A word to the novelist on how to write better books
Writers have been advising other writers since at least as far back as Aristotle, but the Guardian recently published an exceptional specimen of the form: 28 celebrated authors each offering his or her 10 rules for writing fiction. The inspiration for this roundup was Elmore Leonard's justly renowned list of pointers, also included in the Guardian piece. Readers are what every novelist really wants, so isn't it about time that a reader offered them some advice? I've never written a novel, and don't expect to ever do so, but I've read thousands. More to the point, I've started 10 times the number of books that I've finished. Here are my five recommendations for the flailing novice:
1. Make your main character want something.
2. Make your main character do something.
3. The components of a novel that readers care about most are, in order: story, characters, theme, atmosphere/setting.
4. Remember that nobody agrees on what a beautiful prose style is and most readers either can't recognize "good writing" or don't value it that much.
5. A sense of humor couldn't hurt.
Salman Rushdie's life and work on display at Emory �| ajc.com:
Novelist Salman Rushdie spent years in hiding after his book 'The Satanic Verses' garnered him
international attention and death threats from the Muslim world, but now the author is the subject of a very public and personal exhibit at Emory University.
The Salman Rushdie Archive opens Friday at Emory's Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library and gives the public an upclose view of his life and career.
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