Ernest Hemingway on Writing
Ernest Hemingway is widely regarded as one of the great writers. His 1954 Nobel acceptance speech on working alone, is one of the keys to his genius. Being alone gives you the space and freedom for …
Writing
Gabriel García Márquez : 1982 Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
“To oppression, plundering and abandonment, we respond with life.” *** Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014) was believed by many to be one of the world’s greatest writers. Two of his books, Love …
Ernest Hemingway’s 1954 Nobel Acceptance Speech on Working Alone
“Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.” — Ernest Hemingway *** Solitude is an important aspect toward accomplishing great things, creative or otherwise. In fact, it’s one of the commonalities …
the WAR of ART and the Unlived Life
A voracious reader and best-selling author emailed me shortly after my post Anne Lamott: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. He proceeded to tell me the book was full of terrible advice, the …
David Foster Wallace: Five Common Word Usage Mistakes
I’m a big David Foster Wallace fan. His 2005 commencement speech will go down as one of the best ever. If you’re aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently …
Bird By Bird: Anne Lamott offers Some Instructions on Writing and Life
I stumbled across Anne Lamott’s beautiful Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Lamott’s advice is down to earth, real, and void of any pretentiousness. In fact, it’s …
The Structure of a Story
“Human beings master the basics of storytelling as young children and retain this capability throughout their lives.” — Stephen Denning When psychologist T. A. Harley researched the academic …
Joan Didion on Keeping a Notebook
Keeping a notebook or diary is easy to dismiss. I often hear people tell me that it’s OK for other people, but it’s not for them. I always find this stance curious as the habit of keeping …
Elmore Leonard: 10 Rules Of Writing
Elmore Leonard, crime-fiction writer, died on August 20th at the age of 87. In July 2001, Leonard wrote a short piece for The New York Times on his ten rules for writing that was eventually adapted …
Conversations with David Foster Wallace
Five years ago today David Foster Wallace committed suicide. His May 21st, 2005 commencement speech to the graduating class of Kenyon college, This is Water, is one of greatest of all time. Offering a …
Ernest Hemingway: Three Tips on How to Write Fiction
Be careful if you ask Ernest Hemingway for his opinion. F. Scott Fitzgerald once asked Hemingway for an honest opinion on his book. Hemingway responded “You see well enough. But you stop listening.” …
Daily Routines of Famous Creatives: Artists, Writers, Composers
What can we learn from the working habits of famous writers, artists, and composers? And how did they find time each day to do their work? After reading Mason Currey’s fantastic book, Daily …
David Ogilvy 10 Tips on Writing
In 1982, the original “Mad Man” David Ogilvy, sent the following internal memo to all employees of his advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather, titled “How to Write.” Via The Unpublished …
Philip Roth — One Skill That Every Writer Needs
In his book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, Mason Currey explores Philip Roth. Roth is full of insight. His comments on writing, taken from Reporting: Writings from The New Yorker, stuck with me. …
Susan Sontag — How I Write
Mason Currey’s recently published Daily Rituals: How Artists Work mentioned the routines, quirks, and rituals of plenty of creative minds—novelists, painters, poets, philosophers, filmmakers, …
Hemingway’s Routine
In his book, Daily Rituals, Mason Currey dug into Hemmingway’s 1958 Paris Review interview: When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. …