On Writing

1. On Writing

   #1

   I've been gathering articles that have caught my fancy over time as part of my interest in the craft of writing.
   
   Here is one from Steven King. with some really great stuff inside.
   
   http://www.wordplayer.com/pros/pr13.King.Stephen.html
   
   "Too many beginning writers feel that they have to assume the entire burden of imagery; to become the reader's seeing-eye dog. That is simply not the case. Use vivid verbs.
   Avoid the passive voice.
   Avoid the cliché.
   Be specific.
   Be precise.
   Be elegant.
   Omit needless words.
   Most of these rules -- and the four hundred I haven't quoted -- will take care of themselves almost automatically if you will, from this point on, take two pledges:
   
   First, not to insult your reader's interior vision;
   and second, to see everything before you write it."
   
   

2. Re: On Writing

   #2

   I'd just like to point out the delicious irony of Stephen King telling people not to over describe and not to use needless words. :P
   
   How about Neil Gaiman's take? http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/09/11/neil-gaiman-advice-to-writers/
   
   That also has links to several other authors' advice.

3. Re: On Writing

   #3

   I guess it turns on what is considered needless and over described :)
   
   
   Here are The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar, or Emma Coats at least.
   
   http://www.pixartouchbook.com/blog/2011/5/15/pixar-story-rules-one-version.html

4. Re: On Writing

   #4

   And some rules from Kurt Vonnegut, by way of brainpickings.
   
   
   http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/03/kurt-vonnegut-on-writing-stories/
   
   Not sure I agree with #8, To Hell with suspense.  I like surprises.
   

5. Re: On Writing

   #5

   On Poe.
   
   http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/fiction/
   
   You can find links here to actual texts of many (all?) of his works. Great stuff!
   

6. Re: On Writing

   #6

   
   Avoid the cliché.
   

   
   
   Yes, and at the same time, no.
   
   I think that the cliché can be used, but toned down. If you think about it, every story follows one of the same basic plot lines. So it isn't really possible to totally avoid the cliché without breaking everything.
   
   Just a rambling thought.

7. Re: On Writing

   #7

   If you do it right, it's good storytelling.
   
   If you do it wrong, it's cliche.
   
   Like Kassy said, there are foundationally only so many true stories, and everything is a variation on one of those themes, and most of those themes have names, like bildungsroman.
   
   Boy meets Girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. How many movies and books does this cover? Everything from Shakespeare to Twilight.

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