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Meg Waite Clayton

Author of the international bestsellers The Postmistress of Paris, The Last Train to London, and 6 other novels

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March 8, 2010 By Meg Waite Clayton

Rules for Writers (from Some Amazing Ones)

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

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Filed Under: Meg's Posts, Writing Quotes and Other Literary Fun Tagged With: Anne Enright, Joyce Carol Oates, rules for writing, writing tips

Meg Waite Clayton


Meg Waite Clayton is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of eight novels, including the Good Morning America Buzz pick and New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice THE POSTMISTRESS OF PARIS, the National Jewish Book Award finalist THE LAST TRAIN TO LONDON, the Langum-Prize honored THE RACE FOR PARIS, and THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS, one of Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Essential Best Friend Novels of all time. Her novels have been published in 23 languages. She has also written more than 100 pieces for major newspapers, magazines, and public radio, mentors in the OpEd Project, and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the California bar. megwaiteclayton.com

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