6 Quotes on the Craft of Writing


There’s so much writing advice out there, it’s overwhelming. Who knows what to follow and what not to follow? Really, I don’t think anybody does; what works for some writers won’t work for others. The only way to find what works for you is through practice. However, there are some basic “rules” to storytelling that may help you if you’re stuck:

1. First, if you want to write, you need to keep an honest, unpublishable journal that nobody reads, nobody but you. Where you just put down what you think about life, what you think about things, what you think is fair and unfair. And second, you need to read. You can’t be a writer if you’re not a reader. It’s the great writers who teach us how to write. The third thing is to write. Just write a little bit every day. Even if it’s for only half an hour - write, write, write. - Madeleine L’Engle

2. Before you sit down to write a novel, here are essentials you’ll need. 1. A knowable protagonist who will fascinate readers. 2. A problem that needs solving or a goal that needs reaching. 3. An understanding of your protagonist’s inner and outer desires. 4. An interesting, workable locale. 5. A menace/threat hanging over the protagonist. 7. How it will all turn out. - Jessica Page Morrell.

3. A story happens when two equally appealing forces, or characters, or ideas try to occupy the same place at the same time, and they’re both right. - Amy Hempel

4. Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there’s an explosion - that’s plot. - Leigh Brackett

5. Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer. - Barbara Kingsolver

6. Learn to take criticism. Your first draft won’t be perfect, and it’s damaging to the book to think that it is. Every great book you’ve ever read has been written a dozen times. This is the hardest thing to learn (trust me), but very, very important. - Patrick Ness

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