What advice would you give to a new writer who has a story to tell but doesn’t really know how to get started?

SW: For people who feel like they have a story to tell, I think of Stephenie Meyer who wrote the Twilight series. Yes, I read them. I have kids; I want to know what they're reading. She's a good example because she's someone who just decided to fucking lock themselves in a room with her kids running around and write down the story that she dreamt about. One of the hardest things about writing is actually sitting down and writing. I definitely have a hard time with that. When it comes to writing, do it. Just force yourself to do it; give yourself a day or a weekend. I think the harder question is not for the person who feels like they have a story to tell but for the person who wants to write and they don't know what to write or they feel blocked. You may feel you have this story to tell, but when you start to write it, you think that's not that interesting or I could write this better. Also, acknowledge your diet. Your diet is not just what you eat, it's what you read, what you watch, what you listen to, and who you follow on your timeline. Shift your diet up in any way. Trip your shit up. Think about, how do we break away from the normal shit that we click on? We all try it and think, “Oh, that’s interesting,” but we should go deeper and deeper. The deep web wasn't fucking created on the internet; the deep web has always existed, and that's what has always fed me.

How would you suggest to become a better writer?

SW: I think that great writing is reflective of great reading. Reading is crucial — it is so crucial to anyone who wants to qualify as a writer. For me, I really think it's crucial to throw yourself off your usual, comfortable way of looking at things, and literature is a great way to do that. I used to go to this independent bookstore on Bleecker Street and Houston when I was at NYU, and in the back of the bookstore it was really crowded with a lot of books. I'd stomp my foot down to see what fell, and whatever book fell is what I would buy. The best book I got that way, and the first one I got, was Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes, and that book actually influenced my writing tremendously. I was literally like, whatever falls from these fucking shelves is what I'm reading this weekend. And it's shit like that that's important, it's the challenges you give yourself. Those windows or vortexes that open allow huge streams of consciousness and awareness when you break away from your norm. The great thing about writing is it's never too late. Maya Angelou's first book didn't come out until she was 42. Charles Bukowski was working in a post office until he was 35. If you really feel it, then fucking go for it, but please do us a favor and just read up.