moffett. When I finished the story, I knew I wanted Moffett to appear in a second story, so I cast him as a sawmill worker in “Twelve Pencils” after reading a piece in the Wall Street Journal about pencil wars – a battle between two pencil companies, Staedtler Mars GmbH and Faber-Castell AG, to determine which company was older. This piqued my interest. Simultaneously, I was perturbed by a Mark Twain essay, in which he castigated James Fennimore Cooper’s writing, so I wanted to merge those two topics – pencils and Mark Twain – and address what bothered me about Twain’s mean-spiritedness.

The story’s protagonist, Nigel, is a writer and, in many ways, “Twelve Pencils” is a story about storytelling and the creative process. How was it writing this sort of meta-conversation about writing itself? Did you discover anything about yourself as a writer or your creative process?

Writing the story was tremendous fun. Mark Twain inspired my character Gideon Cooper, and certainly there are elements of Nigel’s personality that are similar to mine. I think most writers are fairly insecure, and I understand Nigel’s frustration. I understand, too, how James Fennimore Cooper would have felt if he’d read Twain’s essay, and in part that’s what I wanted to explore. The “truth” in this story is that rejection stings; we can mope and carry on about it, or we can get to work. When I think about what I discovered while writing “Twelve Pencils,” I’d have to say it reminded me not to get too caught up in myself; that it isn’t about me. It’s about the people I love.

Speaking of the creative process, can you describe yours? What tools do you use? Do you write your stories by hand? When do you prefer to write?

Well, I do love to write by hand and I’m a big note-taker, but when I sit to write a story, it’s generally on my laptop. That said, I edit almost exclusively in pencil. When I’m working on a novel, I keep regular hours, beginning at 9 a.m., breaking briefly for lunch, then sitting again until 4 p.m., or so. The goal is 1,000 words a day, but I write very slowly and there have been days when it’s taken eight hours to produce 500 words. Now I’m working on short stories, so my schedule isn’t nearly as grueling.

Pencils play a large role in this story; they seem to represent power and control, creativity itself and even addiction and dependence. Why pencils though?

Because I truly love pencils. My husband bought a pencil sharpener and installed it in the garage, and I recently bought two boxes of Blackwing 602s, because I’d read that Steinbeck used them, and I wanted to give them a try. (I’m now a fan, I’ll tell you.) Also, there is something comforting about the sound and feel of a pencil as it glides across paper. A pen just doesn’t compare.

At one point in the story, Nigel says “I simply can’t think with a pen,” but by the end of the tale he’s chucking his pencils into the ocean and writing in ink. Do you mind decompressing this metaphor and how it relates to the evolution of the character?

At the beginning of the story, Nigel cares more about recognition than craft – he’s self-absorbed, almost narcissistic, and thinks of no one but himself. Tossing the pencils into the ocean is evidence of his self-realization and growth; an acknowledgment that he’s committed to becoming a better friend to Moffett, and perhaps, a better writer. (As an aside, I’ll mention that someone asked if Nigel will go on to become the next Gideon Cooper. No, I said. He opens a pencil factory…although I’ve yet to write that story.)

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors and writers in general?

Early in my writing endeavors, a professor-friend told me it would take ten years to learn my craft. I remember thinking I would surely be the exception, but I wasn’t. It’s been ten years and I’m still learning, so don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. I promise you will get there.

What do you think Studio 602ers? If you want to find out more about Renee and her writing, check out her website, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!