Десять правил писательства

by Joanne Harris, Джоанн Харрис, Яна Барсова (Translator)

Джоанн Харрис вот уже много лет активно общается с молодыми писателями и делится практическими советами и секретами мастерства в Твиттере. В этой книге она собрала и структурировала свои заметки и соображения обо всем, что касается писательства, начиная с организации идеального рабочего места и до поиска агента и проблемы "синдрома самозванца". Под одной обложкой уместилось все, что нужно знать о каждом этапе создания книги, и, разумеется, сомнений в пользе "Десяти правил писательства" просто не может быть — Джоанн Харрис, написавшая за свою карьеру огромное количество бестселлеров, знает, о чем говорит.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Books About Books, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2020

About the author

Joanne Harris is also known as Joanne M. Harris

Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.

Reviews

[Dave Holwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest addition to the list of books you should actually read if you want to write (along with Stephen King's On Writing amongst others). Written in easily digestible chunks you can dip in and out of with humour and humility, Joanne Harris is just as much a joy to read in non-fiction as she is in fiction.

[ReadForDessert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dall'autrice di Chocolat, una raccolta di consigli sull'editoria a tutto tondo: dalla genesi di una storia alla gestione delle aspettative dopo aver pubblicato il primo romanzo.

Da persona che scribacchia a tempo perso ho sicuramente trovato più interessante la parte pre-pubblicazione e tutti quei consigli riguardanti la creazione delle storie, la gestione dei personaggi, la struttura della trama e così via, mentre l'ultima parte, per quanto possa essere interessante sbirciare dietro le quinte dell'editoria grazie all'esperienza di un un'autrice con parecchie pubblicazioni sulle spalle, rimane un pochino astratta.

Molto bello però il tono colloquiale amichevole, e il formato "in pillole": appena 4-5 righe per consiglio. Se cercate un testo approfondito e tecnico magari cercate altrove, ma mi è piaciuta l'intenzione dell'autrice di riportare coi piedi per terra la figura dell'autore come persona che scrive per piacere, per sé stessa prima che per il pubblico, ricordando che siamo esseri umani e che in quanto tali siamo fatti per provare, fallire, ritentare ancora.

Molto carino, sono certa che tornerò a consultarlo di tanto in tanto.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro di buon senso, nel miglior significato dell'espressione. Garbato, completo, piacevole e soprattutto molto onesto.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tra i tanti manuali dedicati alla scrittura che trovate in circolazione, questo di Joanne Harris si caratterizza per un approccio estremamente pratico: in origine, si trattava di una serie di consigli spot pubblicati su Twitter e poi raccolti qui in modo organico, ma sono rimasti paragrafi concisi, che vanno dritti al punto.

Lasciando perdere le parti dedicate al post-libro, ovvero la ricerca di un agente, di un editor la promo, ecc, che sono più influenzate dalla realtà anglosassone (e anche sul self le pagine sono poche, perché probabilmente l'autrice di Chocolat è abituata a transitare per le case editrici ufficiali), ho trovato interessati le parti dedicate all'ambiente dello scrittore (sì, l'ideale è ritagliarsi uno spazio e un tempo per scrivere, ma anche arredarlo), alla preparazione mentale dello scrivere (come isolarsi, ad esempio, in un mondo nostro anche mentre stiamo in treno o in una sala affollata), all'ispirazione e alla reazione psicologica nel mentre e nel dopo, sia in caso di successo che di fallimento e relativa frustrazione.

Magari per alcuni saranno cose ovvie: con il senno di poi, anche per me, ma vederle scritte nero su bianco e da un'autrice che ce l'ha fatta produce un effetto completamente diverso.

Per quanto riguarda la struttura e l'impostazione di un libro, vi invito a leggere gli input agili e interessanti che vengono forniti. Se volete fare un regalo o farvi un regalo questo manuale potrebbe essere un'ottima idea.

[La testa fra i libri · Rating 4 out of 5]

La prima volta che ho scoperto la scrittura di Joanne Harris è stato dopo la visione del film Chocolat, tratto dal suo romanzo pubblicato nel 1999.
Cercando informazioni sull’autrice ho scoperto che i nonni paterni possedevano un negozio di dolciumi mentre la bisnonna era una guaritrice. Queste particolarità, unite al fatto di avere origini francesi da parte di madre e inglesi da parte di padre, sono state le basi ispiratrici della sua scrittura a cui si è aggiunta una nota di folklore.
Dopo gli studi universitari si dedica all’insegnamento della lingua e letteratura francese e nel 1989 pubblica il suo primo romanzo fantasy Il seme del male ma, come già scritto in precedenza, è Chocolat che la porta al successo.

Sfogliando fra le trame dei suoi libri si può notare che la Harris spazia fra la narrativa, il suspense e il fantasy, mantenendo una nota, più o meno evidente, di un fiabesco stile in ogni storia che scrive.
Nei suoi libri non manca mai la passione per il cibo, che diventa accoglienza e condivisione, e per la magia, che viene esposta come una favola o qualcosa che ha un sapore antico.
Le sue protagoniste femminili sono forti e delicate allo stesso tempo, seguono l’istinto ed esprimo l’amore in ogni forma, mentre le dinamiche sono in labirinto emotivo di spessore.
Fra le sue opere ci sono anche tre ricettari, uno dedicato a Chocolat (link qui) e ha scritto la vera storia di Loky, il dio-demone della Marvel, approfondendo la cultura e i miti dei dei nordici.

Solo pochi mesi fa ho avuto l’opportunità di leggere in anteprima Il mondo è un alveare (recensione qui) e ne sono rimasta affascinata, quanto incantata, dall’equilibrio che ha donato alla storia fra realtà e fantasia. Come ho scritto nella recensione ‘ci sono cascata dentro con tutte le scarpe’.

I consigli che dispensa in questa nuova pubblicazione sono frutto della sua esperienza e, come specifica nell’introduzione: Non esiste un unico modo di scrivere né regole ferree per creare arte, e quello che funziona per me potrebbe non funzionare affatto per voi. Non significa che uno di noi sbagli.
Noi tutti ci accostiamo a queste cose a modo nostro – e, qualsiasi sia il metodo prescelto, se il risultato finale vi soddisfa, se dà i risultati in cui speravate, allora avrete scelto il modo giusto per voi.

[Eric Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne Harris knows a thing or two about writing, having published some 20 novels and several other books as well. This short book came out at the height of the Covid-19 crisis and just in time for budding writers out there who might be using lockdown and quarantine as a time to consider a career as an author. Her advice is clear and simple, and is based on a series of tweets she’s been putting out there for some time. I agree with much of what she has to say and completely endorse one bit of advice that comes up several times: if you’re a writer and you live in the UK, join the Society of Authors — your trade union. Harris speaks with some authority: she’s been the Chair of the Society’s Management Committee since early this year.

[Michelle Marie McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's like Joanne is there encouraging at those times when it feels as though writing a novel is impossible. Her common sense but can do approach is motivating and down to earth. She breaks everything down in bite size chunks. If you're an aspiring writer then you'll enjoy this book, paired with Joanne's insightful Youtube videos offering her writing tips and advice. She is so grounded and wise with her no-nonsense approach. One of my favourite writing-related people on Twitter with her generous support to writers.

[Angi Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a no nonsense book that gives you so much advice on writing. From getting started and giving yourself permission to be the writer you are, through crafting and honing your skills. All written you imagine with tea and cake, but honesty as the main ingredient in this brilliant book. I have the E-book but will also buy the hardback as I think this may be a reference book for the days when someone saying it’s ok to do this are there. Thanks Joanne Harris for the down to earth style.

[Jamie Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really useful book which thoroughly picks apart the writing process and provides excellent advice for new writers, like myself. Easy to find sections that apply to you, such as editing or seeking an agent.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good guide into the craft of writing and business of publishing. The author covers all aspects of the novel writing process and story development. There are lots of handy tips from which types of workspaces work best, character development, plot development, endings, and so on.

A lot of what she writes about seems like common sense, however what makes this book particularly punchy is that it is very evident throughout the book that the author is writing from experience.

If you want to know what an author goes through to write a novel and have it published, this book provides a very good description of the hard work, and the ups and downs of being a novelist. As the author states, you have to love the art of writing and be willing to devote considerable time in the process of writing a novel, rewriting it, accepting criticism and rejection, being involved in the publishing process and the marketing of the book.

There are ten parts to the book. In each part the author asks a question then proceeds to answer it with a list of ten points. For example, Part 2 is titled ‘What makes a story?’ Under this part there are ten subheadings, each with ten points under each subheading. The ten subheadings in Part 2 are: 1. Characters, 2 Plot, 3 Subplot, 4 Conflict, 5 Backstory, 6 Voice, 7. Point of View, 8 Dialogue, 9. Description, 10. Place.

This book was first published in 2020.

[iina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very thorough and accessible guide to writing, from the conception of your characters to what happens after a book is published. Harris goes through every stage meticulously, explaining what the potential pitfalls are as well as being kind and encouraging throughout. The only slight negative is that the advice about writing seems for the most part to assume the reader writes plot-driven fiction, and other styles are neglected somewhat. But I especially love how Harris often emphasised that whatever you write, be it a Booker Prize winner or fan fiction, you’re a writer, as this is a reminder I know many writers need.

[Grazia Palmisano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonostante sia una raccolta di tweet, ha la forza di dare forza, tanto che arrivata alla fine mi sono chiesta come avrei fatto senza la Harris. Se è vero che la forma breve dei tweet all'inizio mi infastidiva per il senso di frammentarietà, pagina dopo pagina mi sono resa conto che Joanne riusciva a far passare per semplici anche concetti non immediati. Se è vero che tante cose mi erano note, avendo letto tanti testi in merito, ho comunque acquisito cose nuove, per l'unicità della voce dell'autrice, per il punto di vista diverso. Mi sono piaciuti moltissimo i capitoli finali, ma sono lieta di aver letto l'intero libro, scovato girovagando, come spesso faccio, nel catalogo mlol

[Shelley Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great ready reckoner about all things writing, from setting up your writing space to drafting, editing, publishing and promoting the finished work. This is an easy read and one that you can dip in and out of and revisit when needed.

[Jodie Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 Things About Writing: a hands-on, has-it-all guide for all your writing needs.
After sharing her knowledge on a Twitter hashtag, Harris has put all of it together in a book, in an easy to read, easily digestible layout—each chapter is broken down into ten parts, with each part made up of a ten point list.
The first half of the book covers the nuts and bolts of writing in detail: character, development, plot, tension, pacing, etc. With all her experience and expertise, Harris also points out frequent issues seen in fiction with regard to diversity and writing women, and explores how writers can do better.

In the second half, Harris opens all the closed doors of the publishing industry and shines a light inside. Everything pre- and post-publication is explored, from researching agents to buying a gift for your publicist after a book tour. She warns about vanity publishers and working for exposure, and the types of agents or publishers to avoid.

Ten Things About Writing provides everything a writer, whether published or not, needs to know to get a grip of the industry, with all the encouragement and tips needed to get your novel ready for submission.

@septemberpublishing sent me a copy of this a few days ago and I read it through in one go. It was impossible to resist, and once I started, I couldn’t stop taking notes.
Another note: the cover is gorgeous, the illustrations dotted throughout are funny and poignant, and the purple ribbon to mark your place is a lovely touch. Buy this for your writer friends, buy it for yourself, learn a lot.

Here’s the blurb:
One-time teacher and bestselling novelist Joanne Harris has been advising and corresponding with aspirational writers for over six years. This collection of pithy and funny lists of advice provides both hard-won wisdom and insider industry help. All aspects of the writing process and story development are covered - as is the thorny issue of how and where to find readers. From Workspaces and Habits to Plot and Dialogue, these are motivating, problem-solving lists from an experienced and widely respected writer.

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm unbelievably grateful for this book.

Joanne sets out the entire journey of writing from the very beginning – how the bloody hell do I start? – to publication and beyond. TTAW is informative, honest, and certainly not lacking in humour. The way in which it is set out makes it very easy to absorb and reflect on each chapter, as well as easy to return to a particular point of the book you might want to re-read.

It was also something of a comfort. It addresses the fears and worries that most writers experience, as well as letting the reader know exactly what is likely to come, should they continue on their writing journey.

For anybody who loves to write or is thinking about picking up a pen, whether to start or return to writing, I highly recommend reading Ten Things About Writing. You won’t regret it!

[Angela Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, full of nuggets and tips to help writers. I’ve read many writing books over the years, but this is one to add to the list no matter what stage you’re at. It’s broken down into different sections and covers a wide range of points that are easy to read and understand. There’s no waffle, and as such, it’s a punchy fast read that you can get through quickly or dip in and out of dependent on your needs.

I read the e-book, but I’m tempted to buy the book. It’s the sort of thing I can imagine becoming well-worn and constantly being referred to, a book to keep close to hand when writing. When I started reading, I considered highlighting text that might be useful to me, but I quickly realised the whole book would become a blur of yellow highlight. It’s a helpful, practical and inspirational guide.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4½ stars.

A great collection of writing advice, framed as 10 Parts, each with 10 Chapters, each with 10 Sub-Headings. Given the framing, it would make a good read in bite-size snacks, though more so in book form than audio. A worthwhile read for any aspiring writer, especially as it delves into what to expect after one gets an agent or publisher, not just before.

Harris is clearly writing from experience, which means her advice is practical and learned. She also does a really good job narrating her own audiobook, which is always nice.

[Brandon Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of #tenthings not all of this was new, but all of it was valuable. The little, bite-sized chunks of advice were concise and largely actionable. As with most such books, there was a slight element of pressing my nose against the glass of being published, but guess what... There were ten things about that too.

[C.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough and comprehensive journey through writing a novel, from the how-tos of writing to publication and beyond.
The bullet points make it easy to read and you can pick it up easily, reading a few chapters at a time.
The author has undoubted experience and so her advice carries weight.

[Nick Wasiliev · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a conversation that pops up a lot in our offices. On an almost daily basis, the Booktopia blog and socials are inundated with questions from aspiring writers. How do you begin writing a story? What is the best way to approach editing? How do you get a book published? These are honestly difficult questions to answer, even for authors who have been down the road of publishing a book before!

However, for those looking for that advice, there is now a book to help you get started. Crafted by Joanne Harris, author of over two dozen books (including the Rune series, and most famously, Chocolat), Ten Things About Writing is the kind of guide that not only provides instruction for the aspiring author, but also encourages you to develop your own creative process. Newcomers and experienced writers alike have much to gain from this handy help book.

Harris’ casual, almost blunt writing style fits especially well here, and she doesn’t mince words when it comes to highlighting how difficult writing a book actually is. She goes deep into the process of organising your workspace, getting into the headspace to write, the key building blocks authors must focus on when crafting a story, guiding your characters, how to add those seamless details and more. And yes, this is before you have even completed the first draft.

What is often a stumbling block for aspirational authors is also explained: that of the process of publishing. Joanne highlights how publishers, editors, publicists, designers, booksellers and more fall into the chain of what it takes to actually produce a book. This is especially valuable, as often the actual act of editing and marketing can be a mystery and without guidance many stumble.

Lastly, Harris also goes into some of the most unthought-of ideas for new authors: what happens if you actually make it. With that comes challenges that are unique in their own right, even going down to the pressure of having to write your second or third book. What is best about this is that the mirth and honesty displayed in the book turn it into a reassuring companion, highlighting that these challenges have been experienced by all authors.

Ten Things About Writing is a valuable compass that all aspiring writers should read. From those first words to the final sign-off, what is most impressive is the way in which Harris encourages you not only with improving your writing, but also with developing your own style of work. It is an absolute must for those who are serious about becoming an author!

Buy 'Ten Things About Writing': https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/6aENr

[Rich B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super interesting read about writing, packed full of insights, tips and anecdotes from someone who clearly knows the writing business well.

It covers ten topics from starting out writing, to life as a published author and beyond. Under each topic, the author covers ten further sub-topics. (so, pedantic people might suggest it’s actually one hundred things about writing …)

On the whole, it’s clear and unsurprisingly well written. The breadth of topics covered is admirable, the advice on the whole is clear and practical. The chapters on key writing areas like characters, plot and structure were all excellent for example. There’s also separate sections on specific themes like sex, food and humour which were again all packed with great insights.

The sections on the publishing world - like what publishers, agents, editors, proof readers etc do - were interesting but a bit more hard work. You’d really need to be close to being published to get the most out of these sections.

A few times, I did find the style of advice a bit wooly - there was quite a lot of “you might have read that “x” is a rule of writing, but really it’s not, and it’s up to you …”, but not enough to put me off the book.

The author also occasionally lapsed into borderline lifestyle, self-help, c’mon you can do it territory, which is not my thing. But again, not so much that I felt put off.

Those two minor gripes aside, I enjoyed a lot of what she had to say. I learned new things from this book.

Her writing style and tone is easy and engaging, very honest and funny. She clearly speaks from experience. A very good read for anyone interested in writing and writers.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting and well-written guide to writing a book. The structure of the book was very easy to follow; it is split into 10 parts, with each part having 10 chapters, and then those 10 chapters are split into a further 10 bullet points. Each part focuses on a different area of writing, whether it is building habits, characterisation or what to do after your book has been published.

I thought the chapters focusing on the actual craft of writing, including those about getting into the correct headspace and building habits, were the best of the book and the ones where Harris really showed her expertise. There were ideas put forward that I found very interesting and will definitely be putting into practice myself. The later chapters, which mainly discuss the process after publication, didn’t work quite so well for me. They felt a little ‘big’, to me, though I’m sure the advice was solid, and I did skim past a lot of it.

But overall the book made me think differently about my own writing, as someone who is currently in a writing slump, and I’ll definitely be using some of her ideas and suggestions going forward.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up the book on its parts which I particularly find useful for improving story-telling in general. The content is concise, arranged neatly in headings organized in easily observable indentation degrees - each heading with one or a few short paragraphs.

The book is rich in breadth on the topic of how to get a book publish, starting from the moment of penning down the first word, to get the book into the hands of readers.

As publishing a book involves myriads of steps, each warrants a set of books on their own, I would suggest using this book as the anchor to plan for the topics that you would need to dwell deeper on your journey towards publishing your literary works.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne Harris has a good presence on social media. Now she has collected the advice she has given over time on her twitter and expanded it. The book covers the processes from starting with the initial idea to publication and afterwards, dispersing the advice in chapters of ten points on each stage. This is a charming run through of the creative whole process. Harris pints out in the introduction that what works for one person may not work for another and that rules are not set in stone. But she does provide useful advice, techniques and encouragement. Highly recommended.

[Tamas Rev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough, but bit of a bird view.

In some chapters (2 and 4) the book covers one or more topics that might fill entire other books. Such as plot, characterization, viewpoint, dialouge.

Then there are a few chapters where it explains how the publishing industry works in the Anglo-Saxon world. In Hungary, I haven't heard about literary agents, so that does not apply here.

I think the most important aspect of this book is something like 'Code of conduct for professional writers'. I haven't read anythig that would have covered it in such depth.

[Kathleen Jowitt]

This is a compilation of Joanne Harris's #TenThings tweet threads about many and varied aspects of the writing and publishing process, tidied up and sorted according to theme. I remember watching many of these go by in real time, but it was a pleasure to revisit them, and this is definitely a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I was impressed by how well these hung together: despite the fact that this began as several bite-sized pieces, it's very digestible as a buffet.

[evierose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for reference. I did a lot of highlighting, particularly in the early parts. The writing tips helped me sit down and think about how I go about writing, whether that be deliberately or unconsciously doing certain things. I especially am thankful for the parts where Harris talked about how writing for joy is always worthwhile. Sometimes one needs to hear that, and I will likely compile those bits and put them in a journal so I can read them when I need to.

[Cheryl Sonnier · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book came from Joanne Harris' #TenTweets on writing, where she would Tweet on a particular aspect of writing. I picked up to add to my reference collection, and found myself reading it cover to cover. Harris offers lots of good advice to writers, whether you're just starting out or have been writing for a while, like me.

[Andreas Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bello, tutto sommato mi è piaciuto. Un libro onesto sullo scrivere (di sicuro molto più esteso dell'opera di autoesaltazione di Stephen King, che al contrario deve aver creato innumerevoli mostri), contiene chiaramente molte cose che lo scrittore inedito avrà già capito da sé, tranne qualche dettaglio.
Non aumenta di molto la mia voglia di cercare agenti letterari però.

[Dmitrii Lobanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Отличный сборник советов для начинающего писателя. В книге содержатся рекомендации о том, как начать писать, как выбрать и работать с агентом, редактором и издателем. Много внимания уделено вопросам психологии. Эта книга не содержит системное изложение теории креативного письма, упор делается на отношение автора к своему ремеслу