Craig linked to this list of 8 writing tips from CS Lewis. There are eight of them…
- Turn off the radio.
- Read good books and avoid most magazines.
- Write with the ear, not the eye. Make every sentence sound good.
- Write only about things that interest you. If you have no interests, you won’t ever be a writer.
- Be clear. Remember that readers can’t know your mind. Don’t forget to tell them exactly what they need to know to understand you.
- Save odds and ends of writing attempts, because you may be able to use them later.
- You need a well-trained sense of word-rhythm, and the noise of a typewriter will interfere.
- Know the meaning of every word you use.
Comments
Do you reckon point two would include blogs if this had been written today?
Absolutely.
i think keeping my eyes open to the world around me, whether that’s current affairs or local newspapers often sparks off ideas and thoughts. It’s when i am present that I am able to connect and write about it. So, i don’t know if blogs are the new magazines. just as i am pretty sure that the “good” before books is a very important part of this. A book is not intrinsically better than a magazine just because it is in “book” form.