“I’ve always thought of the book as a visual art form, and it should represent a single artistic idea, which it does if you write your own material.”
~ Chris Van Allsburg
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✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ What Is Your Writing Teaching You?
“I often meet frustrated young writers who say they’ve only got so far and just can’t finish a book. Even if you don’t happen to use what you’ve worked on that day, it has taught you something and you’ll be amazed when you might come back to it and use it again.” ~ Eoin Colfer
✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ Writing Dialogue
“In dialogue, each speech, even if only a single word, is a paragraph by itself; that is, a new paragraph begins with each change of speaker. The application of this rule, when dialogue and narrative are combined, is best learned from examples in well-printed works of fiction.” ~ William Strunk
✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ Some Words are Better than Others
“Every writer, by the way he uses the language, reveals something of his spirit, his habits, his capacities, his bias….Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.” ~ William Strunk, Jr.
✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ Three Rules of Writing: Rewrite, Rewrite, Rewrite
“Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.” ~ William Strunk, Jr.
✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ Writing is Hard Work, Don’t Quit
“Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s one of the hardest things that people do.” ~ William Zinsser
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Hit a Sticking Point? Here’s Help
“If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don’t just stick there scowling at the problem. But don’t make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people’s words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient.”
~ Hilary Mantel
✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ Toss Caution Away
“If you’re going to write a good book, you have to make mistakes and you have to not be so cautious all the time.” ~ Zadie Smith
✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ Want to Know the Starting Place for a Story?
“With me, a story usually begins with a single idea or mental picture. The writing of the story is simply a matter of working up to that moment, to explain why it happened or what caused it to follow.” ~ William Faulkner
