I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.
Writing Related
Every character in every scene must have an objective, otherwise he shouldn’t be there. Replace him with a chair.
If you do not hear music in your words, you have put too much thought into your writing and not enough heart.
No Thinking That comes later You write your first draft with your heart.
…it is nouns and verbs, not their assistants, that give good writing its toughness and color.
You must write every single day of your life. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. May you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.
Muses simply must be adored. They’re as grandiose as they are generous. They like to be respected. If you meet them halfway, they’ll give you the moon, the break-through concept, the stroke of . . . genius. Diss your Muse and she’s likely to stop dropping by. She’s righteous. Genius is like that.
You have to write the books that want to be written. And, if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then, you write it for children.
If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.
