Friday 20 March 2009

WISE WORDS FOR THE WEEKEND

"Don't listen to any advice, that's what I'd say. Write only what you want to write. Please yourself. YOU are the genius, they're not. Especially don't listen to people (such as publishers) who think that you need to write what readers say they want. Readers don't always know what they want. I don't know what I want to read until I go into a bookshop and look around at the books other people have written, and the books I enjoy reading most are books I would never in a million years have thought of myself. So the only thing you need to do is forget about pleasing other people, and aim to please yourself alone. That way, you'll have a chance of writing something that other people WILL want to read, because it'll take them by surprise. It's also much more fun writing to please yourself."

I'm not offering any prizes, but do you know which very well-known UK writer uttered the words above?

Please post your best guess in the comments.

ANSWER ON MONDAY.

What do you think? Do they have a valid point?

Have a good weekend. I'll be back next week with more stuff.

2 comments:

  1. Just a quick note to thank you for including The Smart, Frugal and Tuned-In Editor blog on your blog roll (www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com). It's a place where people can submit questions and I get answers for them! Articles, too. (-:

    Best,
    Carolyn Howard-Johnson
    Also blogging at Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites pick, www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com

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  2. Hi. I finally figured out where I am here. In crime writers! I should be grateful to be listed anywhere, but I think both my blog and book would be a disappointment to anyone looking for a crime novel. It should be general fiction if you don't have a literary fiction section and the blog itself is still searching for an identity but is mostly just about whatever is on my mind. Feel free to check out both the book excerpt and the blog to figure out for yourself where they belong.

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