I’m in the midst of a revision, and this post from BuzzFeed came at the perfect time. Too juicy not to share!
30 Indispensable Writing Tips From Famous Authors
Writing is easy: All you have to do is start writing, finish writing, and make sure it’s good. But here’s some vastly more useful wisdom and advice from people who seriously know what the hell they’re talking about.
Jack ShepherdBuzzFeed Staff
1. Ernest Hemingway
2. Elmore Leonard
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3. Anton Chekhov
4. Toni Morrison
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5. George Orwell
6. E.L. Doctorow
Image by MARY ALTAFFER / AP
7. Henry Miller
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8. Elmore Leonard
Image by Carlos Osorio / AP
9. John Steinbeck
10. Stephen King
Image by Mark Lennihan / AP
11. Ralph Waldo Emmerson
12. Neil Gaiman
13. Maya Angelou
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14. James Patterson
Image by Deborah Feingold / Reuters
15. Stephen King
Image by MIKE SEGAR / Reuters
16. Mark Twain
17. Toni Morrison
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18. Edgar Allan Poe
19. John Steinbeck
20. Annie Dillard
21. Ray Bradbury
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22. Saul Bellow
Image by ELISE AMENDOLA / AP
23. Erica Jong
24. Kurt Vonnegut
Image by MARTY REICHENTHAL / AP
25. T.S. Eliot
26. Ernest Hemingway
27. Gertrude Stein
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28. F. Scott Fitzgerald
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29. Neil Gaiman
30. G.K. Chesterton
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Beth Christopher 
Love this Beth. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks Stacie! Good stuff in there. The “kill your darlings” quote is hitting a bit too close to home right now. 😉
Did you sell your novel?
Not yet. My agent is hoping to submit later this month after this revision. All parts crossed…
Hey, another Beth! This is my favorite, “leave out the parts people skip.” Good luck with revisions.
I love that one, too. Thanks for the comment, Beth!
I love this, I love getting lost in the words of others, and I am everyday amazed at the gift of story telling. I love that you are a passionate writer, you inspire me.
You inspire ME, Carol Bowar. As much as I want you to get your sweet patootie back to CO, I’m going to really miss your Aussie blog. I adore your posts!
From where does such insight come . . . ” an exclamation point is like laughing at your
own joke” ? Should I use more ? This piece is very very ! You certainly have talent. No,
more than that. I see Ma and even a tiny bit of Pa. But I never realized Hemingway was
so slow ! I take back what I just said about Pa.
I’ll keep some extra parts crossed for you too. I’m wishing you the BEST of luck, Beth!