Read Like A Writer

There are two ways to learn how to write fiction: by reading it and by writing it. Yes, you can learn lots about writing stories in workshops, in writing classes and writing groups, at writers' conferences. You can learn technique and process by reading the dozens of books like this one on fiction writing and by reading articles in writers' magazines. But the best teachers of fiction are the great works of fiction themselves. You can learn more about the structure of a short story by reading Anton Chekhov's 'Heartache' than you can in a semester of Creative Writing 101. If you read like a writer, that is, which means you have to read everything twice, at least. When you read a story or novel the first time, just let it happen. Enjoy the journey. When you've finished, you know where the story took you, and now you can go back and reread, and this time notice how the writer reached that destination. Notice the choices he made at each chapter, each sentence, each word. (Every word is a choice.) You see now how the transitions work, how a character gets across a room. All this time you're learning. You loved the central character in the story, and now you can see how the writer presented the character and rendered her worthy of your love and attention. The first reading is creative—you collaborate with the writer in making the story. The second reading is critical.


John Dufresne, from his book, The Lie That Tells A Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction

Header

Liquid Story Binder XE by Black Obelisk Software

Disable Copy Paste

Amazon Quick Linker

Monday, January 23, 2023

Purpose of a Writer by Albert Camus | Writing Quote

Writing Quote

Purpose of a Writer 

by Albert Camus

 

The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.

--Albert Camus

 

About the Author 

Albert Camus
 Albert Camus was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His works include  The Stranger, The Plague, The Myth of Sisyphus, The Fall, and The Rebel.  Wikipedia


Born: November 7, 1913, Drean, Algeria
Died: January 4, 1960, Villeblevin, France
Spouse: Francine Faure (m. 1940–1960) and Simone Hie (m. 1934–1940)
Parents: Catherine Hélène Sintés and Lucien Auguste Camus

Albert Camus at Amazon
Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)