Margaret’s answer to “Hello !! What would be your advice for a young writer before he starts writing? And how many hours …” > Likes and Comments
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This brings tears to my eyes. Such wise words from a wise and warm writer and human being.
I've found that some of the advice one picks up, such as "Write what you know," is misleading. That might be a good place to start, but If we wrote only what we knew, how would we say anything truly thought-provoking?
Infatti: i consigli confondono le idee, e non si riesce a essere se stessi. Concordo con la scrittrice Margaret Atwood.
Ernest Hemingway in "A moveable feast" advises to write down one truth you know and go from there.
I recently saw a quote here on Goodreads which basically said that you should write sth you yourself want to read..but can't because obviously no one sees the things exactly the way you do..so you just have to do it yourself :)
Thank you for a simple and straightforward answer. My writing often comes from what I DON'T know because I can always do research on those things. They make the writing more believable and keeps me in the "Lifelong Learner" category. Yes, if a writer doesn't read, they miss an awful lot. I also suggest reading, in addition to the genre in which your write, other books you wouldn't normally read. Get recommendations from people whose tastes you trust and some from people whose tastes seem a little "out there." That will make your writing richer and deeper. Thanks, Margaret, for providing us with every contribution you've made to the literary world.
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Ann
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Jun 17, 2014 04:19PM
This brings tears to my eyes. Such wise words from a wise and warm writer and human being.
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I've found that some of the advice one picks up, such as "Write what you know," is misleading. That might be a good place to start, but If we wrote only what we knew, how would we say anything truly thought-provoking?
*before he* can the male pronoun not be the default pronoun for human beings. it's so agonizing.
Infatti: i consigli confondono le idee, e non si riesce a essere se stessi. Concordo con la scrittrice Margaret Atwood.
Ernest Hemingway in "A moveable feast" advises to write down one truth you know and go from there.
I recently saw a quote here on Goodreads which basically said that you should write sth you yourself want to read..but can't because obviously no one sees the things exactly the way you do..so you just have to do it yourself :)
Thank you for a simple and straightforward answer. My writing often comes from what I DON'T know because I can always do research on those things. They make the writing more believable and keeps me in the "Lifelong Learner" category. Yes, if a writer doesn't read, they miss an awful lot. I also suggest reading, in addition to the genre in which your write, other books you wouldn't normally read. Get recommendations from people whose tastes you trust and some from people whose tastes seem a little "out there." That will make your writing richer and deeper. Thanks, Margaret, for providing us with every contribution you've made to the literary world.
