tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post984155073983429932..comments2024-03-28T09:21:52.243-04:00Comments on Pimp My Novel: Prithee, Inform Me: What's the Best Writing Advice You've Ever Gotten?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-43307793608470540022010-06-11T01:10:19.972-04:002010-06-11T01:10:19.972-04:00No director calls for "Lights, Camera, Descri...No director calls for "Lights, Camera, Describe the weather.".<br /><br />It has really stuck with me and helps when I get bogged down in unecessary minutae.Shaggygirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00855393675787558972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-10249297610152667302010-06-09T14:50:43.105-04:002010-06-09T14:50:43.105-04:00I won't say it was the best advice I've be...I won't say it was the best advice I've been told, but the first concrete advice I got was, "If you change the rules from the way the real world works, be sure to define them at some point in the story." -From my professor of the only creative writing class I've had, when he handed back the first draft of my fantasy story. <br /><br />He said he'd been hesitant about letting me write fantasy, because most new writers don't establish the rules, but I had. If he was that concerned, he could have added that to his lessonplan, despite the fact that fantasy was nowhere on his curriculum. (Yes, I was the oddball.)Jaleh Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04942272578488986874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-10434344081421354902010-06-09T05:44:18.098-04:002010-06-09T05:44:18.098-04:00"Integrity will always find a way.""Integrity will always find a way."Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17241382049837882466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-78425586488231523522010-06-08T21:00:12.615-04:002010-06-08T21:00:12.615-04:00My all time favorite writing advice is the first t...My all time favorite writing advice is the first two points of Robert Heinlein's famous four runes for writers:<br /><br />(1) You must write<br /><br />(2) You must finish what you write<br /><br />(Number 2 has been my downfall, but I'm working on it)<br /><br />-SteveStevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14268198647826751175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-45723989226371902242010-06-08T19:42:17.747-04:002010-06-08T19:42:17.747-04:00After hearing about all the advice read in books, ...After hearing about all the advice read in books, on blogs, from friends, etc. etc., a person in the industry said, "Just write the damn book!"<br /><br />Thought that sentence was brilliant. Of course, was drinking Prosecco at the time so that may have had something to do with it.<br /><br />Nope. It's very good advice. *hic*Marisa Birnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17945909737147497606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-24752488506136347392010-06-08T18:46:20.529-04:002010-06-08T18:46:20.529-04:00"Run away!"
(I failed to follow this exc..."Run away!"<br />(I failed to follow this excellent advice, however)Tyler Torkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11460706772136362593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-65450346145574384112010-06-08T18:17:09.590-04:002010-06-08T18:17:09.590-04:00Best advice for general getting it done and submit...Best advice for general getting it done and submitted- discovering Heinlein's Rules for Writers.<br /><br />Best actual writing advice dealt with dialogue (which was always a huge issue for me)- "You don't have to do call and answer. Sometimes when one person says something, the other guy just shrugs."Nobuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08406099079673709553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-70970058236872129892010-06-08T16:44:06.302-04:002010-06-08T16:44:06.302-04:00There's so many bits I've gotten over the ...There's so many bits I've gotten over the years. I think Maass' 'Conflict on every page' would be one, and Monica Wood's 'Resist the urge to explain' would be another. :)<br /><br />Angela @ The Bookshelf MuseAngela Ackermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808259088625142389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-72625541057738072982010-06-08T16:39:58.780-04:002010-06-08T16:39:58.780-04:00"There is no recipe except to care very much ..."There is no recipe except to care very much for the cookery." That's actually a paraphrase of Henry James and the epigraph on James Wood's <em>How Fiction Works</em>. <br /><br />In addition, the best writing advice I got came from reading <em>How Fiction Works</em>, followed by Francine Prose's <em>Reading Like a Writer</em>. <br /><br />The other books (which are, in their own way, pieces of advice) that matter to me I listed in <a href="http://jseliger.com/2009/08/19/the-very-very-beginning-writer/" rel="nofollow">The very very beginning writer</a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-72624227712072722872010-06-08T14:45:19.757-04:002010-06-08T14:45:19.757-04:00It applies to lots of things besides writing, but ...It applies to lots of things besides writing, but "A little bit at a time goes a long way." I <a href="http://kristinlaughtin.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-it-done.html" rel="nofollow">wrote a post about it last month</a>, actually, because I subscribe to it so much. <br /><br />That, and "Don't be afraid if your first draft sucks; it's supposed to" have been very helpful.<br /><br />I'm still trying to adopt Strunk and White's "Omit needless words." I know it's good advice, but I can't help being longwinded sometimes. Oh well, at least I <i>know</i> I need to improve on it. That's a start...Kristin Laughtinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01536556357622503501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-61595848602430188612010-06-08T14:38:17.327-04:002010-06-08T14:38:17.327-04:00The first draft is supposed to suck.
Omit needles...The first draft is supposed to suck.<br /><br />Omit needless words--Strunk and White<br /><br />Marry someone with health insurance.Alyson Greenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01344803199788271868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-72837197438546416942010-06-08T14:18:45.607-04:002010-06-08T14:18:45.607-04:00My best writing advice was "never give up&quo...My best writing advice was "never give up".Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02806681742103926707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-10148111888578444412010-06-08T13:40:05.089-04:002010-06-08T13:40:05.089-04:00You can't think your way out of a writing bloc...You can't think your way out of a writing block, but you can write yourself out of a thinking blog. -- Geeta Kothari, writer and professorKristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771013578685419826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-42655856503457669532010-06-08T13:39:18.700-04:002010-06-08T13:39:18.700-04:00"Put salt in every advice you get, no matter ..."Put salt in every advice you get, no matter how knowledgeable is the source."<br /><br />I wrote this myself, but the core idea came from someone knowledgeable, heh.Marihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07303695124956391293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-59804364424576028152010-06-08T13:39:02.756-04:002010-06-08T13:39:02.756-04:00"The first draft doesn't have to be good...."The first draft doesn't have to be good. It just has to be written."<br />~Libby Fischer Hellman, during <a href="http://writerunboxed.com/2009/11/20/author-interview-libby-fischer-hellman-part-2/" rel="nofollow">her interview</a> with Writer Unboxed.<br />---<br /><br />Writers have to simultaneously believe the following two things:<br /><br />1. The story I am now working on is the greatest work of genius ever written.<br />2. The story I am now working on is worthless drivel.<br /><br />~Orson Scott Card, in his book, HOW TO WRITE SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY, chapter 5, "The Life and Business of Writing"<br />---<br /><br />And my most favorite advice is from Ben Bova, but it's too long to quote in the comments, so just click <a href="http://lydiasharp.blogspot.com/2010/06/am-i-writer.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>Lydia Sharphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15328254761920829040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-41607727424125789832010-06-08T13:34:00.577-04:002010-06-08T13:34:00.577-04:00Brandon Sanderson once said "Sometimes you...Brandon Sanderson once said "Sometimes you've got to ignore the bozo on the stage" in reference in what you can learn from authors speaking in presentations.T.J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09686063961881406987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-15466831127380191742010-06-08T13:17:58.662-04:002010-06-08T13:17:58.662-04:00My high school English teacher "SWYM" - ...My high school English teacher "SWYM" - Say What You Mean. <br /><br />And then there's BICHOK or the variation, BICFOK -- both are critical for success.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-48170637912042894662010-06-08T12:37:00.867-04:002010-06-08T12:37:00.867-04:00Writing until you're finished the piece ... th...Writing until you're finished the piece ... then rewrite ... rewrite ... rewrite ...<br /><br />Or, was that "polish"?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14115085533635353291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-27995690887355799712010-06-08T12:18:54.161-04:002010-06-08T12:18:54.161-04:00The 'reading out loud' trick is invaluable...The 'reading out loud' trick is invaluable, gotta admit.<br /><br />My favorite advice, however, was from my English prof in second year: "If you want to be a teacher, stay in school. If you want to be a writer, go write."Michael David Lockharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263279636743586429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-23077237530651980432010-06-08T11:57:44.058-04:002010-06-08T11:57:44.058-04:00"Writing is easy. I just open a vein and blee..."Writing is easy. I just open a vein and bleed."<br />- Red Smith (though I would have sworn that Balzac said it originally!)<br /><br />“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.”<br />- Winston Churchill<br /><br />"I hate writing, I love having written."<br />— Dorothy Parker<br /><br />Beyond those three. "The best way to improve your writing is to read good writers."<br />- meRobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11898000057608789379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-51397888392853047772010-06-08T11:29:10.227-04:002010-06-08T11:29:10.227-04:00Write the book you want to read.
Don't use ...Write the book you want to read. <br /><br />Don't use two words when one will do.Erinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936046127305211439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-36545655231659136932010-06-08T11:23:14.080-04:002010-06-08T11:23:14.080-04:00Write everyday. Begin with "Morning Pages&qu...Write everyday. Begin with "Morning Pages" which is 3 pages in long hand, written without stopping - or - 20 minutes of typing without stopping. This practice gets all the crap out of the way and opens the door to writing one-word-at-a-time.<br /><br />Also, find the best time of the day when you are most creative then schedule that as your writing time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-7003687450248939782010-06-08T11:22:53.870-04:002010-06-08T11:22:53.870-04:00The best piece of writing advice I ever got was to...The best piece of writing advice I ever got was to allow myself to just write and not worry about how good or bad it is. It was (and is) very freeing to give myself that permission.Lisa K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00379245068324225101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-85665619658986095142010-06-08T11:12:34.414-04:002010-06-08T11:12:34.414-04:00Keep it simple.Keep it simple.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-31237069129493000662010-06-08T11:09:20.542-04:002010-06-08T11:09:20.542-04:00Best advice: Real writers re-write.
Runner up: ...Best advice: Real writers re-write. <br /><br />Runner up: Reading your work aloud.Rick Daleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05173516899130463413noreply@blogger.com