I know everyone is very busy and still adjusting to online learning, but maybe you've had some time to work on a creative writing project: a play, a book, a series of poems, a screenplay you hope to pitch to Martin Scorsese one day.
A few years ago, I read this article The Guardian posted "Ten rules for writing fiction," which sounds like a boring title but it's really just a compilation of 10 rule lists from famous authors. And I wanted to share some of my favorite with you here, inspire you if you need it.
"Never use a verb other than 'said' to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking their nose in. But 'said' is far less intrusive than 'grumbled,' 'gasped,' 'lied.'" (Elmore Leonard)
"Cut (perhaps that should be CUT): only by having no inessential words can every essential word be made to count." (Diana Athill)
"Do back exercises. Pain is distracting." (Margaret Atwood)
"You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality." (Margaret Atwood)
"Do keep a thesaurus, but in the shed at the back of the garden or behind the fridge, somewhere that demands travel or effort. Chances are the words that come into your head will do fine, eg "horse", "ran", "said"." (Roddy Doyle)
"A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go on a long walk." (Helen Dunmore)
"Description is hard. Remember that all description is an opinion about the world. Find a place to stand." (Anne Enright)
"Don't wait for inspiration. Discipline is key." (Ester Freud)
"Laugh at your own jokes." (Neil Gaiman)
"If nobody will put your play on, put it on yourself."(David Hare)
"Don't just plan to write – write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style." (PD James)
"Write a book you'd like to read. If you wouldn't read it, why would anybody else?" (Hilary Mantel)
"If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don't just stick there scowling at the problem. But don't make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people's words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient." (Hilary Mantel)
"Remember there is no such thing as nonsense." (Andrew Motion)
"Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever."(Will Self)
"Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you." (Zadie Smith)
"Finish everything you start." (Colm Tóibín)
"Learn from cinema. Be economic with descriptions. Sort out the telling detail from the lifeless one. Write dialogue that people would actually speak." (Rose Tremain)
"Respect your characters, even the minor ones. In art, as in life, everyone is the hero of their own particular story; it is worth thinking about what your minor characters' stories are, even though they may intersect only slightly with your protagonist's." (Sarah Waters)
"Take no notice of anyone you don't respect." (Jeanette Winterson)
