The Wednesday issue of the Weekly Writing Column has been delayed, so that we could present it to you on Maundy Thursday
An old classmate weighs in on the Adverb War: http://arhyalon.livejournal.com/115193.html
The best new piece of advice on writing I know of comes from William Goldman via David Morrell’s book Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing. The whole book is invaluable – it’s the only one I’ve read all the way through and then immediately flipped back to chapter one and read again – but this particular bit is a $20,000 lotto ticket. In the chapter on structure, Morrell says something to the effect that if the pace of a chapter seems to be lagging, go back and chop off the beginning. Probably the last paragraph, too. So just for fun, a couple of weeks ago I opened up an unsuccessful piece of fiction from a few years back and did the necessary surgery. Instant improvement.
But does this apply to writing anything more than thrillers? Are Elmore Leonard’s ten rules likewise only good for people who want to write like Elmore Leonard? Just what the hell is wrong with adverbs, anyway?
Read the whole thing here.
By the way, today is also the feast day of St. Hugh of Grenoble, founder of the Carthusian monastery, La Grand Chartreuse, and the patron saint against headaches.
The holy Bishop St Hugh of Grenoble dreamed that he saw seven stars fall at his feet and then arise and cross the mountains till they settled in the wild country known as Chartreuse or Chartreuse. He then observed a house arise built by angelic hands and on the roof of it when built these seven mysterious stars took up their abode While the bishop was pondering over his dream in came St Bruno and his disciples in whom he at once recognized the seven stars and was able to direct them to the abode for which God destined them.
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
April 1, 2010 @ 1:51 pm
