In a 1954 interview, George Plimpton (a famous American actor/screenwriter) asked Hemingway: "What is the best way to become an aspiring writer?" ”
Hemingway said: "Go out and take a look and give yourself a break." It's not hard to write well.
Streamlining what you see and hearing and maintaining the creative energy you need for the rest of your life is paramount. At the very least, take the fancy stuff as the beginning of creation. ”
So how can we improve our writing thinking and ability from the inside out, rather than constantly obsessing over and over the surface of the text? The following is 25 experience sharing from well-known authors for your reference.
These writers have certain requirements for the quality of their works and pay attention to the excellence of writing, so most of the ideas are about how to seek breakthrough experience.
1. As soon as you sit down, you have to start writing
Don't just spend a lot of time working on a draft, writing a plan in your head – go write it. Only by writing in reality, rather than daydreaming about writing, can we develop our own style.
—PD James: British detective writer who won the 2004 Alan Poe Prize for Detective Fiction and is the author of The Lighthouse
2. Completely abandon the idea of "write after being mentally prepared"
The reverse psychology is this: when we keep thinking "in preparation, still preparing", but we still do not act, this is to make excuses for our own procrastination.
When we are undecided, there will be a rebellious psychology. You have to be very well prepared before you can start acting.
—Steven Pressfield: Best-selling novelist, author of The Legend of Bagh Vance, Firegate, And The Art Wars
3. About finding out the most suitable writing time
Find out the best time of day to write. Don't let anything bother you. The kitchen is messy and doesn't matter to you at all.
—Esther Freud: Great-granddaughter of psychology guru Sigmund Freud, she was selected by Grant Magazine as one of Britain's best young novelists
4. Be aware of all possible obstacles, such as working on a disconnected computer.
—Zadie Smith: British female writer author of the novel On Beauty
5. Choose a topic
Write about a topic that you care about and that others care about. Remember, no matter how heartfelt you express your emotions, for the reader, unless it is the subject they really care about, they will not care too much, and only the theme is the reader's most real focus.
So, focus on your theme, rather than figuring out how to present your own words and play word games. (I'm not forcing you to write any novels, if you're really interested in a topic, you can write your thoughts, and I won't interfere)
For example, if you have a big hole in front of your house, your complaint letter to the mayor needs to be sincere, and for example, if you write a love letter to the girl in the neighborhood, you must also be sincere.
Kurt Vonnegut: Kurt Vonnegut, known as a representative of American black humor literature, is known alongside Mark Twain
6. Organize your thoughts
Organize your usual notes and materials into a structured theme; then continue to update and supplement (if you are excerpting good materials, you must learn something from it, you can't blindly copy, you must let yourself grow); believe in yourself: even if other people's topics are good and have been used, don't write anymore.
When you are writing, it is inevitable that someone will provide some good solutions to the problem. At this time, as long as it can help you solve the problem, you need to try it, unless the following situations: 1) already know and are already using 2) there is no practical effect, and time is not allowed
—Maryn McKenna: Columnist for Global Science
7. The importance of writing an outline
Draw up an outline as a clue to your writing. Of course, you can readjust the outline in the middle of the way, but don't start writing first, and then think about the structure: the structure needs to be thought out first.
When you can't predict when you'll be able to complete the entire work, the outline will help you write an extra 1,000 words.
—Bill Wasik: Editor of Harper's magazine
8. Quickly digest and write out the original idea
After writing the first draft, put your mind to the next line structure, and never go back and repeatedly tangle with the idea and the first draft.
Indeed, when I was writing the last page of the first draft of Lincoln's Melancholy, I had a rough framework. But I had wasted many years before, and when I wrote 1/3 and 1/2 of the first draft, I struggled with it once. If you can't write well, write it again. Experienced writers admonish us: Have the courage to write smash.
Joshua Wolf Shenk: American author of The Real Lincoln
9. Writing Norms (MaintainIng Self-Discipline)
Treat writing as a job and do it strictly according to the work specifications. Many writers are a bit obsessive about this. Graham Greene (Graham Green, author of My Own World, The End of a Relationship, The Factor of Human Nature, Brighton Candy, The Third Party, etc.) is known for writing 500 words a day.
Jean Plaidy (who has written many works under multiple pseudonyms) is able to write 5,000 words before lunch and then spend the afternoon writing back to readers. My bottom line is 1,000 words a day – sometimes it's easy to do,
And sometimes, to be honest, it's like constipation, but I'll still sit at the bench until it's done, because I know that by doing so I'm pushing my book step by step.
Those 1,000 words can be rubbish — they often do. But then, when you come back to these garbage words one day later, it's much easier to polish them for the better.
—Sarah Waters: Author of City of Thorns, Half-Body, Velvet Licking, Vigil, etc
10, dare to write smash, it is not a big deal
It's normal to write badly, no big deal. A lot of people are afraid to write smashing, and it's precisely because of this idea that I wrote such a bad article.
Don't think so, think it will be good. For me, everything is difficult at the beginning. Be confident and don't burden yourself too much, because you can't guarantee to write good stuff all the time.
People who write are used to accepting successful works, and I think this is the reason why many writers worry about the psychological obstacle of writing. For example, when you find that you have not written well, you should have the mentality of writing what you can write first.
When I was writing Keep (originally The Keep), I wrote it badly. My work diary describes this first draft as a terrible short story. I thought: What a disappointment.
—Jennifer Egan: American writer who wrote the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature-winning novel The Villain Visits
11. About fear
Fearless. While that's not possible, let the little fear drive you to rewrite it, to set aside the bigger fear until they make a move—and then use them, maybe even describe them. Too much horror will leave you speechless.
AL Kennedy: Scottish novelist, author of Heaven, All You Need, etc
12. Don't go back to check before you write the entire text
You can't look back until you've written the whole draft, starting with the last sentence of the day before you every day. This prevents smugness and means you have a tangible result before you actually get to work
--Will Self: A new generation of British novelists whose main works include "The Great Ape" and so on
13. Cultivate concentration
In a private contact, writer Raymond Chandler told me a secret that every day, even if he wasn't writing, he would sit quietly at his desk and meditate.
I understood his intentions in doing so. Chandler is honing himself to have more endurance and perseverance. This daily training was essential for him.
—Haruki Murakami: Haruki Murakami is a Japanese novelist and Translator of American literature. Author of Norwegian Forest
14. Master the ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time
Have more than one idea at all times. If I had to choose between writing a book and not doing anything, I always chose the latter.
It was only when I had two books in mind that I would choose one of them to write. I always felt like I was running away.
Geoff Dyer: Author of "The Moment on The Move", "Paris Triance", etc
15, the circle of friends will have a certain impact on you
Don't get mixed up with your opponents. But also need to have their own social circle.
Ideally, your writing friends in your circle are good, and they will give you the most pertinent advice and ideas. But the best way to become a writer is to write honestly.
—Augusten Burroughs: American author of Deep Depression
16. About feedback
Remember: When people tell you what's wrong or inappropriate for them, they're almost always right.
However, when they tell you what they're sure is wrong or how precisely to remedy it, they're almost always wrong.
—Neil Gaiman: Fantasy writer, author of the "Sleeping God" series, etc
17. After writing, find someone else to read it
Reading your own book doesn't have the same naïve expectations as you read the wonderful homepage of a new book, because you wrote it yourself. You already know everything.
I also know the mystery of magic. So before you show it to anyone in the publishing world, read it to one or two friends. Unless you want to break up, don't look for your date to do it.
Margaret Atwood: Canadian writer, poet, critic, feminist, social activist
18. Inspire yourself with the excellence and achievements of others
Try to imagine that someone else's luck is an incentive for yourself.
—Richard Ford: American writer, author of "Sports Journalist" and sequel "Independence Day"
19, when you stop writing and rest, completely relax and complete the amount of writing for the day when you still want to continue.
—Helen Dunmore: English poet, novelist, and children's writer
20, half of the writing is blocked
If your writing is blocked, get out of your desk. Go for a walk, write a shower, get some sleep, make a pout, listen to music, meditate, do exercise; whatever you do, don't stare at the problem.
But don't call or go to a party; if that's the case, what other people say will affect you more or less, and you have to make a choice and create some space for yourself. Be patient.
—Hilary Mantel: Winner of the Booker Prize in 2009, author of Wolf Hall Wolf Hall and other works
21. Be prepared for unexpected situations
Plans can't keep up with the changes. Many times overnight, things become uncontrollable. For example, the unexpected is like a growing lion.
You have to look at it every day to regain the initiative. If you miss a day's work, you will be very worried about facing it again, and when you regroup to see it, you will need to take a chair to block it in case of accidents, and then call: Simba!
—Annie Dillard: American author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Book of The Creekside
22. What to do if you encounter a bottleneck
Even if the world becomes a mess, you continue to write.
You don't need smoke to write, you don't need silence, you don't need music, you don't need a comfortable chair, or you don't need a peaceful environment. All you need is 10 minutes and a set of writing utensils.
—Cory Doctorow: Canadian science fiction writer and tech activist
23. Do your personnel
I believe that a good writer still needs to hold his own opinions and does not need to be "told" anything. Just think about what you plan and try your best to do it.
Once you've done everything you need to do, you can make it public. But I found that young writers don't think that way. They often write the first draft, and then they will first ask how to perfect the final draft.
So I told myself never to do that. I will still stick to my original intentions. Because I slowly realized:
No one can give me any good advice, as long as I try my best to write the best, and if I find that it is not perfect enough, I will one day compromise.
Chinua Achebe: Nigerian writer known as the "father of modern African literature"
24. About perseverance
When I'm doing something, I'm completely exhausted, scattered, and there's no point in holding on for another 5 minutes, I push myself: Then start writing.
Miracles have come, writing has transformed everything that had been there before, or at least it seems like everything is working.
—Joyce Carol Oates: Author of "They", "The Disappearing Mother" and other works
25, in fact, these suggestions do not need to be taken too seriously
The way to write a book is to actually write a book. Whether you use a pen or type, the key is to actually write something.