More Advice from a Writer on Writing

Question: What is the role of talent in becoming a writer?

Quote: “Jane, one of my students in a creative-writing course for adults, sits across the desk from me. ‘I really want to write,’ she says, on the edge of tears, ‘but I don’t think I have any talent.’

‘What do you mean by talent?’ I ask.

‘Well,’ she says, considering, ‘I guess I mean that if I really had talent, I would just naturally be able to write well. Writing would come easily to me. I wouldn’t have to work at it.’

Most people would agree with Jane’s definition of talent. So does my dictionary: ‘Talent,’ it says, ‘is the natural ability to do something well.’

Natural talent, then, explains why some  people have trouble hitting a golf ball while others become Ben Hogan or Tiger Woods. Natural talent explains why some people can’t recall a simple tune while others become Mozart or Miles Davis. And natural talent explains why some people can write and others can’t.

There’s only one problem with the talent explanation for accomplishment in any field: It isn’t true.” P. 42.

Quote: “If all this sounds like a lot of work—well, it is, just as becoming a professional athlete or musician is lot of work. But if you love to write—love it as much as Ted Williams loved to hit or Larry Bird loved to play basketball—then practice is a kind of dedicated play, a source of pleasure and fulfillment. And if you are willing to shift your focus from getting published to becoming an excellent writer, then there’s a very good chance that, eventually, your skills will take you to the ‘big leagues’ of the writing world.”  P. 43.

Comment: Shifting your focus from getting published to becoming an excellent writer…. That’s the key. RayS.

Title: “The Talent Myth.” Barbara Baig. The Writer (April 2012), 42-43.

Advice on Writing by Writers

Question: What are some ideas on writing published in 125 years of The Writer magazine?

Note: The following are just a few samples from the complete article.

Quote: “I myself remember with what a shock I heard people say that one of my own books, Winesburg, Ohio, was an exact picture of Ohio village life. The book was written in a crowded tenement district of Chicago. The hint for almost every character was taken from my fellow lodgers in a large rooming house, many of whom had never lived in a village.” Sherwood Anderson, January 1941.

Quote: “And do not let your critical self sit at your desk with your creative self. The critic will  stifle the writer within.” John Dufresne, October 1992.

Quote: “Problem, purpose, conflict, goal. Use them. Think about them while you are in the planning phase of your novel; keep these elements at the back of your mind to guide you while you write. When you have written a scene, make sure they are all there, or that if one or another is missing, it is intentional….” Phyllis A. Whitney, April 1973.

Quote: “While I rewrite heavily as I go along, this is a dangerous procedure for most beginning writers. I have met so many who have spent years rewriting, over and over again, their first 100 pages, so that they never reached page 101, and never will, and have never written a completed book, and never will. It is much preferable to write a book through from start to finish, to do it all, and then go back and redo it or revise it, rather than regale one’s friends with an eternal work-in-progress.” Irving Wallace. January 1965.

Comment: FYI. RayS.

Title: “Great Writing Tips from 125 Years of The Writer.” The Writer Staff. The Writer (April 2012), 34-36.

Advice on Writing

Question: What is one writer’s advice on writing?

Answer/Quote: “Francine Prose is a writer who wears many hats. She’s written 25 books that include novels, novellas, short-story collections, nonfiction and children’s books. She is a literary thinker, writer and commentator whose work also includes countless book reviews, stories and articles for most major American magazines and newspapers.”

What is her advice on writing?

“Writing takes a lot of courage and extremely hard work. There’s a lot to be said for automatic writing in the beginning, just getting the manuscript down on the page in whatever way you can. The first draft is the hardest part. Once you have it, then you can be merciless with yourself in revision. Do what you can that first time to get it done so you don’t get stalled.”

Comment: Many writers say the same thing, Get the first draft down as quickly as you can and then worry about revision. It will keep you from being “stalled.” RayS.

Title: “A Keen Eye, and Fine Prose.” Sarah Anne Johnson. The Writer (April 2012), 24-27.

Books on Writing

Question: What are some recommended books on writing?

Memoir/Personal Essays

Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art (The Eighth Mountain Press) by Judith Barrington.

The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative (Farrar, Straus Giroux) by Vivian Gornick.

Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir (Mariner Books) Edited by William Zinsser.

 Screenwriting

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting (Delta) by Syd Field.

Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories (It Books), edited by Peter Hanson and Paul Robert Herman.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting (It Books) by Robert McKee.

Mystery/Thriller

The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery (Dell) by Robert J Ray and Jack Remick.

How I Write: Secrets of a Best-selling Author (St. Martin’s Griffin) by Janet Evanovich with Ina Yalof.

How to Write a Damn Good Thriller: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novelists and Screenwriters (St. Martin’s Press) by James N Frey.

Children’s/Young-Adult Books

How to Write a Children’s Book and Get It Published (Wiley) by Barbara Seuling.

Writing Great Books for Young Adults: Everything You Need to Know, from Crafting the Idea to Landing a Publishing Deal (Sourcebooks) by Regina Brooks.

Poetry

The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry (WW Norton) by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux.

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet’s Portable Workshop (Tilbury House) by Steve Kowit.

General/Literary Fiction

The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction (Modern Library) by Stephen Koch.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anchor) by Anne Lamott

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers (Vintage) by John Gardner.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Scribner) by Stephen King.

Narrative Nonfiction

Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers’ Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University (Plume), edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call.

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer (Little, Brown) by Roy Peter Clark.

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (HarperCollins) by William Zinsser.

Comment: FYI. The author describes the contents of each book briefly. RayS.

Title: “20 Must-have Books by Writing Genre.” Chuck Leddy. The Writer (April 2012), 19-21.

Poetry

Question: What are two basic types of poems?

Answer/Quote: “Did you know that every poem that’s ever been written…is either a lyric poem or a narrative poem? And that you can tell the difference simply by deciding whether or not it’s telling a story? It’s a distinction that we should all be aware of before we begin a new poem, because it reminds us that there are two ways of approaching the same subject matter. But first we’d better define our terms. A lyric poem is a snapshot. It presents to the reader a moment that’s frozen in time….. A narrative poem, on the other hand, is a poem that tells a story.” P. 17.

Comment: Might be a useful distinction for students who dread dealing with the technicalities of poetry. RayS.

Title: Poet to Poet: Tell Them a Story.” Marilyn L Taylor. The Writer (April 2012), 17-18.

Writer's Block

Question: How can a writer beat writer’s block?

Answer/Quote: “I realized early in my career that I couldn’t afford to suffer from writer’s block and I developed a system that banishes it. It is what I call the bracket system, because it evolved when I was writing my novel in pencil and paper on a clipboard. When I ran out of inspiration or encountered a problem in the narrative, I did not stop writing. Instead, I went into brackets to distinguish my notes from the fictive text. There I discussed the problem and pondered ways to handle it….The point is to keep writing, whether on the main text or in notes.”

Comment: Excellent idea. When you’re blocked, put your thoughts on the problem in brackets and discuss with yourself how to solve it. RayS.

Title: “What Is the Single Most Useful Thing You’ve Learned about Writing, and How Has It Helped You As a Writer?” Piers Anthony. [Piers Anthony is a science-fiction and fantasy author of 140 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers, many of which have been from his long-running Xanth fantasy series.] The Writer (April 2012), 12.

Spelling Reform

Spelling Reform

Question: How would the English language look if we implemented spelling reform?

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.

Comment: They are all logical changes. However, what people forget is that part of spelling is sounding out and part of spelling is visual. This particular type of spelling reform doesn’t even look like English. Note:  A friend sent me this in an e-mail. RayS.