If you want to be a better writer, you need to read. You need to read outside of your comfort zone, outside of the field of writing you're interested in. You need to literarily expand your...
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If you want to be a better writer, you need to read. You need to read outside of your comfort zone, outside of the field of writing you're interested in. You need to literarily expand your horizons. Right now, you're used to one style of writing, and it shows in your linked medium account and the post you've made here. The example I give for why this is important is the oft-cited Steve Jobs calligraphy story:
Calligraphing like a monk gave Jobs an esthetic sense most math-nerd tech giants (like Bill Gates) lack.
As to where to start? I like the Man Booker Prize for expanding literary horizons, especially their shortlist, which often I personally find I favor over the winners. I like Hemingway (as trite as that is) for the relationship between the written word and narrative. I like reading short stories for learning about pacing and conciseness: Nabokov's Symbols and Signs is an absolute masterclass in what is necessary and what is not; I also enjoy reading the Nebula winners for short stories. Read derivative fiction too, by which I don't mean fanfiction per se, but things like Wide Sargasso Sea or Grendel, which are responses to earlier works. You need to expand your knowledge of the written word in a deliberate and studious way.
Aside: I believe (as a novelist) that the short story is the apogee of the medium of narrative fiction, and there's some extremely interesting things coming out of recent short story works, like this one, called "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather. Nabokov is a genius of the short story, as is Joyce, unsurprisingly enough. Brilliant stuff.
However, you shouldn't only read things you like. I know people who detest Hemingway. I still think he's important to read, if not only for his contribution to the literary canon of the English language, but also because of the massive effect his works have had on the canon after him. Joyce is another I'd recommend. (Do NOT even attempt to start with Ulysses. Read his short story collection.)
Read poetry, especially anything prior to the 1970s. (Read Chinua Achebe though.) Don't bother going too far back; Shakespeare is beautiful, but to really benefit from reading him you'd need to take a class, and that doesn't sound like something on your docket at present. I think Milton is more accessible, as well as Wordsworth, and, of course, Woolf.
Now, if you're deadset on looking for a mentor, in my experience, you need to have a body of work to present to that person, which is not where you're at right now. You need to refine your own craft and make yourself someone worth that mentor's tutelage. The purpose of a mentor is not to teach you the basics or even the intermediaries of the craft, but to polish you, to refine one or two rough edges and really make you shine.
There are ways you can make this work on your own. One way might be to find a writer whose works make you want to devour yourself, whose writing makes you wild with jealousy and envy and desire, whose prose is enough to send you into a rage of joy. And read every single thing they've ever read. Look, learn where they grow, and how. Study them, and create an understanding of them in your head that will allow you to see through their eyes. Then look at your own work with that understanding, and see where they would make suggestions.
However, there are communities. I hesitate to recommend any, because they are for individual works, not for individual writers. This is a distinction that means I doubt these places will be of any use to you at present. However, I may be wrong. I do not have experience with this, so I cannot make recommendations. If you find a living author whose works you adore, you could always reach out to them and ask for their recommendations of what to read. You might be surprised: many will answer.
At the end of the day, you have to refine yourself in order to refine your craft: this is not a singular pursuit that can be refined separate from the refinement of you as a person. Your experiences, your dedication, your growth: these things all lead to you becoming a more interesting person, which—unfortunately common wisdom is correct here—will make you a more interesting writer.
Long to short: Read. Read a lot. Study what you like, and study what you don't. Read. Write, then read your own writing as if it is someone else's. Read.
Wow! Your response comes as a downpour on a parched land. Let me explain, asking for help doesn't come easy to me. I have always been like this - doing everything I can in my power without asking...
Wow! Your response comes as a downpour on a parched land. Let me explain, asking for help doesn't come easy to me. I have always been like this - doing everything I can in my power without asking for someone's help. You can assume that I took me incredible amount of effort to ask someone for help; that too on an online platform where everyone can and will judge me, only to make matters worse.
I am grateful to your response, I truly am. It has given me a direction and most importantly, hope.
I am going beyond my horizons (asking for help, being vulnerable) because writing is an essential tool that can help me maintain my sanity. My mind is constantly hunting for knowledge, yearns for new ideas, it runs towards anything that it can bite, then tries to make something out of it. And writing is the only medium where I can turn those messed up ideas into a well-structured story. I don't post them, I prefer writing on a paper with a pen. I write and I toss them in bin. I don't know why.
Thank you so for much for that link about Steve Jobs's calligraphy story, and phenomenal book recommendation. I share your opinion about Hemingway. I love his writing too. Though I have only read Old Man and the Sea. I loved that book. Simply makes me question the relevance of fat books in front of it (not denying the value of elaborated written works). I love Hemingway for his efficiency of words without compromising with the aesthetics. I have also read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, I have neve been so infatuated by someone's wizardry in English language.
I'll admit, I haven't read enough books yet. And those I have read are to immerse myself in the stories and and their language, not to learn something out of them. Now I will be more objective in my pursuit.
You mentioned that you're a novelist. Is it possible that I can read any of your works? I would love to read them.
Thank you once again for your kind response. I am humbled by your gesture.
We're all here for community, and this is, in my experience, a very welcoming and genuine site. Everyone seems eager to help, by and large. I'm glad you took the risk on asking for guidance, and...
We're all here for community, and this is, in my experience, a very welcoming and genuine site. Everyone seems eager to help, by and large. I'm glad you took the risk on asking for guidance, and I'm happy I was able to help.
I agree about keeping one's sanity via writing. It is very much my own experience as well. It truly feels like taking the jumble of thoughts and feelings and experiences and crafting something sensical (and sensory) of that. It creates peace.
Hemingway's precision is breathtaking, isn't it? Truly a master of voice in a way I don't know many others can meet. And Oscar Wilde: I can't believe I forgot to mention him! The Importance of Being Earnest is one of my favorite pieces of theater. Perhaps check out Steinbeck too: Of Mice and Men was one of the first pieces I read in English, and it utterly devastated me in the best of ways.
My own works are written (at least at present) for myself and the perfection of my own craft; as such, they're not available, but I appreciate the question, thank you.
Please don't be afraid to ask questions here. I have noticed Tildes has a reading club right now; it might be a nice place to meet with others. I would assume based on prior reading clubs I've attended that the discussion can diverge onto what I've seen referred to as Doylist or Watsonian measures (which I had always heard as diagetic vs non-diagetic), and it might be an interesting experience to read alongside others and see what catches their attention, and how, and why, if only to ease into more critical readings.
I feel the same about Tildes. I have been on Reddit for year, but only as a lurker. Never posted anything original there, nor did I comment on any post. Because I can't stomach the rude and...
I feel the same about Tildes. I have been on Reddit for year, but only as a lurker. Never posted anything original there, nor did I comment on any post. Because I can't stomach the rude and belittling comments when I'm being vulnerable. The inclusive and cohesive atmosphere on Tildes made it possible for me to express myself in public for the first time in almost two decades on internet.
You're absolutely true about writing creating peace. I feel like it is only through writing my brain has a direction to process them one by one. Else, they go haywire in my brain ricocheting everywhere.
When I read The Old Man and the Sea, I couldn't deduce why I loved so much. Because before Hemingway all books had plot twists, enamored language, etc. But never have I ever witnessed someone with such humble repertoire. Yet, I was spellbound. That's why for the first time in my life I had an urge to meet a writer.
Well, I somewhat understand the idea of keeping writings to ourselves. I posted only 0.000001% of what I have ever written. I feel guilty of posting works and then promoting it. Feels like disrespect or some kind of sin. I don't know, I couldn't be wrong.
Book Clubs make me anxious. I already suffer from anxiety and depression and reading books on set deadlines is going to turn all the wrong dials in my head. But maybe someday I'll engage in such community events.
Thank you for encouragement once again. I'm truly overwhelmed by such kind responses from all.
I’d like to chime in on how writing provides meaning and helps order one’s thoughts. Very often I will learn a subject by writing about it or use the process to help me decide how I feel about a...
I’d like to chime in on how writing provides meaning and helps order one’s thoughts. Very often I will learn a subject by writing about it or use the process to help me decide how I feel about a divisive subject.
As a playwright I will often have characters embody opposing viewpoints about which I haven’t resolved my own opinions and then I will have them hash it out on stage in front of an audience. For example, I was always unsure whether I believed the path forward for humanity was through an Apollonian or Dionysian approach. So, in a hospital drama that is otherwise about childhood leukemia, I had two patients in the ward not only arguing these positions but acting out their beliefs and seeing what the consequences of those actions were.
It was only in that way I learned that as much as I admire the discipline and self-restraint of Apollonian disciplines, I remain at heart an emotional biological follower of Dionysis.
I do the same with essays, screenplays, poetry, and novels. Each medium is appropriate for different ideas. When our daughter was little we wrote children’s books together as well, using the narrative structure to learn life lessons and do some early homeschooling.
This is why I am not worried about AI doing all the writing in the future. Only a small fraction of it is for a wider audience.
I'm grateful to you taking some time and sharing a beautiful anecdote from your life. It really sets the picture. I think I have an explanation of why thoughts need manifestation to be...
I'm grateful to you taking some time and sharing a beautiful anecdote from your life. It really sets the picture.
I think I have an explanation of why thoughts need manifestation to be scrutinized, structured, and organized. When thoughts or ideas born in our heads, they are merely intangible abstract concept, and if we can't touch them, or see them, then we pretty much can't do anything about them. Once ideas take a form, as in writing, we have something to work with. And thus starts the journey of shifting perspectives, experimentation, workarounds, and finally reaching at peace.
You, masterfully, took it to the next level, who turned your thoughts into real life character and watched your dilemma engaged in a duel, so that you can empathize which each idea.
I assume you, since you have a great system that channels your ideas, have a great, peaceful life full of art and substance.
When you do explore reading the writing of other writing, you might want to focus on different writing styles as well. Not just the difference, but being aware of the audience they are targeting....
When you do explore reading the writing of other writing, you might want to focus on different writing styles as well. Not just the difference, but being aware of the audience they are targeting.
Being able to adjust and even switch writing styles also does make you a stronger writer in general.
For example, your English as written here is quite good and articulated. It is also a bit on the formal side, and you clearly enjoy putting your lexicon to work. Which in itself isn't really an issue in this specific context of this post. But it might be an issue if you are actually targeting a wider audience. A simple example would be when interacting in a different context on Tildes, but also when writing an article for certain audiences.
On more addition, a book I have seen people recommend a few times is On Writing Well which goes into a lot of this in more detail. I have to be honest there, I haven't read it myself.
I humbly appreciate your response. And thank you for your feedback on my writing. How do you think should I approach this? On Writing Well is a great suggestion. You'd be surprised to know that...
I humbly appreciate your response. And thank you for your feedback on my writing.
Not just the difference, but being aware of the audience they are targeting.
How do you think should I approach this?
On Writing Well is a great suggestion. You'd be surprised to know that this and On Writing by Stephen King, both are in my bookshelf. I guess I need to read them now.
I guess by starting to read the literature on this ;) More broadly speaking: When reading text of others, do it not only with the intent of reading the message. Try to also be really aware of how...
How do you think should I approach this?
I guess by starting to read the literature on this ;) More broadly speaking:
When reading text of others, do it not only with the intent of reading the message. Try to also be really aware of how they write, what that does to how you might perceive the message.
Experiment with different styles of writing. Write something with the same information in different styles to see what the effect is. For example, write how you normally would and then rewrite it to be really informal.
Determine before you start writing who your audience is. Focus on things like their pre-existing knowledge on the subject you are writing about, their expected reading level in general, etc.
Find a variety of ways to get feedback on what you write. Tildes might be an okay place to gather feedback. There likely are also other communities out there that can help you gather feedback.
That is one crystal clear and broken down to bits guide. I can't thank you enough for this. Because so far I have been reading books only to satisfy my intellectual hunger. I guess now I need to...
That is one crystal clear and broken down to bits guide. I can't thank you enough for this.
Because so far I have been reading books only to satisfy my intellectual hunger. I guess now I need to be more purpose-oriented.
And experimenting different styles for different audiences is a precious advice.
Hello, I am a 28 years old man from India. Currently struggling both, financially, and mentally. One of the reasons could be a stagnant plateue where I have arrived in my life where the most...
Hello,
I am a 28 years old man from India. Currently struggling both, financially, and mentally. One of the reasons could be a stagnant plateue where I have arrived in my life where the most important source of my happiness and accomplishment, i.e. writing, has become a barren place.
I have been writing since last 6-7 years. Mostly it's low quality blogs for SEO and stuff. So far, I was working in a companies where I was the only writer and none of the other folks knew anything about writing. Lately, I am feeling like I have reached at a plateau. I am not learning anything and I don't even know what to learn in terms of writing.
I read countless blogs and watched interviews of famous writers and one thing was common among them. It was the importance of valuable feedback and constructive criticism. Now, English is not my first language, and none of the people around me has any remote interest in English language. Thus, explains the lack of challenge and learning journey in my life. It has simply made my life boring and frustrating.
I want to enhance my writing skills, learn new things, welcome healthy challenges in my life. For all this I want company of people who have significant experience in creative, expressive, and marketing writing industry. Someone who can judge my writings, offer me suggestions, recommend me books, teach me a thing or two from their experiences, etc.
Or maybe you are someone who has dedicated a substantial amount of your life to writing and now taking your life a little bit slow. Maybe you want to share your wisdom and knowledge to someone like me.
If you offer any kind of help, I will forever be grateful to you.
Thank you
PS: I am attaching the link to my Medium blog. I haven't written anything for a long time. But I want to write something good now.
In addition to the great suggestions from @paris, I can suggest -- once you're comfortable -- adding in books on craft to your reading list. There's a pervasive but misguided belief that writing...
In addition to the great suggestions from @paris, I can suggest -- once you're comfortable -- adding in books on craft to your reading list. There's a pervasive but misguided belief that writing can't be taught. This is like saying you can't teach someone to paint or to draw. Understanding how your genre works, its various parts, what the "rules" are, is extremely valuable so that you know when and why you're breaking from convention.
These are books that I recommend to every writer I work with, but it's important to note that these are all supplemental material, not substitutes for the primary texts you should be reading, and they are all guides who offer sometimes conflicting advice. There's no one way to write, no right or wrong way, but learning how others approach their craft -- and how they deconstruct the craft of others -- is extremely valuable.
Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway
The Triggering Town by Richard Hugo (primarily for poetry, but absolutely useful for writing fiction as well)
From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler
This Won't Take But a Minute, Honey by Steve Almond
Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond (this is brand new and I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the earlier cited collection of micro essays is by far my most referenced resource)
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Spiral, Meander, Explode by Jane Alison
Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell
The Modern Library Writer's Workshop by Stephen Koch
The Art of Revision by Peter Ho Davies
The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
These are more for writing exercises:
Naming the World and Other Exercises for the Creative Writer by Bret Anthony Johnston
Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Flash Fiction
What If? by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter (this book is rather old, so some of the exercises feel a bit dated. But they still can be useful for generative practice.)
I'd also recommend picking up a couple of anthologies for contemporary examples of excellence in craft -- my focus is on fiction if the above recommendations don't make that obvious, but I'm sure equivalents exist for poetry.
Scriber Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction
The Norton Anthology for Short Fiction
Gotham Writers Workshop Fiction Gallery
New Sudden Fiction
My God! You've exposed me to a whole new genre of books and how I look at utilizing books as learning materials for the very craft of writing. Thank you, I truly appreciate you for taking time and...
My God! You've exposed me to a whole new genre of books and how I look at utilizing books as learning materials for the very craft of writing. Thank you, I truly appreciate you for taking time and suggesting me these amazing works.
BTW, could you walk me through these books and from where should I begin?
Also, based on your recommendation, I am curious, I have to ask, what do you do? (If you're comfortable answering) And what are your all time favorite books?
Craft books are some of my favorites because I just love fiction and love thinking about how it all works. I'll answer your questions a bit out of order. I'm a writer and an editor,...
Craft books are some of my favorites because I just love fiction and love thinking about how it all works.
I'll answer your questions a bit out of order.
I'm a writer and an editor, professionally. I have an MFA in creative writing and I've been the editor in chief for a mid tier literary journal for about 6 years. My goal is to someday teach fiction writing at a university, but I'm taking some time off to think about whether I want a PhD or not. I'm also trying to use this time to work on my short story collection that I wrote for my graduate thesis, but I've taken quite a break from my own writing and am finding it a bit difficult to get back into the habit now that I'm also working full time. My full time day job is as a technical writer on a contract for federal agency, but realistically that just means I'm managing documents and doing very little writing myself.
I always have a hard time picking a favorite book, so I'll say my favorite writers at the moment are George Saunders, Kurt Vonnegut, Aimee Bender, Alice Munro and Jhumpa Lahiri. You really can't go wrong with any of their short stories (although for Vonnegut I prefer his novels).
As for where to start, there's not one right path through these books, really. Writing Fiction and The Triggering Town are probably your best bets for starter books. They're definitely geared toward beginners. Writing Fiction is organized a bit oddly in my opinion, but it makes sense when you read through it.
Bird by Bird is more about the practice of being a writer than actually writing, but it's so so useful and reassuring. "Shitty First Drafts" was a foundational aspect of the first year writing courses I taught in grad school.
From Where You Dream is an interesting book that takes pretty much a polar opposite approach to writing compared to the rest of the books. Robert Olen Butler really truly believes in divine inspiration for writers, more or less. He talks about his process of "dream storming" as an organizing principle for early drafts, and he's a big believer in the "yearning" of fiction. I took a workshop with him in grad school where all we wrote were the first pages of stories. He then read that first page and would tell you whether to continue with the story or not. If it didn't have yearning, in his read, by the first 750 words, it wasn't worth continuing. I disagree with his about a lot of things, especially where craft is involved, but his process works for him and I know it's worked for others too.
The Art of Fiction is another good one for getting started. It's a bit older than the other books I listed, but Gardner writes really well about things like perspective and narration and voice, and these are things that writers often really struggle with.
This Won't Take But a Minute Honey is short but so worth reading and re-reading. In a couple hundred words, Almond really captures the essence of the points he's making. His sections on pacing and Suspense vs. Surprise are the ones I most often reference.
The rest are a little more geared toward novel writing or editing but are absolutely worth it even for short story writers, where it comes to understanding when to start and when to stop with a story (narratively and in terms of actual drafting and revising).
The anthologies are good to just have on hand and read and reread as you work. They're fairly varied in their styles and content, and there's something that every writer will find appealing or inspiring in there. The Scribner has a story by Robert Olen Butler that I first read in undergrad, and I remember that moment where it clicked for me like This is what I want to be doing, what I want to be writing. (The story is "Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot" from his collection Tabloid Dreams, which I think you can find online.)
I knew you'd have an amazing journey, I sensed from your previous comment. I believe you SHOULD be a teacher. How you picked a book for each scenarios makes me think how much you love writing and...
I knew you'd have an amazing journey, I sensed from your previous comment. I believe you SHOULD be a teacher. How you picked a book for each scenarios makes me think how much you love writing and everything about writing.
Your each suggestion is precious to me and I am profoundly grateful to you for your contribution in my journey. I look forward to discussing with you more as I read the books you have recommended here.
I want to confess something here, I have never given much thought about short stories. I loved them whenever I read. I even have an anthology of 50 Greatest Short Stories of All time, and I have read a couple of them in school as well, I love them. I am amazed by the fact that how short stories are like carving on an inch of a marble. I think that takes a lot of dedication towards craft.
Thank you for opening me to a whole new perspective.
One thing to consider is that short stories are not necessarily minor-league novels. You do not need to become a master of short-stories before you get into writing novels. If writing a novel is...
One thing to consider is that short stories are not necessarily minor-league novels. You do not need to become a master of short-stories before you get into writing novels. If writing a novel is what you want to do, feel free to skip to practicing that instead of working on short stories. You are not skipping steps in your evolution if you want to go directly to longform works.
Good for you for wanting to improve and do something more with your work! I thought Terry Pratchett's memoir/biography a life with Footnotes was a brilliant presentation of the life of an author...
Good for you for wanting to improve and do something more with your work!
I thought Terry Pratchett's memoir/biography a life with Footnotes was a brilliant presentation of the life of an author who lived to write.
I have written in the past, both as cub reporter and poet. I have chosen to focus on reading. My opinion is if you want to write you need to learn from the lives and work of writers.
Another book I recommend is Big Magic Creative living beyond fear.
Also Rilke Letters to a Young Poet.
Best of luck. Feel free to message if you like. I am not who you asked for, but this is a small community and I like to encourage writers.
Edit @Aham_Brahman , I encourage you to read Gary Snyder's poem Riprap. You can easily find it online. riprap is layers of stones used in a variety of ways.
Awesome! These are some great suggestion that one cannot find in those insipid listicles. I truly appreciate your gesture. I would add these suggestion my bucket list and will talk to you more...
Awesome! These are some great suggestion that one cannot find in those insipid listicles. I truly appreciate your gesture. I would add these suggestion my bucket list and will talk to you more about them.
If you want to be a better writer, you need to read. You need to read outside of your comfort zone, outside of the field of writing you're interested in. You need to literarily expand your horizons. Right now, you're used to one style of writing, and it shows in your linked medium account and the post you've made here. The example I give for why this is important is the oft-cited Steve Jobs calligraphy story:
As to where to start? I like the Man Booker Prize for expanding literary horizons, especially their shortlist, which often I personally find I favor over the winners. I like Hemingway (as trite as that is) for the relationship between the written word and narrative. I like reading short stories for learning about pacing and conciseness: Nabokov's Symbols and Signs is an absolute masterclass in what is necessary and what is not; I also enjoy reading the Nebula winners for short stories. Read derivative fiction too, by which I don't mean fanfiction per se, but things like Wide Sargasso Sea or Grendel, which are responses to earlier works. You need to expand your knowledge of the written word in a deliberate and studious way.
Aside: I believe (as a novelist) that the short story is the apogee of the medium of narrative fiction, and there's some extremely interesting things coming out of recent short story works, like this one, called "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather. Nabokov is a genius of the short story, as is Joyce, unsurprisingly enough. Brilliant stuff.
However, you shouldn't only read things you like. I know people who detest Hemingway. I still think he's important to read, if not only for his contribution to the literary canon of the English language, but also because of the massive effect his works have had on the canon after him. Joyce is another I'd recommend. (Do NOT even attempt to start with Ulysses. Read his short story collection.)
Read poetry, especially anything prior to the 1970s. (Read Chinua Achebe though.) Don't bother going too far back; Shakespeare is beautiful, but to really benefit from reading him you'd need to take a class, and that doesn't sound like something on your docket at present. I think Milton is more accessible, as well as Wordsworth, and, of course, Woolf.
Now, if you're deadset on looking for a mentor, in my experience, you need to have a body of work to present to that person, which is not where you're at right now. You need to refine your own craft and make yourself someone worth that mentor's tutelage. The purpose of a mentor is not to teach you the basics or even the intermediaries of the craft, but to polish you, to refine one or two rough edges and really make you shine.
There are ways you can make this work on your own. One way might be to find a writer whose works make you want to devour yourself, whose writing makes you wild with jealousy and envy and desire, whose prose is enough to send you into a rage of joy. And read every single thing they've ever read. Look, learn where they grow, and how. Study them, and create an understanding of them in your head that will allow you to see through their eyes. Then look at your own work with that understanding, and see where they would make suggestions.
However, there are communities. I hesitate to recommend any, because they are for individual works, not for individual writers. This is a distinction that means I doubt these places will be of any use to you at present. However, I may be wrong. I do not have experience with this, so I cannot make recommendations. If you find a living author whose works you adore, you could always reach out to them and ask for their recommendations of what to read. You might be surprised: many will answer.
At the end of the day, you have to refine yourself in order to refine your craft: this is not a singular pursuit that can be refined separate from the refinement of you as a person. Your experiences, your dedication, your growth: these things all lead to you becoming a more interesting person, which—unfortunately common wisdom is correct here—will make you a more interesting writer.
Long to short: Read. Read a lot. Study what you like, and study what you don't. Read. Write, then read your own writing as if it is someone else's. Read.
Wow! Your response comes as a downpour on a parched land. Let me explain, asking for help doesn't come easy to me. I have always been like this - doing everything I can in my power without asking for someone's help. You can assume that I took me incredible amount of effort to ask someone for help; that too on an online platform where everyone can and will judge me, only to make matters worse.
I am grateful to your response, I truly am. It has given me a direction and most importantly, hope.
I am going beyond my horizons (asking for help, being vulnerable) because writing is an essential tool that can help me maintain my sanity. My mind is constantly hunting for knowledge, yearns for new ideas, it runs towards anything that it can bite, then tries to make something out of it. And writing is the only medium where I can turn those messed up ideas into a well-structured story. I don't post them, I prefer writing on a paper with a pen. I write and I toss them in bin. I don't know why.
Thank you so for much for that link about Steve Jobs's calligraphy story, and phenomenal book recommendation. I share your opinion about Hemingway. I love his writing too. Though I have only read Old Man and the Sea. I loved that book. Simply makes me question the relevance of fat books in front of it (not denying the value of elaborated written works). I love Hemingway for his efficiency of words without compromising with the aesthetics. I have also read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, I have neve been so infatuated by someone's wizardry in English language.
I'll admit, I haven't read enough books yet. And those I have read are to immerse myself in the stories and and their language, not to learn something out of them. Now I will be more objective in my pursuit.
You mentioned that you're a novelist. Is it possible that I can read any of your works? I would love to read them.
Thank you once again for your kind response. I am humbled by your gesture.
We're all here for community, and this is, in my experience, a very welcoming and genuine site. Everyone seems eager to help, by and large. I'm glad you took the risk on asking for guidance, and I'm happy I was able to help.
I agree about keeping one's sanity via writing. It is very much my own experience as well. It truly feels like taking the jumble of thoughts and feelings and experiences and crafting something sensical (and sensory) of that. It creates peace.
Hemingway's precision is breathtaking, isn't it? Truly a master of voice in a way I don't know many others can meet. And Oscar Wilde: I can't believe I forgot to mention him! The Importance of Being Earnest is one of my favorite pieces of theater. Perhaps check out Steinbeck too: Of Mice and Men was one of the first pieces I read in English, and it utterly devastated me in the best of ways.
My own works are written (at least at present) for myself and the perfection of my own craft; as such, they're not available, but I appreciate the question, thank you.
Please don't be afraid to ask questions here. I have noticed Tildes has a reading club right now; it might be a nice place to meet with others. I would assume based on prior reading clubs I've attended that the discussion can diverge onto what I've seen referred to as Doylist or Watsonian measures (which I had always heard as diagetic vs non-diagetic), and it might be an interesting experience to read alongside others and see what catches their attention, and how, and why, if only to ease into more critical readings.
Best of luck, truly. You can do this.
I feel the same about Tildes. I have been on Reddit for year, but only as a lurker. Never posted anything original there, nor did I comment on any post. Because I can't stomach the rude and belittling comments when I'm being vulnerable. The inclusive and cohesive atmosphere on Tildes made it possible for me to express myself in public for the first time in almost two decades on internet.
You're absolutely true about writing creating peace. I feel like it is only through writing my brain has a direction to process them one by one. Else, they go haywire in my brain ricocheting everywhere.
When I read The Old Man and the Sea, I couldn't deduce why I loved so much. Because before Hemingway all books had plot twists, enamored language, etc. But never have I ever witnessed someone with such humble repertoire. Yet, I was spellbound. That's why for the first time in my life I had an urge to meet a writer.
Well, I somewhat understand the idea of keeping writings to ourselves. I posted only 0.000001% of what I have ever written. I feel guilty of posting works and then promoting it. Feels like disrespect or some kind of sin. I don't know, I couldn't be wrong.
Book Clubs make me anxious. I already suffer from anxiety and depression and reading books on set deadlines is going to turn all the wrong dials in my head. But maybe someday I'll engage in such community events.
Thank you for encouragement once again. I'm truly overwhelmed by such kind responses from all.
I’d like to chime in on how writing provides meaning and helps order one’s thoughts. Very often I will learn a subject by writing about it or use the process to help me decide how I feel about a divisive subject.
As a playwright I will often have characters embody opposing viewpoints about which I haven’t resolved my own opinions and then I will have them hash it out on stage in front of an audience. For example, I was always unsure whether I believed the path forward for humanity was through an Apollonian or Dionysian approach. So, in a hospital drama that is otherwise about childhood leukemia, I had two patients in the ward not only arguing these positions but acting out their beliefs and seeing what the consequences of those actions were.
It was only in that way I learned that as much as I admire the discipline and self-restraint of Apollonian disciplines, I remain at heart an emotional biological follower of Dionysis.
I do the same with essays, screenplays, poetry, and novels. Each medium is appropriate for different ideas. When our daughter was little we wrote children’s books together as well, using the narrative structure to learn life lessons and do some early homeschooling.
This is why I am not worried about AI doing all the writing in the future. Only a small fraction of it is for a wider audience.
I'm grateful to you taking some time and sharing a beautiful anecdote from your life. It really sets the picture.
I think I have an explanation of why thoughts need manifestation to be scrutinized, structured, and organized. When thoughts or ideas born in our heads, they are merely intangible abstract concept, and if we can't touch them, or see them, then we pretty much can't do anything about them. Once ideas take a form, as in writing, we have something to work with. And thus starts the journey of shifting perspectives, experimentation, workarounds, and finally reaching at peace.
You, masterfully, took it to the next level, who turned your thoughts into real life character and watched your dilemma engaged in a duel, so that you can empathize which each idea.
I assume you, since you have a great system that channels your ideas, have a great, peaceful life full of art and substance.
When you do explore reading the writing of other writing, you might want to focus on different writing styles as well. Not just the difference, but being aware of the audience they are targeting.
Being able to adjust and even switch writing styles also does make you a stronger writer in general.
For example, your English as written here is quite good and articulated. It is also a bit on the formal side, and you clearly enjoy putting your lexicon to work. Which in itself isn't really an issue in this specific context of this post. But it might be an issue if you are actually targeting a wider audience. A simple example would be when interacting in a different context on Tildes, but also when writing an article for certain audiences.
On more addition, a book I have seen people recommend a few times is On Writing Well which goes into a lot of this in more detail. I have to be honest there, I haven't read it myself.
I humbly appreciate your response. And thank you for your feedback on my writing.
How do you think should I approach this?
On Writing Well is a great suggestion. You'd be surprised to know that this and On Writing by Stephen King, both are in my bookshelf. I guess I need to read them now.
I guess by starting to read the literature on this ;) More broadly speaking:
That is one crystal clear and broken down to bits guide. I can't thank you enough for this.
Because so far I have been reading books only to satisfy my intellectual hunger. I guess now I need to be more purpose-oriented.
And experimenting different styles for different audiences is a precious advice.
Thank you so much for such a kind gesture.
Hello,
I am a 28 years old man from India. Currently struggling both, financially, and mentally. One of the reasons could be a stagnant plateue where I have arrived in my life where the most important source of my happiness and accomplishment, i.e. writing, has become a barren place.
I have been writing since last 6-7 years. Mostly it's low quality blogs for SEO and stuff. So far, I was working in a companies where I was the only writer and none of the other folks knew anything about writing. Lately, I am feeling like I have reached at a plateau. I am not learning anything and I don't even know what to learn in terms of writing.
I read countless blogs and watched interviews of famous writers and one thing was common among them. It was the importance of valuable feedback and constructive criticism. Now, English is not my first language, and none of the people around me has any remote interest in English language. Thus, explains the lack of challenge and learning journey in my life. It has simply made my life boring and frustrating.
I want to enhance my writing skills, learn new things, welcome healthy challenges in my life. For all this I want company of people who have significant experience in creative, expressive, and marketing writing industry. Someone who can judge my writings, offer me suggestions, recommend me books, teach me a thing or two from their experiences, etc.
Or maybe you are someone who has dedicated a substantial amount of your life to writing and now taking your life a little bit slow. Maybe you want to share your wisdom and knowledge to someone like me.
If you offer any kind of help, I will forever be grateful to you.
Thank you
PS: I am attaching the link to my Medium blog. I haven't written anything for a long time. But I want to write something good now.
In addition to the great suggestions from @paris, I can suggest -- once you're comfortable -- adding in books on craft to your reading list. There's a pervasive but misguided belief that writing can't be taught. This is like saying you can't teach someone to paint or to draw. Understanding how your genre works, its various parts, what the "rules" are, is extremely valuable so that you know when and why you're breaking from convention.
These are books that I recommend to every writer I work with, but it's important to note that these are all supplemental material, not substitutes for the primary texts you should be reading, and they are all guides who offer sometimes conflicting advice. There's no one way to write, no right or wrong way, but learning how others approach their craft -- and how they deconstruct the craft of others -- is extremely valuable.
Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway
The Triggering Town by Richard Hugo (primarily for poetry, but absolutely useful for writing fiction as well)
From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler
This Won't Take But a Minute, Honey by Steve Almond
Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond (this is brand new and I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the earlier cited collection of micro essays is by far my most referenced resource)
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Spiral, Meander, Explode by Jane Alison
Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell
The Modern Library Writer's Workshop by Stephen Koch
The Art of Revision by Peter Ho Davies
The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
These are more for writing exercises:
Naming the World and Other Exercises for the Creative Writer by Bret Anthony Johnston
Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Flash Fiction
What If? by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter (this book is rather old, so some of the exercises feel a bit dated. But they still can be useful for generative practice.)
I'd also recommend picking up a couple of anthologies for contemporary examples of excellence in craft -- my focus is on fiction if the above recommendations don't make that obvious, but I'm sure equivalents exist for poetry.
Scriber Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction
The Norton Anthology for Short Fiction
Gotham Writers Workshop Fiction Gallery
New Sudden Fiction
My God! You've exposed me to a whole new genre of books and how I look at utilizing books as learning materials for the very craft of writing. Thank you, I truly appreciate you for taking time and suggesting me these amazing works.
BTW, could you walk me through these books and from where should I begin?
Also, based on your recommendation, I am curious, I have to ask, what do you do? (If you're comfortable answering) And what are your all time favorite books?
Thank you once again.
Craft books are some of my favorites because I just love fiction and love thinking about how it all works.
I'll answer your questions a bit out of order.
I'm a writer and an editor, professionally. I have an MFA in creative writing and I've been the editor in chief for a mid tier literary journal for about 6 years. My goal is to someday teach fiction writing at a university, but I'm taking some time off to think about whether I want a PhD or not. I'm also trying to use this time to work on my short story collection that I wrote for my graduate thesis, but I've taken quite a break from my own writing and am finding it a bit difficult to get back into the habit now that I'm also working full time. My full time day job is as a technical writer on a contract for federal agency, but realistically that just means I'm managing documents and doing very little writing myself.
I always have a hard time picking a favorite book, so I'll say my favorite writers at the moment are George Saunders, Kurt Vonnegut, Aimee Bender, Alice Munro and Jhumpa Lahiri. You really can't go wrong with any of their short stories (although for Vonnegut I prefer his novels).
As for where to start, there's not one right path through these books, really. Writing Fiction and The Triggering Town are probably your best bets for starter books. They're definitely geared toward beginners. Writing Fiction is organized a bit oddly in my opinion, but it makes sense when you read through it.
Bird by Bird is more about the practice of being a writer than actually writing, but it's so so useful and reassuring. "Shitty First Drafts" was a foundational aspect of the first year writing courses I taught in grad school.
From Where You Dream is an interesting book that takes pretty much a polar opposite approach to writing compared to the rest of the books. Robert Olen Butler really truly believes in divine inspiration for writers, more or less. He talks about his process of "dream storming" as an organizing principle for early drafts, and he's a big believer in the "yearning" of fiction. I took a workshop with him in grad school where all we wrote were the first pages of stories. He then read that first page and would tell you whether to continue with the story or not. If it didn't have yearning, in his read, by the first 750 words, it wasn't worth continuing. I disagree with his about a lot of things, especially where craft is involved, but his process works for him and I know it's worked for others too.
The Art of Fiction is another good one for getting started. It's a bit older than the other books I listed, but Gardner writes really well about things like perspective and narration and voice, and these are things that writers often really struggle with.
This Won't Take But a Minute Honey is short but so worth reading and re-reading. In a couple hundred words, Almond really captures the essence of the points he's making. His sections on pacing and Suspense vs. Surprise are the ones I most often reference.
The rest are a little more geared toward novel writing or editing but are absolutely worth it even for short story writers, where it comes to understanding when to start and when to stop with a story (narratively and in terms of actual drafting and revising).
The anthologies are good to just have on hand and read and reread as you work. They're fairly varied in their styles and content, and there's something that every writer will find appealing or inspiring in there. The Scribner has a story by Robert Olen Butler that I first read in undergrad, and I remember that moment where it clicked for me like This is what I want to be doing, what I want to be writing. (The story is "Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot" from his collection Tabloid Dreams, which I think you can find online.)
I knew you'd have an amazing journey, I sensed from your previous comment. I believe you SHOULD be a teacher. How you picked a book for each scenarios makes me think how much you love writing and everything about writing.
Your each suggestion is precious to me and I am profoundly grateful to you for your contribution in my journey. I look forward to discussing with you more as I read the books you have recommended here.
I want to confess something here, I have never given much thought about short stories. I loved them whenever I read. I even have an anthology of 50 Greatest Short Stories of All time, and I have read a couple of them in school as well, I love them. I am amazed by the fact that how short stories are like carving on an inch of a marble. I think that takes a lot of dedication towards craft.
Thank you for opening me to a whole new perspective.
One thing to consider is that short stories are not necessarily minor-league novels. You do not need to become a master of short-stories before you get into writing novels. If writing a novel is what you want to do, feel free to skip to practicing that instead of working on short stories. You are not skipping steps in your evolution if you want to go directly to longform works.
Good for you for wanting to improve and do something more with your work!
I thought Terry Pratchett's memoir/biography a life with Footnotes was a brilliant presentation of the life of an author who lived to write.
I have written in the past, both as cub reporter and poet. I have chosen to focus on reading. My opinion is if you want to write you need to learn from the lives and work of writers.
Another book I recommend is Big Magic Creative living beyond fear.
Also Rilke Letters to a Young Poet.
Best of luck. Feel free to message if you like. I am not who you asked for, but this is a small community and I like to encourage writers.
Edit @Aham_Brahman , I encourage you to read Gary Snyder's poem Riprap. You can easily find it online. riprap is layers of stones used in a variety of ways.
Awesome! These are some great suggestion that one cannot find in those insipid listicles. I truly appreciate your gesture. I would add these suggestion my bucket list and will talk to you more about them.
Thank you once again.