If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write.
– Somerset Maugham
writing advice
Writing Wisdom ~ Carl Hiaasen
Every writer scrounges for inspiration in different places, and there’s no shame in raiding the headlines. It’s necessary, in fact, when attempting contemporary satire. Sharp-edged humor relies on topical reference points. ~ Carl Hiaasen
Source: NY Times
Writer’s Wisdom ~ Sue Miller
Surely the writer’s job is to make relevant the world she wishes to write about. How? By writing well and carefully and powerfully. By using humor, as Cheever did; or violence, as O’Connor did; or rue, as Chekhov did, to make the territory of her imagination compelling and somehow universal. And that holds true whether the territory of the imagination is close to the literal truth of her life or far from it. ~ Sue Miller
Source: NY Times
Mark Twain’s Writing Advice #10 of 10
As to the adjective: When in doubt, strike it out. ~ Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s Writing Advice #9 of 10
Use plain, simple language, short words, and brief sentences… don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. ~ Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s Writing Advice #8 of 10
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. ~ Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s Writing Advice #7 of 10
Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very.’ Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~ Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s Writing Advice #5 of 10
If I had more time, it would have been shorter. ~ Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s Writing Advice #4 of 10
The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. ~ Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s Writing Advice #2 of 10
Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream. ~ Mark Twain
