Writer’s block figures prominently in Fruit Fly, a new novel about an author who, desperate for a hit, appropriates the story of a young gay man struggling with drug addiction. Thankfully, Fruit Fly’s novelist, Josh Silver, put pen to paper for his New York Times bestseller, which is already being developed into a television show by A24.
Silver previously received acclaim for young adult books HappyHead and TraumaLand. A RADA graduate, he also acted in Broadway and West End productions before working as a mental health nurse and writer.
Silver cites getting sober as key to his journey. “I still work on it, but am grateful for the clarity I am gaining,” he says. “I have to fight against a lot of my own instincts often, but becoming more aware of my patterns and where they come from is something I find useful.”
Growing up, Silver often sought external validation as a gay man — and he’s made strides away from that mindset. “It’s an ongoing journey, but with my writing, I enjoy putting characters into the world that are not, hopefully, defined as either good or bad, likeable or unlikable. We live in an increasingly polarized world, and I feel excited to move further into the grey.” @joshsilverauthor
