Quotation of the Week: Zadie Smith
“Leave a decent space of time between writing something and editing it.”
–Zadie Smith
Source: Advice to Writers
“Leave a decent space of time between writing something and editing it.”
–Zadie Smith
Source: Advice to Writers
“If you are not discouraged about your writing on a regular basis, you may not be trying hard enough. Any challenging pursuit will encounter frequent patches of frustration. Writing is nothing if not challenging.”
–Maxwell Perkins
Source: Chip Scanlan’s “‘And I Quote’: A Collection of Advice, Inspiration and Other Words of Wisdom on the Craft of Writing.”
Over the past three weeks or so, I’ve seen Janet Fitch’s 10 Rules for Writers touted on too many blogs and Twitter feeds to count. So it’s about time for Practicing Writing to catch the wave and share these rules with you, too. Sound, sage advice to launch your weekend writing.
Speaking of the weekend, have a good one! We’ll see you back here on Monday.
As I mentioned on my other blog awhile back, I’ve been looking forward to reading Allegra Goodman‘s new novel, The Cookbook Collector. I pre-ordered a copy and finally began reading on Sunday evening. So far, so great!
Last week, my mom and I attended a terrific literary event here in New York that featured Allegra and novelist Cathleen Schine in conversation with Sandee Brawarsky, book critic for the New York Jewish Week. At one point, Allegra offered the following comment about something that she sees as a real plus of novel-writing:
“Your work can be intensely personal without being autobiographical.”
So true! So important! So under-appreciated!
The degree of interest readers show in the autobiographical elements of fiction never fails to amaze me. Admittedly, I’ve been guilty of this interest as a reader, too. But I hope that my crimes are fewer and further between now that I have some experience as a fiction writer myself.
In truth, there are pieces of “me” in all of my fiction, even if I may be the only one who can pinpoint each of them. And the characters that might outwardly resemble “me”–one example comes to mind from a story workshopped long ago; several classmates told me they were convinced that one character in that story was, in fact, me, thinly disguised–can be the ones furthest from my own experience.
You know how just the other day I alluded just the other day to my friend Deonne Kahler’s recent participation in the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference? Well, DK is now sharing revision tips that she gleaned directly from her workshop leader, Sarah Manguso (apparently, Ms. Manguso calls them “The Thirteen Sieves”).
DK will be sharing one tip per post. She began yesterday with this one. And it’s good.
Follow along, won’t you? I know that I will!
Have a great weekend, and see you back here on Monday!