WRITERS' BLOC

WRITING ADVICE FROM THE GURUS
For those of us bitten by the creative writing bug, here are a few tips from fore bearers to help you on the way.

1. Sentences Must Be Dramatic
Sentences are not different enough to hold the attention unless they are dramatic. No ingenuity of varying structure will do. All that can save them is the speaking tone of voice somewhere entangled in the words and fastened to the page for the ear of the imagination.
ROBERT FROST

2. You Get Ideas All the Time
You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we are doing it.
NEIL GAIMAN

3. Stay Away From Irony or Satire
Stay away from irony or satire. There is very little money in it. You are likely to wind up with reviews-like some of mine- that say, “I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry”. There is no such question in Dickens. Most readers would prefer to know exactly where they stand, where the author stands and how to respond. Ergo, no irony permitted.
BRUCE JAY FRIEDMAN

Culled from the Sun Newspapers on Sunday ( A Nigerian tabloid)