But nobody can tell you how to start writing. The only good reason for writing is that one has to write. ~ T. S. Eliot
writing tips
Writer’s Wisdom ~ Rachel Carson
Given the initial talent … writing is largely a matter of application and hard work, of writing and rewriting endlessly, until you are satisfied that you have said what you want to say as clearly and simply as possible. For me, that usually means many, many revisions. ~ Rachel Carson
Writer’s Wisdom ~ William Faulkner
Read, read, read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window. ~ William Faulkner
Writer’s Wisdom ~ Margaret Atwood
Don’t sit down in the middle of the woods. If you’re lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where you went wrong. Then take the other road. And/or change the person. Change the tense. Change the opening page. ~ Margaret Atwood
Writing Wisdom ~ Somerset Maugham
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
Writer’s Wisdom ~ Alice Hoffman
An insightful, experienced oncologist told me that cancer need not be a person’s whole book, only a chapter. Still, novelists know that some chapters inform all others. These are the chapters of your life that wallop you and teach you and bring you to tears, that invite you to step to the other side of the curtain, the one that divides those of us who must face our destiny sooner rather than later. ~ Alice Hoffman
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
