Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
The other day I read one of my client’s manuscripts and came to the conclusion that the opening paragraphs were convoluted, forced, and confusing. I wrote to him to suggest he delete those first paragraphs; the manuscript, I assured him, unfolded beautifully thereafter.
My client responded to my suggestion with this: “I already had felt a pang of conviction [about those paragraphs] after rereading a portion of A Moveable Feast when Hemingway says, ‘If I started to write elaborately, or like someone introducing or presenting something, I found that I could cut that scrollwork or ornament out and throw it away and start with the first true simple declarative sentence I had written.'”
The conviction my client felt when he read the Hemingway passage, added with my perspective, convinced him to start his novel several paragraphs later.
As I thought about how a few sentences from A Moveable Feast had pointed my client to the error of his writing, I realized that the masters generously offer us their writing insights, often through books devoted to instructing us. They seem eager to tell us what they’ve learned as they’ve sweated over their masterpieces.
That realization caused me to list a few helpful instructions I’ve gathered from the masters about writing principles. Here are three of them:
“Thunder and lightning too often, and they stop getting under the bed.” –Mark Twain
“Murder your darlings.” –Critic and writing instructor, Arthur Quillin-Couch
“Writers must be fair and remember even bad guys (most of them, anyway) see themselves as good—they are the heroes of their own lives. Giving them a fair chance as characters can create some interesting shades of gray—and shades of gray are also a part of life.” –Stephen King
Other authors who were eager to share their wealth of knowledge are C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, E.B. White. The list goes on.
What writing advice have you gleaned from the master writers?
I just finished Stephen King’s book on writing. I’m going to need to read back over it a few times, I think. He had so much good advice, and managed to be entertaining while he gave it — definitely a keeper.
I’m halfway through it and have all kinds of pen marks in it already. Excellent stuff.
Now I just have to buy my own copy so I can bookmark it up! The library probably wouldn’t appreciate it…
An excellent book with some hilarious moments. I loved it. This makes me want to reread it.
Here are a few quotes that are great advice:
If you start with a bang, you won’t end with a whimper. – T.S. Eliot
Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This one I find funny, although it doesn’t reflect my views of editors:
The road to ignorance is paved with good editors. – George Bernard Shaw
As for the adjective, when in doubt leave it out. – Mark Twain
I hadn’t heard the T. S. Eliot quote. Pretty funny! Thanks for sharing these.
The George Bernard Shaw quote kind of reminds me of:
“Everywhere I go I’m asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don’t stifle enough of them. There’s many a best-seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.”
― Flannery O’Connor
Yes, we’re an arrogant lot.
What a great post today. I can hardly wait to learn from others. Though this quote doesn’t come from a classical master, this has been a good truth for me from Rachel Hauck: “Tell the story between the quotes.” Does that count? 🙂
I just saw this in my notes from years ago the other day. It’s such powerful advice in so few words!
Definitely a winner, Jeanne.
“…if poetry comes not as naturally as the leaves to a tree it had better not come at all.”
John Keats
That one zings home, doesn’t it?
Wow, so much helpful truth here today! I love reading quotes about writing. Why not learn from those who have gone before?
I keep a copy of a page from http://www.cjdarlington.com under my favorites where the author “Janet Kobobel Grant” says “Begin at the beginnig”. That entire post has been very helpful to me.
Thanks, Lori. I’m glad that post was/is helpful to you.
I love that quote from Twain. Right now I’m struggling with balancing my external and internal conflict, and I think I’ve been focusing too much on the external action (or the lightnings and thunderings). I need to find a better balance.
Sounds as though you’ve figured out the problem. In many ways that’s a major part of the battle won.
I liked what Stephen King said about giving bad guys a fair chance as characters and their shades of gray. My bad guy in my WIP is AWFUL, but he was fun to write…and kill off.
Two of the most important things I learned from reading the greats, is to layer the characters as much as possible. And to put in wisps of mannerisms to make each character a ‘character’, not a one dimensional means of moving the story along.
Jennifer, I found it tricky (but a good challenge) to weave in some redeeming characteristics/facets to my villain in my last MS, too. One tip James Scott Bell gives in “Revision and Self Editing” is to force yourself to write a paragraph– not necessarily to put in the MS, more for brainstorming– from the villain’s mother’s point of view. Remembering that they’re someone’s child, and trying to view them through their adoring mom’s eyes (or someone else who actually likes the villain), helps. 🙂
Oooh, like this idea, Amanda. Thanks for sharing it. 🙂
Oh, yes, I read something similar in Orson Scott Card’s “Character and Viewpoint”. The concept is very thought provoking.
Style, like the human body, is specially beautiful when the veins are not prominent and the bones cannot be counted.
—Tacitus
Oooo, good one!
I’d never heard this one. I like this one.
Janet,
Great reminder that those who have “plowed the ground” before us unearthed treasures we can use in our journey.
I love collecting writing quotes and “pinning” them… easy to review over a cuppa and become inspired once more!
A couple of favorites:
Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it. ~Hannah Arendt
And the “legend” of Hemingway’s famous story in 6 words: For Sale: Baby Shoes, never worn.
Kate, that Hemingway, he’s amazing. Just think how good he would be a Twitter…or would it be unmanly to him to tweet?
I don’t think he could resist Tweeting, Janet, but I don’t think he wouldn’t call it that.
“If it’s too complicated for adults, write it for children,” Madeleine L’Engle.
That’s great advice! And packs a lot in a few words.
Love those quotes, Janet! Thanks for sharing.
“I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” ~James Michener
Though I’m not really a Michener fan, I love this quote. Reminds us to just plant the seed of a story down on paper and worry about making it blossom later.
What’s great about Michener’s quote is that it shows he knew what worked for him. Some of us never figure that out.
I finally got the courage to write after having read biographies about both Jane Austin and Georgette Heyer. The thing that was most enlightening was to read Georgette Heyer’s descriptions of her stories before they became books. She’d say, and the character will to such-and-such, but I don’t know why yet. I finally realized, I didn’t need to know everything before I started, and I could fix some things later. So I finally put pencil to page (or finger to keys).
It’s the not knowing why a character did something that leads to investigating who that character is. It could make a great launching pad for a story, couldn’t it?
“Never use a five dollar word when a fifty cent word will do.” Mark Twain. An old, often-quoted bit of wisdom.
As one who loves my $5 words, I don’t like this quote. :0
Experience and describe— don’t explain.
—Albert Camus
Oh, that’s genius!
Like this one. 🙂
Love these! One of my favorites:
The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense – Tom Clancy
That’s so true, Ann. We accept all kinds of oddities in life and find them fascinating, but try putting those in your story. We won’t believe them!
These three pieces of advice speak to me:
“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”
~E.L. Doctorow
Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.
~ Dr. Seuss (This motivates me!)
Either marry your work – take it seriously and do it every day – or date it – write only when you feel like it – but know which you are doing and the repercussions of both. ~Anonymous
Mountain-climbing is fun when you enjoy the journey.
Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.
~Anton Chekhov
The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon
~Robert Cormier
Every story teaches me how to write it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t teach me how to write the next one.
~Eudora Welty
Chekhov’s quote made me “ooh”; Cormier’s made me smile; and Welty’s made me say “amen.”
I just put this one up in my office: “Planning to write is not writing. Outlining a book is not writing. Researching is not writing. Talking to people about what you’re doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing.” E.L. Doctorow. I imagine this serves as a true confession as to what I struggle with when it comes to writing. It’s just … the writing.
It always comes down to sitting down and getting on with it, doesn’t it? We do manage to procrastinate something fierce though.
There has been so much helpful advice on the blog perhaps you should compile it into a book. Maybe it would become a best seller, at least to other writers.
Thanks for that suggestion, Janet. Certainly today we’re giving each other much to contemplate and inspire us.
Omit needless words.
–The Art of Readable Writing
Yes.
Agreed.
Love all these quotes. Some I had heard before, but many were new to me.
This is one I’ve always loved:
“Why do writers write? Because it isn’t there.”
–Thomas Berger
Here’s another great one:
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”
–W. Somerset Maugham
Thanks for this wonderful post to start out the week.
These are great to add to our arsenal.
I was chuckling out loud when I read these. 🙂 They’re true. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this inspiring post and I loved reading through the comments too.
I love Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and the first draft.”
Oh, yeah, we needed to hear from Anne Lamott in this conversation. That’s a great quote, Lisa.
These are great!! Time to copy and paste and tape to the wall!
Yup, copying, pasting and taping as well.
Is it just me, or did anyone else *hear* “lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” whilst reading that comment?
Yes, yes it is almost midnight here, why do you ask?
Not specific to writing but this keeps me motivated (especially when the rejections roll in)
“A man is not a success because he has never failed, but because failure has never stopped him.”
An adage appropriate for every involved in publishing!
‘Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down.’ E.B.White
‘It is important to please the ear as well as the eye.’ C.S.Lewis
And I always remember the saying, ‘Never get wedded to a line’ although I’m not sure who said it. Was it Dr. Seuss?
I personally can never get enough of good quotes. I truly enjoyed this post. Thank you!
Yvette Carol
Thanks for adding these to our arsenal, Yvette.
That’s Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.
Otherwise, a constructive and helpful blog that could be expanded.
Compliments,
RSB
I stand corrected. Thank you.
From Elmore Leonard’s 10 rules of writing- this is the one that sums up the ten:
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative. It’s my attempt to remain invisible, not distract the reader from the story with obvious writing. (Joseph Conrad said something about words getting in the way of what you want to say.)
I’m not sure I would call Elmore a master, but he quotes a lot of Steinbeck and Hemingway in the article and considers them his literary parents. I’ve bben rereading some Steinbeck lately and find his shorter books (Of Mice and Men) stronger than the longer ones (Grapes of Wrath). I think Elmore’s advice is valid.
Darby, those are good concepts to keep in mind. The part about not letting composition get in the way of your narrative. You can delude yourself and explain away a lot of bad English using that idea. I agree with it, but one would have to be careful not to over-apply.
I reread The Great Gatsby anytime I want to see how a master weaves subplot into main plot so seamlessly that I’m always left with gaping mouth to realize how they all came together in the climax. And he did it a book that could almost be called a novella. Inspires me every time.
Rereading books whose qualities leave us agape is a great concept, Patricia. I seldom make it back to the books I love, I’m sad to say.
Dorothy Sayers, Mind of the Maker. A classic that also illuminates sound theology. Brilliant!
Thanks for that suggestion, Brad. I haven’t read that book. Anyone else read it and love it…or not?