I just came across the most wonderful “Rules for Writing” series at the guardian.co.uk site, thanks to a mention of it in yesterday’s NYTBR’s “Inside the List”. On the site, many truly extraordinary writers of all sorts list their “10 Rules for Writers.” I haven’t had a chance to peruse them all yet, but some early contenders for my favorites:
“6 Hold the reader’s attention. (This is likely to work better if you can hold your own.) But you don’t know who the reader is, so it’s like shooting fish with a slingshot in the dark.” – Margaret Atwood (who has a number of marvelously funny ones – no surprise!)
“1 The first 12 years are the worst.” – Anne Enright
and
“7 Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.” – Joyce Carol Oates
So I’m heading out to write now with a light, hopeful heart – and very low expectations. Which is a pretty nice, unintimidating way to approach the blank page. – Meg
