Monday writing tips

Hi, folks. Howsabout these greats from the greats?

I’m particularly enamored with Mark Twain’s:

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

That’s from tip 2, “eliminating unnecessary words” like “actually,” “very,” and “really.”

Checkov’s exhortation to SHOW, don’t tell:

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

That’s tip 4: “Simply stating something is fine, but when you need to capture attention, using similes, metaphors, and vivid imagery to paint a picture creates a powerful emotional response.”

Good one from Ray Bradbury: You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.
Lesson? “Learn to thrive on criticism. Writing means putting yourself at the mercy of anonymous hecklers and shameless sycophants. Learn to make the most of the insults and distrust the praise.”

Check out the rest of the list here.

Happy writing!