GoodReads has a whole section on quotes about writing by household names like Stephen King and Annie Dillard and Mark Twain. Hemingway and Faulkner and Salinger jump in, too. Some quotes are wise, like Sylvia Plath’s assertion that “the worst enemy of creativity is self-doubt” and some are blunt like Chuck Wendig’s “try very hard not…
Tag: Writing Advice
Skinny story? Expand your novel without adding fat
You’ve written the end, but the book is thousands of words short of your genre requirements. First, know that many authors who write “long” will envy you. While that’s a nice thought, though, it won’t help you reach your word count. Here are tips to flesh out your story without ruining it in the process….
Exit Stage Left
One of the tricky bits of being an artist is getting feedback and advice. In the beginning, fledgling artists need help finding their wings. It’s a common problem with novices in any field—not knowing what they don’t know and not knowing what to ask. Asking “How do you do it?” without adequate antecedent for that…
My Top Ten, Revisited
I recently came across a workshop presentation I gave many, many years ago on the “Top Ten Things to Do to Sell Your First Novel.” It was interesting to see what I thought were the keys to publishing success back then: 1) Finish your book. This seems obvious, but I still encounter writers who get…
Bad advice from vomiting, armless writers
As we near All Hallow’s Eve, I thought it would be fun to search for some of the—shall we say, less stellar words of advice shared among writers. In keeping with the holiday, they’re only scary if you believe them. NEVER USE ‘SAID’ ‘Said’ is the invisible tag. Instead, make the reader slog through an…