Comments on: “How to Write a Great Novel” – Why the Wall Street Journal Got it Wrong http://storyfix.com/%e2%80%9chow-to-write-a-great-novel%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-why-the-wall-street-journal-got-it-wrong Novel Writing Tips & Fundamentals - Storyfix.com Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:33:38 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Larry http://storyfix.com/%e2%80%9chow-to-write-a-great-novel%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-why-the-wall-street-journal-got-it-wrong/comment-page-1#comment-914 Larry Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:49:20 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=1440#comment-914 @J.C. - great question, that. Trouble is, when a branded name, especially a newspaper or a broadcaster, puts something out there, a certain segment of the population buys into it as Holy Writ. One has to look no further than Fox News -- and the WJS -- to see that in play. Hopefully, like suggest here, people are more entertained than they are believing they're now 'informed." @J.C. – great question, that. Trouble is, when a branded name, especially a newspaper or a broadcaster, puts something out there, a certain segment of the population buys into it as Holy Writ. One has to look no further than Fox News — and the WJS — to see that in play.

Hopefully, like suggest here, people are more entertained than they are believing they’re now ‘informed.”

]]> By: J C Garner http://storyfix.com/%e2%80%9chow-to-write-a-great-novel%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-why-the-wall-street-journal-got-it-wrong/comment-page-1#comment-913 J C Garner Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:15:14 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=1440#comment-913 Why would anyone consider the WSJ an authority on this subject? Why would anyone consider the WSJ an authority on this subject?

]]> By: poch http://storyfix.com/%e2%80%9chow-to-write-a-great-novel%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-why-the-wall-street-journal-got-it-wrong/comment-page-1#comment-912 poch Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:35:03 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=1440#comment-912 Most probably, the WSJ piece was only an ad right? Most probably, the WSJ piece was only an ad right?

]]> By: Suzannah-Write It Sideways http://storyfix.com/%e2%80%9chow-to-write-a-great-novel%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-why-the-wall-street-journal-got-it-wrong/comment-page-1#comment-910 Suzannah-Write It Sideways Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:09:12 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=1440#comment-910 I think the problem with this article is it was given the wrong name. It should have been titled "Strange and Wonderful Writing Habits of Bestselling Novelists," or something similar to indicate its focus on habits as opposed to how-to writing wisdom. I must admit, I found some of these novelists' rituals interesting, but I won't be trying any of them. I think the problem with this article is it was given the wrong name. It should have been titled “Strange and Wonderful Writing Habits of Bestselling Novelists,” or something similar to indicate its focus on habits as opposed to how-to writing wisdom.

I must admit, I found some of these novelists’ rituals interesting, but I won’t be trying any of them.

]]> By: Seth M. Baker http://storyfix.com/%e2%80%9chow-to-write-a-great-novel%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-why-the-wall-street-journal-got-it-wrong/comment-page-1#comment-909 Seth M. Baker Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:32:17 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=1440#comment-909 You're right, the article misses out on some important aspects of novel writing, for example how these writers structure and execute their work. I saw very little mention of the hundreds of hours spent typing, the days and weeks spent revising. Consider the source, though. This is more like a human interest piece, a way to add to the myth and lore of writing rather than the writing process itself. Isn't this good, though, for writers who actually put in the time and do the work? And don't pieces like this help generate interest in literature and sell more books? You’re right, the article misses out on some important aspects of novel writing, for example how these writers structure and execute their work.

I saw very little mention of the hundreds of hours spent typing, the days and weeks spent revising.

Consider the source, though. This is more like a human interest piece, a way to add to the myth and lore of writing rather than the writing process itself.

Isn’t this good, though, for writers who actually put in the time and do the work? And don’t pieces like this help generate interest in literature and sell more books?

]]> By: Patrick Sullivan http://storyfix.com/%e2%80%9chow-to-write-a-great-novel%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-why-the-wall-street-journal-got-it-wrong/comment-page-1#comment-908 Patrick Sullivan Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:11:27 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=1440#comment-908 I saw this article, I think via my random digging in the writing tag on delicious (GREAT way to find interesting writing articles if you're looking for inspiration, by the way). I think I made it half way through the first person's "way of writing" before I just closed the web page in disgust. The whole thing felt silly. It's like talking about the baseball players who wear the same underwear for an entire post season run until they win the WS or get knocked out of the playoffs. Superstition at it's most dangerous. After all wearing nasty underwear isn't how that team made it into the final 8, is it? It's playing the damned game, and well. Of course, it's probably articles like this that help perpetuate the myth that writing well is easy, and anyone can do it. I remember a guy I know thanks to this wonderful Internet who writes screenplays for a living ranting about how someone was talking about getting a novel published after he retired, and how the guy made it sound like a total lark. As long as pieces like this abound, the real soul of writing skill will likely continue to be disregarded as something simple, because it looks so damned easy, and unlike slam dunking a basketball, it's harder to get proof of how good or bad you are at putting words on a page in a way that touches people, or at least entertains them. But I guess I shouldn't expect any more from a piece about writing fiction from a financial paper, it isn't exactly their forte. I saw this article, I think via my random digging in the writing tag on delicious (GREAT way to find interesting writing articles if you’re looking for inspiration, by the way). I think I made it half way through the first person’s “way of writing” before I just closed the web page in disgust. The whole thing felt silly.

It’s like talking about the baseball players who wear the same underwear for an entire post season run until they win the WS or get knocked out of the playoffs. Superstition at it’s most dangerous. After all wearing nasty underwear isn’t how that team made it into the final 8, is it? It’s playing the damned game, and well.

Of course, it’s probably articles like this that help perpetuate the myth that writing well is easy, and anyone can do it. I remember a guy I know thanks to this wonderful Internet who writes screenplays for a living ranting about how someone was talking about getting a novel published after he retired, and how the guy made it sound like a total lark.

As long as pieces like this abound, the real soul of writing skill will likely continue to be disregarded as something simple, because it looks so damned easy, and unlike slam dunking a basketball, it’s harder to get proof of how good or bad you are at putting words on a page in a way that touches people, or at least entertains them.

But I guess I shouldn’t expect any more from a piece about writing fiction from a financial paper, it isn’t exactly their forte.

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