Saturday, April 2, 2011
Ernest Hemingway On Writing
So far, this book has a few quotes about writing and then like a section on the same topic written about it after. One of the quotes that I really liked so far was in the section titled The Qualities of a Writer. It says, "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof, shit detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it." I think that is a great quote because I think it talks about being real and believable. I also think it means to be true to yourself with how/what you are writing. Because if it isn't honest in your own mind and isn't believable, no reader will believe it. When you create a character you have to know your character like you know yourself, if you don't it isn't believable which would be where a writer should know it isn't from the, "shit detector."
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Good point! After re-reading my short story I realized I had allowed one of my characters to say something that would have incensed other characters--about sororities since their daughters were members--and they would/should have reacted negatively but didn't. I've removed the comment & am working on a way to get my point across w/o using that sentence. You really do have to get in the minds of your characters! Amazing how each time you re-read you find something to change.
ReplyDeleteI agree you have to be true to any character you are writing about. That is why I think it to be true that most characters have a piece or a little part of ourselves within them. The tricky part with that is do you really want to tell the truth or the aspect you touch within the character that is a part of you to be true, or maybe change it a bit to improve upon the character's flaw,hence, improve upon yourself. HMMMMMM, I think I may be thinking to deeply , however, who said "To thine own self be true?"
ReplyDeleteThis above all: to thine own self be true,
ReplyDeleteAnd it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Shakespeare. “Hamlet”, apparently: probably worth reading?
However, it was the windbag Polonius who said this, Roy, so I never quite knew whether Shakespeare was serious about this or not. Great play, by the way.
ReplyDelete@Chelsea. I think a built in shit detector works well in many chosen professions and personal relationships as well. I guess writing and life are about as "real" as it gets.