“I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing.
They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, ‘To hell with you.’“ – Saul Bellow.
Showing posts with label writer's quotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writer's quotes. Show all posts
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Writer's quotes - Marquand
John Phillips Marquand once said (or wrote):
When I'm writing a novel, I'm dealing with a double life. I live in the present at the same time that I live in the past with my characters.
He continues:
It is this that makes a novelist so eccentric and unpleasant.
Yes to the first sentence.
but
I don't find that writers for children and young adults become unpleasant at all. It must be older male writers who write books for adults? (yes, I've run into some of those.)
When I'm writing a novel, I'm dealing with a double life. I live in the present at the same time that I live in the past with my characters.
He continues:
It is this that makes a novelist so eccentric and unpleasant.
Yes to the first sentence.
but
I don't find that writers for children and young adults become unpleasant at all. It must be older male writers who write books for adults? (yes, I've run into some of those.)
Writer's Quotes - William Somerset Maugham
A good rule for writers: Do not explain overmuch. - Somerset Maugham.
Over and over again I hear from published writers that you have to leave room for the reader. It's the reader who paints the scene in his mind from the writer's broad strokes.
Also true for picture book writers. The illustrator is the other half of the story, so you must leave room for the illustrator to take what you have and show the world you've hinted at.
Over and over again I hear from published writers that you have to leave room for the reader. It's the reader who paints the scene in his mind from the writer's broad strokes.
Also true for picture book writers. The illustrator is the other half of the story, so you must leave room for the illustrator to take what you have and show the world you've hinted at.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Writer's quotes - Paul O'Neil
From twentieth century American writer, Paul O'Neil:
"Always grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph, sink your thumbs into his windpipe in the second, and hold him against the wall until the tag line."
I first heard this when Bruce Coville gave a speech to our SCBWI conference and I credited this quote to him until he pointed out that he was quoting Paul O'Neil. Oooops!
What's the 'tag line?"
GOOGLE only gives information about its use in advertising, but one definition I found says it's the conclusion of the action. Hmmm. The conclusion of the scene? Or the conclusion of the book?
Take your pick.
"Always grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph, sink your thumbs into his windpipe in the second, and hold him against the wall until the tag line."
I first heard this when Bruce Coville gave a speech to our SCBWI conference and I credited this quote to him until he pointed out that he was quoting Paul O'Neil. Oooops!
What's the 'tag line?"
GOOGLE only gives information about its use in advertising, but one definition I found says it's the conclusion of the action. Hmmm. The conclusion of the scene? Or the conclusion of the book?
Take your pick.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Writer's Quotes
"The writer has the gift of time and the plasticity of her tools.
Hate a sentence, a character, a plot device? The delete button is your friend!
There's great joy in being able to erase/delete mistakes in a piece of writing.
Aren't we writers lucky to have such a malleable art form!"
Jane Yolen
It's like knitting.
You have to go back and forth, building the thing up.
But if you don't like it, it's easy enough to drop down and fix something, or even disassemble the whole thing and reuse the parts.
Brenda Clough
Hate a sentence, a character, a plot device? The delete button is your friend!
There's great joy in being able to erase/delete mistakes in a piece of writing.
Aren't we writers lucky to have such a malleable art form!"
Jane Yolen
It's like knitting.
You have to go back and forth, building the thing up.
But if you don't like it, it's easy enough to drop down and fix something, or even disassemble the whole thing and reuse the parts.
Brenda Clough
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Writer's quotes - William Goldman
After reading Carry Elwes's memoir about his adventures filming the Princess Bride, I've been reading two books by the author of that book and screenplay - William Goldman.
Adventures in the Screen Trade
and
Which Lie did I Tell? - More Adventures in the Screen Trade
At the end of the second book he says:
A Good Story is something with an interesting premise that builds logically to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.
We get fed on stories in the cradle and forever on.
Want to read a good story?
Pick up The Little Engine That Could. Soppy and primitive, sure, but today just by chance I read it again and let me tell you, you are rooting with all your heart for that crummy two-bit nothing of a train to get those toys over the mountain.
That's all it is, this business of writing.
Just get the fucking toys over the mountain.
Adventures in the Screen Trade
and
Which Lie did I Tell? - More Adventures in the Screen Trade
At the end of the second book he says:
A Good Story is something with an interesting premise that builds logically to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.
We get fed on stories in the cradle and forever on.
Want to read a good story?
Pick up The Little Engine That Could. Soppy and primitive, sure, but today just by chance I read it again and let me tell you, you are rooting with all your heart for that crummy two-bit nothing of a train to get those toys over the mountain.
That's all it is, this business of writing.
Just get the fucking toys over the mountain.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Writer's Quotes
Ah here's the quote that Bruce Coville loves to quote. (because it's the spine in all of his tales.)
Always grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph, sink your thumbs into his windpipe in the second, and hold him against the wall until the tag line.
Paul O'Neil, American writer
Always grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph, sink your thumbs into his windpipe in the second, and hold him against the wall until the tag line.
Paul O'Neil, American writer
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Writer's Quotes
You can't wait for inspiration.
You have to go after it with a club
------- ----- Jack London (1876-1916)
Wow, he died a hundred years ago. And we are still enjoying his books.
How about that?
You have to go after it with a club
------- ----- Jack London (1876-1916)
Wow, he died a hundred years ago. And we are still enjoying his books.
How about that?
Monday, April 25, 2016
Writer quotes
Occasionally, I'll post various quotes from writers. Today - William Faulkner
Read, read, read,
Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it.
Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the mast. Read! You'll absorb it.
then write.
If it is good, you'll find out.
If it's not, throw it out the window.
Read, read, read,
Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it.
Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the mast. Read! You'll absorb it.
then write.
If it is good, you'll find out.
If it's not, throw it out the window.
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