Wordcrafts - Writing and Editing

"Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it."
- David Sedaris

"The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it."

- Benjamin Disraeli

"An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself."

"Most of my work consisted of crossing out. Crossing out was the secret of all good writing."

“The main rule of the writer is never to pity your manuscript. If you see something is no good, throw it away and begin again. A lot of writers have failed because they have too much pity.”

“To me, writing fiction is always about momentum. Momentum is more important than finesse. Finesse is what you do on the second or third draft. Getting the story out is what you’ve got to do first.’”

“Writing is a craft that takes many years to develop. The publishing world is full of talented, hardworking writers who’ve struggled for years to learn the necessary skills. I counsel any writer to focus on the job at hand — learning to write well — trusting that when the time comes, the Universe will step in and make the rest possible. Writing isn’t about the destination — writing is the journey that transforms the soul and gives meaning to all else.”

“You write to discover what you want to say. You rewrite to discover what you have said and then rewrite to make it clear to other people.”

“Compose with utter freedom and edit with utter discipline.”

“What lasts in the reader’s mind is not the phrase but the effect the phrase created: laughter, tears, pain, joy. If the phrase is not affecting the reader, what’s it doing there? Make it do its job or cut it without mercy or remorse.”