Adam Gibbs, Author of DUMB LUCK Tells Us His Secrets.

Adam Gibbs is the author of Dumb Luck, a novella about seeking a thrill after tolerating plenty of banality. Here, Gibbs tells us about his favorite things, secret writing idiosyncrasies, and more.

If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make?  
Fish and chips (and maybe a few pints) with Seamus Heaney.

What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears?
That time between projects is terrifying to me sometimes. I know that’s where the possibilities lie, but I’ve often experienced a feeling of dread even before finishing a piece I think is really good. I’m already wondering, “What do I write about next? What if I can’t think of anything?”

Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? 
Ben Lerner is also a poet-turned-novelist from the Midwest and I’d take lives to have the kind of career he’s already had in writing.

What books are on your nightstand? 
The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, Hanif Abdurraqib
James Wright: A Life in Poetry, Jonathan Blunk

Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you?
The ideas can come from anywhere. I’ve always been an introvert, so I guess I’m inclined to observe and analyze everything around me. Quiet things, overlooked things, I often find inspiring.

Favorite punctuation mark? Why?  
Everyone stresses over where the proper place of the semicolon is; a dispute I enjoy having with myself.

What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? 
The Hobbit.

What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? 
My current notebook.

Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. 
Hope. Tension. Beauty. Possibility. Love.

If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? 
“if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.”
-Charles Bukowski, “so you want to be a writer?”