Sharing Some Writing Tips (based on Interviews with some Famous American Writers)

Article Title: Sharing Some Writing Tips (based on Interviews with some Famous American Writers)
Shared by: Craig Lock
Category (key words): Writing, Creative Writing, Writing Hints/Tips, American Writers
Web site: http://www.creativekiwis.com/

Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, spiritual, 'spiritual writings' (how 'airey-fairey'), words of inspiration and money management, how boring now, craig!)

Craig's blog with thoughts and extracts from various writings is at
http://en.search.wordpress.com/?q=%22craig+lock%22 + www.craiglock.wordpress.com

Publishing Guidelines:
We hope that the following article, which is an extract from our online creative writing course may be informative and helpful to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. If it helps others "out there" in any way, then we're happy. This article (as with all my articles) may be freely published, electronically or in print

"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."

"If you have knowledge, let others light a candle to it."
- Margaret Fuller

That's a metaphor, btw!

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Sharing Some Writing Tips (based on Interviews with some Famous American Writers)

"I never had any doubts about my abilities. I knew I could write. I just had to figure out how to eat while doing this."
- Cormac McCarthy

Introduction (Submitter's Note):
This article was based on some interviews with famous American writers and is written in point form, from notes that I've taken from my many years of research in the area of writing.

The quotations in this piece were based on a number of excellent books on writing: 'Write and Be Published' by Anna Rogers, 'The New Zealand Writer's Handbook' by John Parsons, and 'On Being a Writer', edited by Bill Strickland.

These three excellent books were a great help to me early in my writing "career". I'm sharing this piece in the spirit of helping aspiring* writers and hope this "info" may be helpful to you in writing creatively.

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I believe that anyone with a little talent can become a writer, look at what Judith Krantz has achieved. It's not so hard to write, the trick is staying a writer, day after day, month after month, year after year. A single book doesn't make a writer - but the totality of one's work does.

NB: Always write to please yourself. I have to write - write from the heart, the gut.

James Michener only started writing at the age of 40. He thinks as he walks. Think about the next days writing in advance.

In fiction, SHOW rather than tell. The way you learn to write is to write. Practice makes "purrfect"...and that's how good writers perfect their craft. Read a lot: novels, fiction - that's how you learn to write well. Rewrite and re-write, which is "fine tuning" your story. It's like polishing a fine gem from a rough stone.

Ernest Hemingway: "There is no sense in writing anything that has been written before...unless you can beat it."

"Work every day - no matter what has happened the day or night before. Stop when you're writing well. Then you'll never get stuck."
- Ernest Hemingway

The human mind works subconsciously, while you are relaxing. If you worry, your brain gets tired.
Concentration and focus, I believe, is the key to writing
success.

"If you write a hundred short stories, and they are
all bad, that doesn't mean you've failed. You fail only if you stop writing."
- Ray Bradbury

Erica Jong: The theme running through all of her books is the quest for self knowledge. Van Goch only sold one picture in his lifetime - to his brother! A glimmer of hope for me then!
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THE NOVEL:

PACE, PLOT (getting from point A to point B) and THEME are important here; but the key element in fiction is CHARACTER. It makes the people come alive; so that THEY tell the story. So write visually.

Joseph Wambaugh (author of The Onion Field) said: "There are writers around with more talent than I; but there are none more DISCIPLINED than I."

Wambaugh sets a goal of writing at least 1000 words a day. If an emergency stops him, he writes 2000 words the next day.

"If fiction can illuminate reality the way that non-fiction can, I'm happy. But my goal is never to be didactic."
- interesting, young and talented US author, Nick McDonell (author of the newly released 'An Expensive Education')

Irving Stone on how to write:

1. Dramatize
2. Use plenty of dialogue
3. Bring your characters to life
4. Use anecdotes and humour.
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In summary...
Writing for me is a mixture of TALENT, DISCIPLINE and especially, PERSISTENCE. Persevere and stick with it - no matter what!

I don't believe one can be taught to write; but you can be taught to communicate. If you can't take the criticism, you're not a writer. The "crit" may read a book in 2 or 3 days and not get into it; because critiquing is so subjective.

* PUSH yourself daily. Develop good writing habits.
* STICK WITH IT - DISCIPLINE is the key here. Then,
* TRUST in your ability.

I'm much more into practice than theory, but regard creative writing as "fully using one's 'creatitivity' through the creative imagination (subconscious mind) in putting words to paper to tell a tale, or attempting to get a message or moral through to one's readers."

How's this for a simile?...

"Her breasts heaved like untethered Zeppelins."
Time then to start writing that Mills and Boon romantic novel now, Craig!

Finally...
As a potter moulds the clay, in sculpting your story, just be the very best you can be...
in living your writing, as well as your life dreams.

Shared by Craig Lock (Eagle Productions Books)

"It took me 15 years to find out that I had no talent for writing, but by then I couldn't give it up, because by then I was too famous to give up."
- Robert Benchley

What's the definition of an aspiring writer?
A waiter!

What's the difference between a writer and a family pizza?
The pizza can feed a family of four!

Happy writing and enjoy the journey of self discovery, by playing the very best melodies that are in you.

"The world would have you agree with its dismal dream of limitation. But the light would have you soar like the eagle of your sacred visions."
- Alan Cohen

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