Being a writer isn’t some grand, mystical state of being, it just means you put words together to amuse people, most of all yourself.
– John Scalzi
Tag: John Scalzi
A Good Read: Smaller Stakes for a Bigger Story
Author John Scalzi has posted some thoughts from author Gary Whitta, in which Whitta tells us that a focus on a more intimate storyline rather than the Hollywood standard “We’ve got just 30 seconds to save the whole universe!” can make a far better story.
Whitta’s words seem wise to me, and I urge you to go read them.
Pen to Paper: Advice For Younger Writers
With school well underway across the land, here’s something for Catsignal’s younger readers and writers.
John Scalzi tweeted yesterday: “Just found a bunch of short stories I wrote when I was a teenager. Oh my. They are NOT good.”
This comment is virtually a follow-up to an essay he wrote in 2006 giving advice to teenage writers. While much writing advice is good for novice writers of any age, this piece is directed straight at the 13- to 19-year-old crowd. Keep reading past Number 1, no matter badly it annoys you. Scalzi hits various nails squarely atop their heads, and this is advice you can bank on.
Follow that up with wisdom from John Steinbeck and a variety of useful things from Ralph Fletcher. That’s enough for now; I don’t want to keep you from your homework.
Pen to Paper: YA, It’s Good Literature
I’ve begun scoping out the Young Adult section of my favorite area library. No one has asked if I have a learning disability, or if I’m getting a book for my child, or whether I’m a pervert trolling for youngsters; libraries are polite places. But if someone ever did clear a questioning throat, I always have a ready response: This is where the cool stuff is happening in books today.
YA librarian Gretchen Kolderup explains her involvement – both professional and personal – with YA literature. She gives us a good feel for what YA lit is and isn’t, and how it differs from adult literature. This point stands out for me: “YA lit has a freshness that I really enjoy, and it rarely gets bogged down in its own self-importance.”
Pen to Paper: Finding Time to Write
“Bryon, how do you write a short story — and a haiku — every week? How do you find the time for such creativity?”
I get asked this question a lot. Every time I daydream about being a Famous Author standing in front of an auditorium filled to overflowing with fans, someone at one of the microphones set up for questions asks me this.
The answer is simple. I have decided that I will commit this sort of creativity on a weekly basis. That means there are other things I will not do because they would take up the time I require for thinking and dreaming and observing and writing.