Writing Advice

Notes from a writing class I took at the SF Writers Grotto.

Advice

In the morning write three pages, let it be free flowing. This piece will usually not amount to anything but will get you in the habit. Sideline your inner censor.

Submit a lot, keep working on pieces in parallel.

Revise, keep rewriting your piece, a good piece at least goes through 6 revisions.

Structure of a good piece

Specificity

A good piece contains a story and not a topic. “Saving a whale” is a topic and could have a broad scope. “My trip with Greenpeace on a whale saving trip” is a story.

Narrative

A good piece contains a change of state, discover something or the narrator goes through a feeling change.

Peg

Why do readers care about the story? Is it timely or relevant. Can people connect to it.

Book recommendations