Portland author and educator Don James once said, “I can teach you the craft of writing, but I can’t make you Hemmingway,” which I think is the best way to clear the air for anyone asking about the writing art.  What Don was preparing the class for was answering questions such as: Where do you get ideas? How do you start? How do you work through scenes? How do you make dialog sound “real”?  What are the big mistakes I should avoid?  And many, many more.

I wouldn’t presume to call myself a creative writing teacher, I just don’t have the “creds”.  But over the many years since that evening in the fall of 1971, I’ve learned a few things (almost always the hard way) that some of you might find useful.  They’re really just tidbits, pieces of other people’s wisdom and insight, books I found useful.

First, go back and read my first three blog posts, written on December 1^st & 24^th of 2019 and January 8^th of 2020.  You’ll find the Don James quote above and many, many more.  I also included a photo of a book that talks about the art of writing recollected memories.  Below are three books that I highly recommend on the craft of writing:

Strunk & White and Egri are old standards that are still vitally relevent today.  Lester & Beason is fairly new and I think is now in a third edition.  Buy all three and study them.  They’re dense and loaded with the best advice you can find on the planet.  If you take my first three blog posts to heart and study all four books I’ve recommended, you’re on your way.

I have just a few tricks of my own.  One way I’ve found to ferret out bad grammar and horrible sentences is to read out loud what you’ve written.  I violate one of James’ cardinal rules by reading to my wife.  We usually react simultaneously, “Ouch, THAT doesn’t sound right.”  That’s the cue to make some serious changes.  Another thing that sticks out is too many words.  I know it sounds crazy, but reading out loud is a great editing tool.  In my own experience, editing is almost always cutting out words and phrases, sometimes changing words, almost never adding them.

In closing, I’ll address the question of how do you create good or even great writing?  I don’t have a clue.  For me, ideas, words, phrases, even entire scenes appear out of nowhere.  I’ll find myself writing like mad, and when I finish, I’ll think, ‘where in the hell did THAT come from?’  Totally useless advice, I know,  but that’s what happens.  I think that’s why books that I’ve read on writing by writers seem to dwell only on mechanics.  The last one I read was by Stephen King, and he never even touches on the subject.  I think I know why.

Take advantage of the reply section below and send me your thoughts.