Monday 12 July 2010

Writer's nugget #1: David Almond

Here's David Almond, author of the brilliant Skellig, with some tasty advice on the art of writing:

David Almond
Writing can be hard, but it's also a kind of play. I do lots of fast scribbling in notebooks. I mess about with words, ideas, images, characters, and test out all kinds of possibilities. I allow myself to write lots of rubbish and to be surprised by what comes out of my head. When I start to put a story together, I try to stay relaxed, and to allow the story to grow organically. Sometimes I write very quickly, sometimes slowly. Sometimes I'm confused by what I'm writing, sometimes It all seems very clear. I put the story together sentence by sentence, chapter by chapter, and try not to worry too much about how it will end.

To write a long story, write it in a series of parts/chapters. That way, you just have to concentrate on one piece of the story at a time. You don't need to hold the whole story in your head. At the end of each part/chapter, move on to a new page. Your parts/chapters can be very short. If you write in this way, it's possible to write a really long story that's filled with interesting scenes and events. Give your story a title from the very start, even if you know you'll change it. The title will help the story to take on a life of its own.
The full article is here.

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