Posts Tagged ‘writing tips’
He says, she says – and when. It’s all in the timing for a writer
“You must know all, then not tell it all, or not tell too much at once.” -Eudora Welty Excellent observation from American short story writer and novelist, Eudora Welty (1909-2001). This sums up the process of writing perfectly. A good novel offers a slow reveal, one of the joys of reading is slowly uncovering the…
Read MoreWriters: Finish your work!
Enjoyed a column in the latest issue of The Writer, in which television screenwriter and playwright Norman Barasch offered authors some valuable advice: “The most important thing about writing is to make sure – once you’ve started a project – don’t stop in the middle if you can help it. Just get to the end,…
Read MoreThe links between authors and painters
“I learn as much from painters about how to write as from writers.” -Ernest Hemingway An interesting question raised by an author I have to admit (stereotypically? unfairly?) I would never have imagined to have pondered such a question. But I have always loved art for many of the same reasons I’ve always loved literature…
Read MoreWriting advice from Jane Smiley
“Writing is only one word at a time.” -Jane Smiley Is there any better advice for a writer? And even better coming from the talented novelist Jane Smiley. As writers know all too well, there are no shortcuts. It’s all about sitting yourself down in a chair and pounding out the words. Some days they’ll…
Read MoreWriting advice from Umberto Eco
Finchè un’idea che hai in testa non viene messa sulla pagina non puoi capire se hai un filo logico. Until the idea you’ve had in your head gets placed down on the page, it’s impossible to determine if it has a logical thread to it. -Umberto Eco (1932-2016) The great Italian novelist, Umbert Eco, died last month. Eco…
Read MoreThe lack of pressure before becoming a bestselling author
There’s an interesting interview with the British, bestselling women’s fiction author Jojo Moyes in this month’s Writer’s Digest. In her interview, Moyes speaks about the lack of pressure before writing her most successful book, You Before Me. Before that best-seller, Moyes had written numerous books and had a large and loyal following, but her breakthrough…
Read MoreThe devil’s in the details
“Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s work … Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything. Or a broken billboard. Or weeds growing in the cracks of a library’s steps. … The details are always the starting place in…
Read MoreYou’ve finished writing your book. Now what?
The always helpful Writer’s Digest has a great post up: 7 Things to Do After Finishing Your Book. Authors – fairly enough – consider their first job to be writing their books. But today you have to be a master-of-all-trades when it comes to promoting your writing career. So you’ve finished your book and broken…
Read MoreAuthors – are you dedicated to content marketing?
Literary agent Rachelle Gardner had an excellent post on her blog entitled ‘What the heck is content marketing?’ Content marketing may sound like a confusing term, but it really means attracting loyal readers to the content on your blog and social media. Writers should find this easy, since they love to write for wide audiences.…
Read MoreRobert Frost was a pantser, too?
I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering. ~ Robert Frost Who knew – poet Robert Frost was a pantser (a.k.a. non-plotter), too? I’m always interested to read about techniques of various authors: some are meticulous plotters, while others are unabashed pantsers. It never fails to surprise…
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