By Dennis Mellersh
Finding ideas from the experiences of successful writers can be an effective means of finding out what’s involved in the process of learning how to write a book.
One Canadian writer who wrote a lot of great books and enjoyed significant sales is Pierre Berton. You could profit by reading his book, The Joy of Writing, published by Doubleday Canada.
One of the ways Berton explains what it is like to be a professional book writer is by showing the stages of how a manuscript is edited as well as showing some examples of the research he did for his books, which were primarily non-fiction.
One of the key chapters and one which should benefit the beginning book writer is titled, Writing What You Know. In keeping with the importance Berton attaches to this concept, this is a lengthy chapter.
One of the geographic areas that Berton was familiar with, because he lived there for some time, was the Klondike. This gave him an understanding of life in this section of Canada, and as a result, he was able to write Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1886-1889 with authenticity.
Pierre Berton comments in The Joy of Writing that he had a great interest in the subject of the Klondike; he was familiar with the area; and so he had a “feel” for the subject matter.
Showing posts with label Books about writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books about writing. Show all posts
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Advice from James A. Michener on How to Write a Book
By Dennis Mellersh
One of the best ways to learn about how to write a book is to investigate what successful authors have written about the craft and study the advice they might offer.
James Michener wrote a number of books about his experiences in the world of writing books as a profession. One of them, the James A. Michener Writer’s Handbook, published by Random House, New York, could be helpful to you in your book writing ambitions.
I got my copy at a used bookstore, and as Michener’s book was written some time ago, it may no longer be in print. Last time I checked it was available used on amazon.com. You could also check your local library and also your local used bookstore.
One of the interesting aspects of the book is that it takes the reader through the process of editing and revising the original manuscript from first draft to the final version, which helps give the reader a good insight into this part of the publishing process.
The various stages of the editing process are illustrated with actual edited manuscript pages of some of the sections of Michener’s novels.
Michener gives credit to the editing process at his publisher with helping to improve the original manuscripts of his novels.
One of the myths among aspiring writers, who are in the first stages of writing a book, is that well-known book authors do not have to have their manuscripts edited. As this book shows, however, even famous authors fall under the blue pencil of the editing staff at a publishing house.
One of the sections of the book that could be quite helpful to new book writers is the section in which Michener answers questions that are most often asked by beginner writers.
One of the best ways to learn about how to write a book is to investigate what successful authors have written about the craft and study the advice they might offer.
James Michener wrote a number of books about his experiences in the world of writing books as a profession. One of them, the James A. Michener Writer’s Handbook, published by Random House, New York, could be helpful to you in your book writing ambitions.
I got my copy at a used bookstore, and as Michener’s book was written some time ago, it may no longer be in print. Last time I checked it was available used on amazon.com. You could also check your local library and also your local used bookstore.
One of the interesting aspects of the book is that it takes the reader through the process of editing and revising the original manuscript from first draft to the final version, which helps give the reader a good insight into this part of the publishing process.
The various stages of the editing process are illustrated with actual edited manuscript pages of some of the sections of Michener’s novels.
Michener gives credit to the editing process at his publisher with helping to improve the original manuscripts of his novels.
One of the myths among aspiring writers, who are in the first stages of writing a book, is that well-known book authors do not have to have their manuscripts edited. As this book shows, however, even famous authors fall under the blue pencil of the editing staff at a publishing house.
One of the sections of the book that could be quite helpful to new book writers is the section in which Michener answers questions that are most often asked by beginner writers.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The power of being concise and clear in our writing
By Dennis Mellersh
As we gather knowledge and insights about how to write a book, an important skill to develop is to learn to write with clarity and conciseness.
The writer E.B. White says, “The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. Because I have the greatest respect for the reader, and if he’s going to the trouble of reading what I’ve written – I’m a slow reader myself and I guess most people are – why the least I can do is make it as easy as possible for him to find out what I’m trying to get at. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.”*
Being concise and keeping to the essentials can add power to the book you are writing. Books that are verbose are often examples of weak writing. One of the keys is to make sure you don’t fall in love with your words.
Georges Simenon, who wrote psychological novels and mysteries, commented about excess or unnecessary words in writing in one of The Paris Review Interviews. The Interviewer asked Simenon, “What do you cut out, certain kinds of words?”
Simenon replied, “Adjectives, adverbs, and every word which is there just to make an effect. Every sentence which is there just for the sentence. You know, you have a beautiful sentence – cut it. Every time I find such a thing in one of my novels, it is to be cut.”*
The Canadian painter David Milne, in discussing what makes a powerful painting made a comment that could equally be applied to the art of writing a good book, “The thing that ‘makes’ a picture is the same thing that makes dynamite – compression.”
In writing a fictional book, such as a novel, less can often be more. As noted by Ernest Hemingway, “If a writer knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being above water.”
E.B White as quoted in For Writers Only by Sophy Burnham, Ballantine Books, New York, 1994
*Georges Simenon as quoted in Writers at Work: The Paris Review Interviews, The Viking Press, Viking Compass Edition, 1959, p. 146
As we gather knowledge and insights about how to write a book, an important skill to develop is to learn to write with clarity and conciseness.
The writer E.B. White says, “The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. Because I have the greatest respect for the reader, and if he’s going to the trouble of reading what I’ve written – I’m a slow reader myself and I guess most people are – why the least I can do is make it as easy as possible for him to find out what I’m trying to get at. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.”*
Being concise and keeping to the essentials can add power to the book you are writing. Books that are verbose are often examples of weak writing. One of the keys is to make sure you don’t fall in love with your words.
Georges Simenon, who wrote psychological novels and mysteries, commented about excess or unnecessary words in writing in one of The Paris Review Interviews. The Interviewer asked Simenon, “What do you cut out, certain kinds of words?”
Simenon replied, “Adjectives, adverbs, and every word which is there just to make an effect. Every sentence which is there just for the sentence. You know, you have a beautiful sentence – cut it. Every time I find such a thing in one of my novels, it is to be cut.”*
The Canadian painter David Milne, in discussing what makes a powerful painting made a comment that could equally be applied to the art of writing a good book, “The thing that ‘makes’ a picture is the same thing that makes dynamite – compression.”
In writing a fictional book, such as a novel, less can often be more. As noted by Ernest Hemingway, “If a writer knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being above water.”
E.B White as quoted in For Writers Only by Sophy Burnham, Ballantine Books, New York, 1994
*Georges Simenon as quoted in Writers at Work: The Paris Review Interviews, The Viking Press, Viking Compass Edition, 1959, p. 146
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