eWriteLife Blog

As I read William Zinsser’s insights and advice on the art and craft of writing through his book, On Writing Well , I was struck by the idea of the writer being able to find the courage to write using ‘I’ with strong conviction.

I have lived most of my life with the opposite advice. In my education, my culture and my family, I have been told that the ‘I’ should always be invisible.

So, for a long time, I tried to keep my ‘I’ behind closed doors, whispering in soft voices. Yes, even though I kept a personal web site, I tried to stay as impersonal as possible.

Well, now I’m going to take Mr. Zinsser’s dare to bare. What about you?

This is the third and final part of this post about favourite writing books:

* Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande (ISBN 0 333 346734 Originally 1934, Harcourt, Brace & Company. Reissued: 1983 Papermac, UK; 1981 J. P. Tarcher Inc, USA)

Writer Says: “This book is not just about the process of writing, but about the kind of person you need to become to be a fiction writer. She writes showing clearly that she understands all the issues involved.” (Ken Rolph)

* Writing The Novel by Lawrence Block

Writer Says: “… a no-nonsense book. He addressed a lot of my fears about writing a long work of fiction.”

Continue reading ‘Favourite Writing Books By Writers (Part III)’

The devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina are enormous. My heart goes out to the victims and everyone else affected by this disaster.

If you’re thinking of trying to put your thoughts, feelings and experiences in to words, you might like to try checking out the writing prompts on Coping with Tragedy.

This is the third and last installment from How to Arrive at Breakthrough Writing and Find W.O.W. (Words of Wisdom) Factors.

Be True To Your Writing Voice

We all have writers that we admire. We have heard of writers who “made it big.” It’s natural that we would like to be just like them. But, ask yourself these:

- Why do you really like or admire these writers?
- Is it his or her style of writing?
- Is it his or her life or success story?

Then ask yourself: How can you be different?

The W.O.W. Factor

The world doesn’t need another Stephen King or Anne Rice. And, it is true that humanity will survive even if we don’t ever write another word. Our writing can only make a difference when we use our own voice and communicate our truths. No one else walked on this planet like you are doing now. There must be a reason. Write about each and every reason you find.