David Morrell
- Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
- Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
- Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
- Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.
- Start as close to the end as
Maria Popova • Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Tenets of Storytelling
On Writing by A.L. Kennedy
After six novels, five story collections and two books of non-fiction, and countless international prizes, A.L. Kennedy certainly has the authority to talk about the craft of writing books – it’s just a wonder she’s found the time. These are missives from the authorial front line – urgent and vivid, full of the... See more
After six novels, five story collections and two books of non-fiction, and countless international prizes, A.L. Kennedy certainly has the authority to talk about the craft of writing books – it’s just a wonder she’s found the time. These are missives from the authorial front line – urgent and vivid, full of the... See more
Ten of the Best Books on Writing | Reading Room | Faber Academy
Most writers are not entirely intuitive or structured. Most of us have parts of both in our approach to fiction.