Everyday Canvas

A Writer on Writing

Zadie Smith is an English novelist, essayist, and short story writer, born in 1975. She has received numerous awards for her work. One quote from her which says, “The very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life” drove my attention to her.

The reason I am mentioning her here is because I read a few things about her and sampled her writings. Then today, I read in Brain Pickings her list on writing. I thought I should keep that list in my blog, in case it helps me and other writers. I especially like the second item on the list, which is difficult to do with our own work. Number four is another pitfall that some writers may slip into, also.

Ten Rules of Writing

1. When still a child, make sure you read a lot of books. Spend more time doing this than anything else.

2. When an adult, try to read your own work as a stranger would read it, or even better, as an enemy would.

3. Don’t romanticise your ‘vocation.’ You can either write good sentences or you can’t. There is no ‘writer’s lifestyle.’ All that matters is what you leave on the page.

4. Avoid your weaknesses. But do this without telling yourself that the things you can’t do aren’t worth doing. Don’t mask self-doubt with contempt.

5. Leave a decent space of time between writing something and editing it.

6. Avoid cliques, gangs, groups. The presence of a crowd won’t make your writing any better than it is.

7. Work on a computer that is disconnected from the ­internet.

8. Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.

9. Don’t confuse honours with achievement.

10. Tell the truth through whichever veil comes to hand — but tell it. Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never ­being satisfied.


http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/09/19/zadie-smith-10-rules-of-writing}

Zadie Smith’s books: White Teeth, The Autograph Man, The Morality of the Novel, On Beauty, Fail Better.

Plus, A Sunday Quote:
“Love is never finished expressing itself, and it expresses itself better, the more poetically it is dreamed.” - Gaston Bachelard