John Steinbeck was feeling the wrath when he lamented, “No one wants advice, only corroboration.” As every writer knows, all we really need is a great idea, an uninterrupted week, a flawless grammar checker, a monster contract with a huge advance and plenty of media interviews after the book is published. In the meantime, would you settle for a little good advice from others who have “made it”.
“I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper.” Steve Martin. That’s funny, Steve, because it’s universal. All writers start with a blank paper on which to pour out words. Even those computer programs promising pre-fab plot pointers are useless if the idea never gels in the writer’s brain and bursts from a heart full of excitement.
“Writing is a combination of ditch-digging, mountain-climbing, treadmill running and childbirth. Writing may be absorbing, exhilarating, racking and relieving. But amusing? Never.” Edna Ferber Writing is the most exasperating job you’ll ever love. Yes, Edna, it’s plot labor. Once the work is published and the check arrives, writers easily diminish the time spent conceiving the idea, carrying the concept to delivery and surviving those cruel cuts (edits) to bring forth the finished product. Working writers work at their craft daily. Some days are a drudge. Some days are a delight. A combination of those days is how writing is refined into some thing worth reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment