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There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

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Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#51

Post by weeksie »

greenspot wrote: post #42
AndreyErmakov wrote: post #38

It's interesting that the author pursued a degree in literature and that's what ultimately pushed her away from that career path. It seems to be a common theme where a formal education in creative arts makes people want to do something else in life, anything else. I've had acquaintances with a musical background and eventually they went to do something else, including IT. From what an old buddy told me once, most gra…

> but you're missing out on an incredible body of thoughts and ideas that might expand your vision borders. Have to disagree here. Yes there is a lot of good stuff especially written in the past but looking at today I see high caliber English writers and books in every category I do not see in that quality and quantity in any other language. Ok I do not know how it's about Chinese but that's my perception regarding o…

Spoken like somebody who's never read Journey to The End of The Night. In my opinion (and many others') it's one of the best novels ever written.

Tastes may vary but to dismiss foreign literature outright betrays a lack of experience as a reader. This is where I complain, as an old guy, about the poor state of liberal arts education.

Do yourself a favor and pick up some Dostoevsky. Or Gunter Grass. Or Murakami. Or Knut Hamsen. Or oh hell, there are far too many to list, those just come to the forefront in my head.

Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#52

Post by weeksie »

Hey, I'm a second career writer too! That's a fantastic piece.

My background is in software and I still freelance to pay the bills. I have been writing on and off since I was old enough to hold a pen. Little fits and starts here and there, but by the time I was in my early twenties I focused on making a living instead of learning how to write. I dreamed of one day making enough money to retire and maybe write a few books.

Three years ago I realized that was crazy. I wanted to write, putting it off until the end of my life not only increases the chance I'd never get to do it, but also means that I'd miss out on years and years of practice. I decided to do with writing what I did with programming—set aside nearly half my time to learn how to do it, then keep doing it until I could make a living.

I'm not making a living anytime soon, but after three years I've written a couple novel manuscripts, published a short story collection, and am due to publish a novel at the end of the year. But I'm still hesitant to answer, "I'm a writer" when someone at a cocktail party asks what I do.

Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#53

Post by henrik_w »

sverige wrote: post #27

The best advice on writing I've come across in 40 years of reading about writing is a "pithy maxim" from Cato the Elder: Rem tene, verba sequentur. (Grasp the thing, the words will follow.) The best advice on being a writer is mostly reading how others did it and then avoiding their mistakes. Thus, I hope I don't end up kicking a can up a lonely road in Idaho or showing up drunk for an interview by Buckley or marryin…

Thanks for the "pithy maxim" - I have never seen it before, but the idea has always been my key to giving a decent presentation. It goes straight into my quotes-file!

Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#55

Post by paulpauper »

Too many people want writing 'hacks' and 'tips', without understanding that writing is a market, which means that for writing to be read, it typically has to meet some sort of demand. Famous people can create their own markets, but unknowns have to latch onto existing ones.

Long-form seems to be very popular online these days. Anyone can hammer out a 500-word essay, but a it takes a 5,000 word one to stand out. Long-form may be the best approach right now for writers hoping to gain visibility.

Also, I think IQ plays a role, too. You need to be smart to make a career at writing (assuming you're not a celebrity), and few are sufficiently smart enough, sorry to say.

Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#56

Post by ozim »

Not really that interesting if main point is that there is no easy "follow the instructions" way to become a writer. It is true for everything like there is no "follow the instructions" way to have a good life, build muscles, etc. It is all about showing up doing mistakes, learning not to make same mistakes poof after quite long time maybe you achieved your goal, but you are never certain.

Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#58

Post by toolslive »

greenspot wrote: post #42
AndreyErmakov wrote: post #38

It's interesting that the author pursued a degree in literature and that's what ultimately pushed her away from that career path. It seems to be a common theme where a formal education in creative arts makes people want to do something else in life, anything else. I've had acquaintances with a musical background and eventually they went to do something else, including IT. From what an old buddy told me once, most gra…

> but you're missing out on an incredible body of thoughts and ideas that might expand your vision borders. Have to disagree here. Yes there is a lot of good stuff especially written in the past but looking at today I see high caliber English writers and books in every category I do not see in that quality and quantity in any other language. Ok I do not know how it's about Chinese but that's my perception regarding o…

Maybe you're reading in the wrong language. Try Spanish.

Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#59

Post by Outdoorsman »

AndreyErmakov wrote: post #38

It's interesting that the author pursued a degree in literature and that's what ultimately pushed her away from that career path. It seems to be a common theme where a formal education in creative arts makes people want to do something else in life, anything else. I've had acquaintances with a musical background and eventually they went to do something else, including IT. From what an old buddy told me once, most gra…

>>You can't translation energy.This is a good point...a good translation depends heavily on preserving the writer's "voice", which is unique to each writer...

Masterful translations are among the most underrated examples of human linguistic skill that I'm aware of...

Re: There Is No Handbook for Being a Writer

#60

Post by loganmhb »

klodolph wrote: post #20
vonnik wrote: post #18

People mean different things when they say "writer," and it's worthwhile untangling a few different types. * Writers who make a living writing * Writers who don't (yet) * Fiction writers: Novelists and short-story writers * Poets * Journalists: reporters, war correspondents, editors * Bloggers * Corporate: Technical writers, Marketing copy writers, etc. * Academics all stripes These categories aren't mutually exclusi…

Not that Strunk and White is bad , but it's a peculiar choice to list first because it is mediocre and there are so many other options which are better. At the very minimum, Strunk and White is a very contentious entry, and people (like me) will come out of the woodwork to attack it. * Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace , Joseph Bizup * The Chicago Manual of Style (depending on what kind of writer you are, a differe…

I second the recommendation of Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. That book did more than any other to help me both write more clearly and explain to others how to do so (was a writing tutor in college). Many writing books give concrete advice on trivialities and retreat to vague prescriptions on subjects like elegance and clarity. This book is the only one I've read that actually studies those aspects of writing and offers actionable advice on how to make writing clearer, more graceful and more elegant.
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