P.D. James 10 tips on writing

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The well knows crime writer P.D. James has a piece on the BBC website. She talks about her 10 tips to becoming a successful author.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24867584

How many do you meet?

Comments

Bang On

Generally when I read a list of 'Tips for Writers' I find myself rolling my eyes. I must admit, however, after reading this list I find myself 95% in agreement with Ms. James. I especially find it refreshing to see what she lists as Number One. It is a belief I concur with 100%.

Having said that, I myself do not adhere to another writers rules and lists. Nor have I ever taken a course on creative writing, something I consider an exercise in futility as my Anglo-Irish co-conspirator will attest to. I am the beneficiary of a classical education, you know, the kind they used to subject children to before the modern era of indoctrination, I mean education. It was an age when you went to school to learn to read, write and do your sums. I was familiar with Shakespeare, Twain, Conrad, Austin and Poe before I left high school. Saving the whales, being a good steward of the environment and learning how evil European settlers crossed the ocean for no other purpose except to wipe out the poor indigenous population of North America and plunder their natural resources was not part of my formal education as is too often the case today.

The biggest exception I take to Ms. James’ list is the admonishment not to daydream. I myself believe dreams are essential, for they can take you to places that no longer exist or never have. Dreams lift you above the daily fray of merely existing and take you to realms of the imagination you cannot touch, but are as crystal clear in your mind’s eyes as if they were. So do dream, for dreams are the seedpods of hope and creativity.

I would add one more thing. Walk your dog often, even if you don’t have one. Arnold, my dog, has some of the most scathingly brilliant ideas while we are walking. He’s also great conversationalist, coming up with smashing bits of dialogue between characters.

Any who, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

Nancy Cole
a.k.a. HW Coyle


~ ~ ~

"You may be what you resolve to be."

T.J. Jackson

I have to agree

Even with my lack of education from not paying attention in class, I feel I'm better prepared to write than kids that have learned all about whales and dophins and the poor expanding Polar bear population. School was reading real books, adding real numbers on a piece of paper and researcing a subject in an encylopedia and at the library. Computers may have a place in today's society, but I thank God I learned the old fashion way, by hard work, Arecee

On one hand...

I've never heard of Ms. James... at all. But then I'm in north america.

On the other hand I find her points cute.

Never heard of P.D. James??

I have....she is in the bookstores....(Was reading a book of hers yesterday at books A million.

TGSine --958

PD James is an amazing woman.

She's over 90 years old and was a guest editor last January on the BBC Radio 4s morning news/comment programme. She was absolutely brilliant and more than held her own with the usual high-powered presenters. If I'm as articulate and clued in as her in 20 years time when I'm 93 I'd be very happy and very surprised :) Actually the biggest surprise will be if I'm still alive LOL

Her opinion on anything, particularly writing, would always merit serious consideration whether you agree with her or not.

Robi

Wow...got a few issues with it...

Really no I don't...but know when to stop writing...my parents tells me when to stop writing -- when I got to get to bed!! :-)

Really, she is write (yes, a pun there) on...she said to write what you know and I do with both of my stories (really, with all of my stories) and choose a good setting (mostly the northeast US and Florida). One of my stories that I have an outline on is a sci-fi and I love those books, too.

TGSine --958

Writing what you know

That is certainly true for most of my works. I don't set them in fictional places but real ones. Many of the locations I have actually visited.

For example one of my stories uses a place called Mildmay Park a s a location. This is in Noth London. I knew it for two reasons. 1) it was on my 'back doubles' route from W1 to South Tottenham where I lived for a while as a student. 2) There was a lovely (back 40+ years ago) preserved North London Railway booking office. The station closed in 1934.

I find a good bit of daydreaming can help my output but only if I'm trying to ponder the direction for the story.

Other than that, the tips are IMHO pretty good.

More on Writing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25139244

Seems to have been taken from the NY-Times

Has Elmore Leonards 10 writing tips

1 Never open a book with weather
2 Avoid prologues
3 Never use a verb other than ''said'' to carry dialogue
4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb ''said''
5 Keep your exclamation points under control
6 Never use the words ''suddenly'' (see extracts) or ''all hell broke loose"
7 Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly
8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters
9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things
10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip

Not sure if I agree with 1). A description of the weather can really help set the opening scene. Think of how many films open with a scene where the weather is the dominant.