How not to write: Advice from James Thurber

Courtesy of Lists of Note:

I have a special wariness of people who write opening sentences with nothing in mind, and then try to create a story around them. These sentences, usually easy to detect, go like this: "Mrs. Ponsonby had never put the dog in the oven before," "'I have a wine tree, if you would care to see it,' said Mr. Dillingworth," and "Jackson decided suddenly, for no reason, really, to buy his wife a tricycle." I have never traced the fortunes of such characters in the stories I receive beyond the opening sentence, but, like you, I have a fair notion of what happens, or doesn't happen, in "The Barking Oven," "The Burgundy Tree," and "A Tricycle for Mama."

Read the rest here.

I had to laugh at this because it's almost exactly what I'm doing with these random writing prompts -- jotting down a first line and then seeing where it goes. James Thurber would not approve. Oh well.

Those who have been checking in daily will have noticed by now that Week Three's writing challenge has taken somewhat longer than seven days. The truth is that the prompt is awful and I hate it, but I've also been unwilling to let myself write something I loathe just for the sake of finishing it and moving on. And most crippling, I also will not let myself skip a prompt just because I don't like it -- I fear that this would be a slippery slope; I might miss out on a really great story that I wouldn't have otherwise discovered, and the whole point of this challenge is to write no matter what. If I let myself pick and choose the prompts, chaos will ensue. I know it.

But of course I'm not doing myself any favors by sitting on this and pouting. So if you'll give me permission to lower my standards for one week, I will do the same. I promise to post Week Three's story by Sunday and then get on with this thing.

Writing advice from David Ogilvy

Okay, one more Lists of Note for you and then I'm done for today, I swear:

Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints:

[...]

2. Write the way you talk. Naturally.

3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.

4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.

[...]

7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning—and then edit it.

Read the rest here.

"A genius is the one most like himself." --Thelonious Monk

In addition to Letters of Note, Lists of Note has some excellent "found" inspiration from time to time. A recent one, from Thelonious Monk:

DON’T PLAY THE PIANO PART, I’M PLAYING THAT. DON’T LISTEN TO ME. I’M SUPPOSED TO BE ACCOMPANYING YOU!

THE INSIDE OF THE TUNE (THE BRIDGE) IS THE PART THAT MAKES THE OUTSIDE SOUND GOOD.

DON’T PLAY EVERYTHING (OR EVERY TIME); LET SOME THINGSGO BY. SOME MUSIC JUST IMAGINED. WHAT YOU DON’T PLAY CAN BE MORE IMPORTANT THAT WHAT YOU DO.

ALWAYS LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE.

Read the rest here.