I recently happened upon this fun and highly practical list of tips for writers. Who better to learn from than those who wrote the “classics” we all read in high school and college (Twain, Fitzgerald…), as well as authors still putting out acclaimed work today (Toni Morrison made the cut, as did John Grisham, and…, and…, and…). The list runs the gamut from Plato to Maurice Sendak, Helen Keller to Dr. Seuss, MLK to Ray Bradbury, and so many in between! Tips are given in categories: General Writing, Beginners, Fiction, Poetry, Creativity, Learning, and Living. I’ll share the first few here as a teaser; then follow the link to this awesome resource for writers of every stripe.
From the website: www.OnlineCollege.org:
Words of Wisdom: 101 Tips from the World’s Most Famous Authors
Improve any type of writing you do with these solid tips from successful writers themselves.
- Ernest Hemingway. Use short sentences and short first paragraphs. These rules were two of four given to Hemingway in his early days as a reporter–and words he lived by.
- Mark Twain. Substitute “damn” every time you want to use the word “very.” Twain’s thought was that your editor would delete the “damn,” and leave the writing as it should be. The short version: eliminate using the word “very.”
- Oscar Wilde. Be unpredictable. Wilde suggested that “consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”
- Anton Chekhov. Show, don’t tell. This advice comes out of most every writing class taught. Chekhov said it most clearly when he said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
