Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Wednesday Wisdom for Writers and Those Who Love Them

"When you are deciding what to leave out, begin with the author. If you see yourself prancing around between subject and reader, get lost." —John McPhee



Rather than personal experiences, I believe this quote is talking about ego. "Look what I know!" "Look how beautifully I string words together!" No matter how wonderful you are, when you take the reader out of the story they're enjoying, you've messed up as a writer.

I know about this because I have a tendency to employ purple prose. While I think it's dramatic and literary, readers just want a good story. Thank goodness I have friends and editors who don't let me get away with it.





It's all better with friends.

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