Andy Warhol wanted to be a writer so, in the mid-sixties, he decided to write a novel. Of course he didn’t sit down and write a book – this was Andy Warhol. Instead he carried around a tape recorded when he hung out with Ondine, one of the Factory actors, and the emerging novel is the transcription of those conversation. Warhol knew this wasn’t how to write a novel but he wanted to do it the wrong way “because doing something the wrong way always opens doors.”

J KennyAugust 19, 2026writing advice, writing process, how to write a book, writing a book, writing a novel, Andy Warhol

Surrendering to the Environment

Work is never created in a vacuum. And if we try to do that, then that’s a mistake. The audience will never engage with the work in a vacuum. The book, or novel, or song, or film… is relative to everything around us.

J KennyAugust 14, 2024creative process, writing a book, Jeff Buckley, Jerry Lewis, Martin Scorsese, Andy Warhol