Collin’s Reviews > Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences > Status Update

“The best reason to finish whatever you are writing is that everything inside you says not to.”

“If you’re writing fiction, within a page or so of your protagonist appearing, prove through the eyes of another character that they are lovable and lovely.” “All the [books] I read had a first-page scene in which the protagonist was complimented by another character. … That’s a character to root for.” haha this is funny sarcasm. oh… oh, wait, you mean it? you’re for serious? oh dear

like. Was the last time you read “genre fiction” the mf’ing 70s? What are you TALKING ABOUT. Horror, sure, sometimes, that’s not unexpected. But SFF is SUCH an introspective and character-driven niche right now, and frankly has been for a long time if you read the right books. I read very little historical but I feel insulted for them, too.

“Some authors present us with archetypal characters who adorn fabulous settings and plots. Genre fiction—historical, sci-fi, horror, whatever—focuses mostly on how the characters deal with the outside world of things and other people, and their characters don't necessarily grow or change; they’re just tortured over and over again.” ngl, Neal, this pmo real bad. tell me you don’t read spec w/o telling me.

“The narrator claims to be on a horse with no name. This is worrisome to the listener: The man can be searching without destination, just going with the flow, but there is no rideable horse without a name in earth. … Trust me, the horse had a name. The metaphor comes off as contrived, and therefore meaningless.” ma’am respectfully what are you talking about. how do you miss the point of Horse With No Name.

Anne Lamott is so funny in a charming self-effacing way but some of us do actually like learning new words, and acting like no fictional narrator/narrative voice should use a more complex, latinate-flavored vocabulary for fear of alienating readers who don't like feeling dumb is... not something I agree with