The Art of Writing

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 8, 2007

I was searching for something else and came across this. I thought it was interesting and felt I should pass it on.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/art-of-writing/

I especially like #2, Eliminate unnecessary words.

I just went through my WIP and eliminated as many of those words as I could. I didn't really realize I was one of those kinds of writers, but actually I am.

Pat~ · Oct 8, 2007

These are a good reminder, SF. I especially like the quotes (and #9). Thanks for posting this!

Judg · Oct 8, 2007

1. Cut the boring parts.

Well, that eliminates most blogs...

Sorry for sounding negative, but I've just unsubscribed from a couple of writers' blogs because they seemed to believe that the minute doings of their daily lives were somehow interesting. ZZZZZZZZ Only if it's one of my own kids, sweetie, and even then...

Birol · Oct 8, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
I was searching for something else and came across this. I thought it was interesting and felt I should pass it on.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/art-of-writing/

I especially like #2, Eliminate unnecessary words.

I just went through my WIP and eliminated as many of those words as I could. I didn't really realize I was one of those kinds of writers, but actually I am.

My best writing instructor was a literature professor who did not assign a minimum length for a paper. He assigned a maximum length. One word over the page count and you failed. By the end of the semester, he had us down to a single page. I learned to write tight under his tutelage.

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 9, 2007

Birol said:
My best writing instructor was a literature professor who did not assign a minimum length for a paper. He assigned a maximum length. One word over the page count and you failed. By the end of the semester, he had us down to a single page. I learned to write tight under his tutelage.

That's actually a good exercise. I wish I'd had teachers that taught being succinct.

Judg said:
1. Cut the boring parts.

Well, that eliminates most blogs...

Sorry for sounding negative, but I've just unsubscribed from a couple of writers' blogs because they seemed to believe that the minute doings of their daily lives were somehow interesting. ZZZZZZZZ Only if it's one of my own kids, sweetie, and even then...

Oh, no kidding. And I'm probably guilty of that at times. But yeah, a lot of blogs are nothing more than public "Dear Diary" entries that should have stayed private.

PeeDee · Oct 9, 2007

I wish my professors had wanted a Maximum word count. College English was where I really honed my skill of being able to take a subject I knew absolutely nothing about....and expound on it for a whole ton of words without saying much of anything at all.

And as for writer's blogs...I dunno. I can accept the daily doings of their lives, if it's told interestingly. Lord knows how much time I've spent reading about Neil Gaiman's cats, his children, his beehives, and so on...but he is humble and disarming and amusing and charming, and so it's okay. It's delightful. If it were just long boring blog entries in "Dear Diary" form, I'd give up.

When I read blogs, I really like the ones where I occasionally get long articles on things. Stephen Fry's blog is a chief delight in my day, and I wish he'd post more, damn it.

I am a firm believer in the art of writing, but it's a subject I am very, very hesitant to talk about, because it gets silly or pompous too quickly.

That was a delightful list. I like that while it stated things we all really know, deep down...it offered quotes and comments on them. That was the memorable bit.

Birol · Oct 9, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
But yeah, a lot of blogs are nothing more than public "Dear Diary" entries that should have stayed private.

Be honest now, you're really talking about my poor little blog, aren't you?

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 9, 2007

PeeDee said:
...and disarming ...

Thanks for the warning. I like my arms, so I won't be visiting him anytime soon.

PeeDee · Oct 9, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
Thanks for the warning. I like my arms, so I won't be visiting him anytime soon.

Ferrets have arms? Wild!

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 9, 2007

Ah. Well, as long as he doesn't disleg me, I guess I can visit.

(You know, there are days when I absolutely hate this ferret persona.

and you.)

PeeDee · Oct 9, 2007

I know. But *I* will always love *you*

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 9, 2007

Thanks. Now I have Whitney Houston stuck in my head.

PeeDee · Oct 9, 2007

And iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiii will aaaaallllwaaaaays love youuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuu.....

MidnightMuse · Oct 9, 2007

My favorite: #7

Writing means putting yourself at the mercy of anonymous hecklers and shameless sycophants. Learn to make the most of the insults and distrust the praise.

I adopted this years ago and it has served me well.

Ava Jarvis · Oct 9, 2007

PeeDee said:
And iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiii will aaaaallllwaaaaays love youuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuu.....

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 9, 2007

MidnightMuse said:
I adopted this years ago and it has served me well.

Unfortunately, I have a very thin skin in regards to putting my stuff out there. Rejection to me is like if I was pushing my newborne around a store and some guy came up and went, "OMG! That is the ugliest baby I've ever seen in my life!"

Jamesaritchie · Oct 9, 2007

Blogs

Judg said:
1. Cut the boring parts.

Well, that eliminates most blogs...

Sorry for sounding negative, but I've just unsubscribed from a couple of writers' blogs because they seemed to believe that the minute doings of their daily lives were somehow interesting. ZZZZZZZZ Only if it's one of my own kids, sweetie, and even then...

These are the only kind of writer's blogs I do find interesting. They're also, I think, the only kind of blogs that actually teach new writers how to write, and how to be a writer.

KTC · Oct 9, 2007

I have this one posted on my wall:

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. ~Oscar Wilde

RIGHT BESIDE THESE PICASSO QUOTES:
"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
"We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth."
"Art is the elimination of the unnecessary."
"The hidden harmony is better than the obvious. "

What can I say...I'm a quote fiend. I read them while I'm ruminating.

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 9, 2007

Cool. But I certainly don't consider what I do art.

KTC · Oct 9, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
Cool. But I certainly don't consider what I do art.

putting beauty into your life, real or imagined, is art.

nevada · Oct 9, 2007

KTC said:
I have this one posted on my wall:

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. ~Oscar Wilde

RIGHT BESIDE THESE PICASSO QUOTES:
"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
"We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth."
"Art is the elimination of the unnecessary."
"The hidden harmony is better than the obvious. "

What can I say...I'm a quote fiend. I read them while I'm ruminating.

Huh, the only quote I have up is Hemingway's. "The first draft is always shit." It helps me immensely.

KTC · Oct 10, 2007

I love hemingway, but I don't believe that quote. I have a vast selection of hemingway quotes on my wall...but not that one. i find that one to be self-abusive and not entirely accurate.

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 10, 2007

KTC said:
putting beauty into your life, real or imagined, is art.

Um, you haven't read my stuff, have you? It's about as far from beauty as you can get.

nevada · Oct 10, 2007

KTC said:
I love hemingway, but I don't believe that quote. I have a vast selection of hemingway quotes on my wall...but not that one. i find that one to be self-abusive and not entirely accurate.

I dont completely believe it either, I tend to write pretty clean. But it reminds me, when i freeze up, to just put the bloody words on the paper and stop worrying.

KTC · Oct 10, 2007

Agreed.

The Art of Writing

Court Jester

Luftmensch Emeritus, A.D.D.

DISENCHANTED coming soon

Around and About

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Around and About

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Where's my tea, please...?

Court Jester

Where's my tea, please...?

Court Jester

Where's my tea, please...?

Midnight Reading

Too stupid to know fear

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Stand in the Place Where You Live

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Stand in the Place Where You Live

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Court Jester

Stand in the Place Where You Live