John Steinbeck’s Advice for Aspiring Writers
I ran across this article, and it’s a piece of must-share advice for our aspiring writers. John Steinbeck has written many classics. The Grapes Of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden, to name a few. John has created sprawling landscapes and relatable characters. His work has always been littered with social commentary. He was a brave and experimental writer-one who wasn’t afraid to take any chances.
Here is a quick list of his advice for aspiring writers:
- When Writing, Write Freely And As Rapidly As Possible. Throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down.
- Forget Your Generalized Audience, Write For A Single Reader. In the first place, the nameless, faceless audience will scare you to death. Second place, unlike the theatre, it doesn’t exist in writing. In writing, your audience is one single reader.
- Speak Outloud When You’re Writing Dialogue. If you are using dialogue, say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech.
Steinbeck Also Offers Some Anti-Advice
“If there is magic in story writing, and I am convinced there is, no one has ever been able to reduce it to a recipe that can be passed from one person to another.”
John Steinbeck and Stephen King seem two agree on the principles of writing. They both tell writers not to write for a broad audience. They also tell writers not to be scared. Write openly and write freely.
So get writing, and come up with something great. Write for yourself, and don’t stop.
For the full and original article, please visit: John Steinbeck
