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“A boy who once wiped his ass with poison ivy probably doesn't belong in a smart people's club.”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit.”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“I’m not particularly keen on writing which exhaustively describes the physical characteristics of the people in the story and what they’re wearing… I can always get a J. Crew catalogue… …So spare me, if you please, the hero’s ‘sharply intelligent blue eyes’ and ‘outthrust determined chin’.”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“Writing is seduction. Good talk is part of seduction. If not so, why do so many couples who start the evening at dinner wind up in bed?”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“Many writing texts caution against asking friends to read your stuff, suggesting you're not apt to get a very unbiased opinion[.] ... It's unfair, according to this view, to put a pal in such a position. What happens if he/she feels he/she has to say, "I'm sorry, good buddy, you've written some great yarns in the past but this one sucks like a vacuum cleaner"?
The idea has some validity, but I don't think an unbiased opinion is exactly what I'm looking for. And I believe that most people smart enough to read a novel are also tactful enough to find a gentler mode of expression than "This sucks." (Although most of us know that "I think this has a few problems" actually means "This sucks," don't we?)”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
The idea has some validity, but I don't think an unbiased opinion is exactly what I'm looking for. And I believe that most people smart enough to read a novel are also tactful enough to find a gentler mode of expression than "This sucks." (Although most of us know that "I think this has a few problems" actually means "This sucks," don't we?)”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Lisa’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Lisa’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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