In my voluminous reading of the past several months, I've come across more than one sentence or paragraph that really caught my eye and made me think, "I need to write that down." I've been compiling a screen full of sticky notes with random pieces of useful information, mainly revolving around writing but also dealing with aspects of publishing, marketing, etc. So I've decided not to keep all these nuggets of advice to myself, thus the purpose of this topic. If anyone else has something to share related to writing, publishing, and various offshoots, feel free to post it here. I'll start it off.
In writing. Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was "terrible," describe if so that we'll be terrified. Don't say that it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, "Please will you do my job for me." ~ C.S. Lewis
If a work enchants us in the reading by the elegant succession of its parts, and yet leaves in our memories no distinct impression of itself as a whole--in such cases, there is something radically wrong with its paternal idea. ~ Dorothy L. Sayers
In reality, there is one reason, and one reason only, that readers get excited about a novel: great storytelling. ~ Donald Maass
The writer distracts the reader--breaks the film, if you will--when by some slip of technique or egoistic intrusion he allows or forces the reader to stop thinking about the story (stop "seeing" the story) and think about something else. ~ John Gardner
Your first chapter sells your book. Your last chapter sells your NEXT book. ~ Mickey Spillane
Hope that helps!
