Writing Secrets: Endings should never whimper
“The last paragraph, in which you tell what the story is about, is almost always best left out.” This was Irwin Shaw’s advice to young writers, and I think of it often. We are always tempted to [...]
Monday Motivation: ‘Mission Impossible’ and the meme of the ticking clock
Idly in search of ideas that might amuse and instruct you, I found myself watching one of the interminable Mission Impossible movies, in which the utterly and impossibly intrepid Ethan Hunt [...]
Writing Secrets: Dialogue scraps do not make scenes
“Hey Audrey.” Jane appeared in her office doorway. “It’s Friday. Shouldn’t we reward ourselves with a drink?” “Great idea. Giles at 6?” “Perfect. I’ll see you then.” I keep discovering little [...]
Monday Motivation: You can’t write hotly about hot things
John Banville is the author of fifteen critically acclaimed novels one of which – The Sea – won the Man Booker prize in 2005. Until he turned to writing novels fulltime, he was a journalist. But [...]
