I see manuscripts and books that are spoiled for the literary reader because they are one long stream of top-of-the-head writing, a writer telling a story without concern for precision or freshness in the use of language. Some of this storytelling reads as if it were spoken rather than written, stuffed with tired images that pop into the writer's head because they are so familiar. The top of the head is fit for growing hair, but not for generating fine prose.
I see manuscripts and books that are spoiled for the literary reader because they are one long stream of top-of-the-head writing, a writer telling a … - Sol Stein
I see manuscripts and books that are spoiled for the literary reader because they are one long stream of top-of-the-head writing, a writer telling a …
- Sol Stein
A reader's emotions can be sparked with few words. That's the power of dialogue. - Sol Stein
A reader's emotions can be sparked with few words. That's the power of dialogue.
Our instinct as human beings is to provide answers, to ease tension. As writers our job is the opposite, to create tension and not dispel it immediat… - Sol Stein
Our instinct as human beings is to provide answers, to ease tension. As writers our job is the opposite, to create tension and not dispel it immediat…
Most of the time, tough, combative, adversarial dialogue is much more exciting than physical action. - Sol Stein
Most of the time, tough, combative, adversarial dialogue is much more exciting than physical action.
To create tension, dialogue needs to be stretched out. That is, characters should not be immediately responsive. - Sol Stein
To create tension, dialogue needs to be stretched out. That is, characters should not be immediately responsive.
Readers take in dialogue one thought at a time. A frequent mistake of beginners is to combine thoughts, which may be suitable for other forms of writ… - Sol Stein
Readers take in dialogue one thought at a time. A frequent mistake of beginners is to combine thoughts, which may be suitable for other forms of writ…
A lawyer's job is to manipulate the skeletons in other people's closets. - Sol Stein
A lawyer's job is to manipulate the skeletons in other people's closets.
The expert magician seeks to deceive the mind, rather than the eye. - Sol Stein
The expert magician seeks to deceive the mind, rather than the eye.
Dialogue is a lean language in which every word counts. - Sol Stein
Dialogue is a lean language in which every word counts.
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