Frankisms

“The time period in which your novel is set will be characterized by certain prevailing experiences and thoughts that will be in the minds of your characters, and you should know what they are before you even begin your storytelling. — James Thom”

writing

“The use of the commas cannot be learned by rule. — Sir Ernest Gowers”

writing

“The way of the rough draft is seldom smooth. That’s why it’s called a “rough” draft. — Robert J. Ray”

writing

“The words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels. — Hazrat Inayat Khan”

writing

“The work of writing fiction requires the full participation of the unconscious mind. — Linda McCullough Moore”

writing

“The world needs biblical answers—most of the bestselling books teach bad theology. — Kirby Anderson, host of “Point of View” radio talk show”

writing

“The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. — James Bryce”

writing

“The writer in his work must be like God in his creator—invisible and all-powerful. He must be everywhere felt, but never seen. — Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880), Letter to Mademoiselle Leroyer de Chantepie [March 18, 1857]”

writing

“The writer should be considerate enough to lead the reader across a bridge—not force the poor soul to leap across a chasm in the dark. — Theodore A. Rees Cheney”

writing

“The writer supplies words for others who have no words of their own. — Verdell Krisher, author and Christian school director”

writing

“The writer’s mission is to make the seemingly impossible occur in such a way that’s believable. — DiAnn Mills”

writing

“The writing profession is a marathon not a sprint. — Steve Laube”

writing

“The writings of the wise are the only riches our posterity cannot squander. — Walter Savage Landor”

writing

“There are no dull subjects, only dull writers. — H.L. Mencken”

writing

“There are three kinds of death: physical, professional, psychological. One or more of these must be present in your novel. — James Scott Bell”

writing

“There is much to be said in favor of modern journalism. By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, it keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community. — Oscar Wilde”

writing

“There is no great writing, only great rewriting. — E.B. White”

writing

“There is no plot without character. In the world of chicken and egg, characters come first. — Elizabeth George”

writing

“There just isn’t a formula for how much to show and how much to tell. You have to take into consideration whether you want to engage the emotions or the intellect. — Laurie Alberts”

writing

“There will be many times when we won’t look good—to ourselves or anyone else. We need to stop demanding that we do. It is impossible to get better and look good at the same time. — Julia Cameron”

writing

“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning. — Louis L’Amour”

writing

“There’s no need to use big words or confusing concepts. Just say what you have to say, in terms even a child could understand. — Joe Vitale”

writing

“There’s nothing on earth that cannot be told through a hero — or heroine — who’s trying to solve a problem in spite of a series of obstacles. It’s the classic formula; and it’s the only one you can rely on to interest the average reader. — Rudolph Flesch”

writing

“Think of an archaeologist who brushes the dirt away. Rewrite, rewrite, until you reach what’s under the surface. — Wyatt Prunty”

writing

“Think of your action scenes in cinematic terms, and you'll be on your way to creating the emotion you desire in the reader. — James Scott Bell”

writing

“Think of your story as a contract with your readers—an agreement you will entertain, surprise, and satisfy them. — Steven James”

writing

“This is the paradox of life. The more you give, the more you get. You find your life by losing it. — Jeff Goins”

writing

“Those accepting submissions see hundreds of good books and surely can’t take them all. They are looking for exceptional books. — Terry Burns”

writing

“Time spent improving verbs will be repaid with interest—reader interest. The beginner is tempted to look at the familiar verbs and see them as just fine. — Theodore A. Rees Cheney”

writing

“To become a writer, you first must be capable of emotional involvement. — Dwight V. Swain”

writing

“To convey an emotion honestly and convincingly, you must see it honestly yourself. — Ann Hood”

writing

“To create conflict, the kind that’s needed to move a story, you must have two elements—a want and an obstacle. — Jerry Cleaver”

writing

“To learn the act of writing is to obtain magical powers. They are a secret. No one can give them to you. You must work at them yourself. — Natalie Goldberg”

writing

“To make an impact as a writer, you need to do more than make statements that are logical, well supported, and consistent. You must also find a way of entering a conversation with others’ views. — Gerald Graff”

writing

“To make change meaningful it must, to begin with, happen to a character. If you see someone drenched in a downpour, this has somewhat more meaning than a damp street. — Robert McKee”

writing

“To practice “hearing” for your reader, listen to the sounds around you, wherever you are, and think of the words or phrases you could use to describe those sounds. — James Thom”

writing

“To put your readers there and make them feel at home in that time, you must teach them what something is the moment they see it, and make it seem like they’ve known it all along. — James Thom”

writing

“To write a successful novel, we must confront our own feelings. — DiAnn Mills”

writing

“Today’s readers generally tire after an average sentence length of 15 to 17 words. — Joyce Ellis”

writing

“Today’s readers prefer to be part of the adventure by experiencing a single character, one scene at a time. — DiAnn Mills”

writing