Writing Tips from Famous Fiction Authors

“Introduce your main characters and themes in the first third of your novel. If you are writing a plot-driven genre novel make sure all your major themes/plot elements are introduced in the first third, which you can call the introduction. Develop your themes and characters in your second third, the development. Resolve your themes, mysteries and so on in the final third, the resolution.” — Michael Moorcock

“It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.” — Jonathan Franzen

“In the planning stage of a book, don’t plan the ending. It has to be earned by all that will go before it.” — Rose Tremain

“Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.” — Zadie Smith

“My first rule was given to me by TH White, author of The Sword in the Stone and other Arthurian fantasies and was: Read. Read everything you can lay hands on. I always advise people who want to write a fantasy or science fiction or romance to stop reading everything in those genres and start reading everything else from Bunyan to Byatt.” — Michael Moorcock

“The writing life is essentially one of solitary confinement – if you can’t deal with this you needn’t apply.” — Will Self

“The reader is a friend, not an adversary, not a spectator.” — Jonathan Franzen

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” – Anton Chekhov

“The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.” — Neil Gaiman

“Always carry a note-book. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.” — Will Self