The Guardian asked several authors for their writing dos and don’ts. Here’s a sampling, picked out by Shelf Awareness:
- Margaret Atwood: “You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality.”
- Roddy Doyle: “Do keep a thesaurus, but in the shed at the back of the garden or behind the fridge, somewhere that demands travel or effort. Chances are the words that come into your head will do fine, e.g. ‘horse,’ ‘ran,’ ’said.’”
- Geoff Dyer: “Have regrets. They are fuel. On the page they flare into desire.”
- Anne Enright: “The first 12 years are the worst.”
- Richard Ford: “Marry somebody you love and who thinks you being a writer’s a good idea.”
- Jonathan Franzen: “When information becomes free and universally accessible, voluminous research for a novel is devalued along with it.”
- Neil Gaiman: “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”
- Jeanette Winterson: “Enjoy this work!”
