1. Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for writing fiction.

    fantasyaction:diamonds-n-rubies: kyndollwood:

    1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
    2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
    3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
    4. Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.
    5. Start as close to the end as possible.
    6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them — in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
    7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
    8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

    1 year ago  /  318 notes

    1. ghostheart reblogged this from unicornology
    2. sammicrds reblogged this from havearide
    3. charlie-o reblogged this from tarts
    4. angel207 reblogged this from quieteveningalone
    5. quarter-turn reblogged this from shutlow and added:
      SO TRUE, shutlow. I LOVE THIS!
    6. shutlow reblogged this from rosecolouredlies
    7. chitrasri reblogged this from davehyndman
    8. writinginanachronism reblogged this from libraryland
    9. sandokgirl reblogged this from booktumbling
    10. jbreazeale reblogged this from skysignal
    11. nikoangelo reblogged this from partofthisfamiliar
    12. believeit reblogged this from davehyndman
    13. partofthisfamiliar reblogged this from skysignal and added:
      Reblogging for future reference.
    14. 86hamachi reblogged this from booktumbling and added:
      1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. 2. Give the reader...
    15. nateblake reblogged this from davehyndman
    16. restlessruminations reblogged this from snickerdoodle
    17. heatherallen reblogged this from booktumbling
    18. becomingbrina reblogged this from skysignal
    19. epicinbluejeans reblogged this from thoseareturkeys
    20. jigsawfragments reblogged this from rosecolouredlies
    21. snickerdoodle reblogged this from skysignal
    22. quieteveningalone reblogged this from booktumbling
    23. too-legit-to-quit reblogged this from booktumbling
    24. rosecolouredlies reblogged this from booktumbling and added:
      libraryland:love-and-radiation:...This deserves to have the hell reblogged out of it! I ♥...
    25. fizzzzy reblogged this from skysignal
    26. honestblog reblogged this from skysignal
    27. frightened reblogged this from thoseareturkeys
    28. discoverthis reblogged this from booktumbling
    29. thoseareturkeys reblogged this from booktumbling
    30. heartsdesire reblogged this from ashlyncommathe
    31. ashlyncommathe reblogged this from booktumbling
    32. lezbehonest reblogged this from booktumbling
    33. prettyspectacular reblogged this from booktumbling
    34. booktumbling reblogged this from libraryland
    35. thorns reblogged this from libraryland
    36. austinimus reblogged this from libraryland
    37. capelesscrusader reblogged this from libraryland
    38. libraryland reblogged this from love-and-radiation
    39. tiaragwin reblogged this from constellation
    40. myhairisred reblogged this from constellation
    41. fingcupcakepunk reblogged this from tinrulestheworld
    42. tinrulestheworld reblogged this from constellation
    43. constellation reblogged this from shinn7755
    44. shinn7755 reblogged this from erikaleahey
    45. everyanything reblogged this from unicornology
    46. casual reblogged this from unicornology
    47. missng reblogged this from noahkai
    48. vintageandpretty reblogged this from unicornology
    49. green-is-the-color reblogged this from amandasthoughts
    50. lazyhorse reblogged this from erickd
    51. raincomesdown reblogged this from erikaleahey
    52. deeharvey reblogged this from stevewoolf
    53. glitterati reblogged this from buyhercandy
    54. roaaanne reblogged this from alealejandr0
    55. erickd reblogged this from incurable
    56. jackster reblogged this from unicornology
    57. love-squalor reblogged this from unicornology
    58. rrrogers reblogged this from alealejandr0
    59. contracampo reblogged this from wedancedtogether
    60. thecakeisalie reblogged this from lumber
    61. loganmsachon reblogged this from unicornology
    62. stevewoolf reblogged this from erik
    63. grapedrinkseventy reblogged this from theponysong
    64. whithertford reblogged this from lumber
    65. leforettt reblogged this from unicornology
    66. havearide reblogged this from unicornology
    67. ka-thea-han reblogged this from amandasthoughts
    68. thatswhatshanesaid reblogged this from erik and added:
      I have always tired to follow these rules since I started writing, but knowing Vonnegut, its not like he would give a...
    69. unhurriedheart reblogged this from unicornology
    70. lumber reblogged this from erik
    71. erik reblogged this from ledgeradio
    72. lssgbbn reblogged this from blaise
    73. lostlotslearned reblogged this from unicornology
    74. kingfish76 reblogged this from unicornology
    75. nansan reblogged this from unicornology
    76. quietplains reblogged this from unicornology and added:
      unicornology:buyhercandy:tarts:kindteeth:bravery:incurable:noahkai:fantasyaction:diamonds-n-rubies:kyndollwood
    77. a12thway2reachme reblogged this from unicornology
    78. ledgeradio reblogged this from amandasthoughts
    79. love-and-radiation reblogged this from jeremydavies
    80. tryingtofindthewords reblogged this from unicornology
    81. dissembling reblogged this from unicornology
    82. sugerbuzz reblogged this from lfar and added:
      These are facinating. I esp love 2 and 6; 5 and 8 are very interesting.
    83. quorra reblogged this from unicornology
    84. theponysong reblogged this from amandasthoughts
    85. amandasthoughts reblogged this from unicornology
    86. lfar reblogged this from gretchenalice and added:
      unicornology:buyhercandy:tarts:
    87. thoseareturkeys reblogged this from amandaaudi
    88. gretchenalice reblogged this from unicornology
    89. asakite reblogged this from unicornology
    90. amandaaudi reblogged this from wedancedtogether
    91. hallospacegirl reblogged this from unicornology
    92. wedancedtogether reblogged this from unicornology
    93. unicornology reblogged this from buyhercandy
    94. jeremydavies reblogged this from blaise
    95. autumnbrooke reblogged this from blaise
    96. blaise reblogged this from lostinfiction
    97. chealsye reblogged this from isthisblood and added:
      It is perfectly fine if you only follow the first.
    98. idiosyncratic reblogged this from missworld
    99. lostinfiction reblogged this from katertaters
    100. katertaters reblogged this from hardlyinventive
    101. samanthacaroline reblogged this from buyhercandy
    102. hardlyinventive reblogged this from buyhercandy and added:
      tarts:kindteeth:bravery:incurable:noahkai:fantasyaction: diamonds-n-rubies:
    103. buyhercandy reblogged this from tarts
    104. isthisblood reblogged this from missworld
    105. hunterpryor reblogged this from missworld
    106. missworld reblogged this from tarts
    107. tarts reblogged this from hunting
    108. dementes reblogged this from rwatuny
    109. hunting reblogged this from laughinearlydied and added:
      Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he...she will not feel the time was...
    110. erikaleahey reblogged this from alealejandr0
    111. rwatuny reblogged this from beccawashere and added:
      retumblé de beccawashere:electricpencils:noahkai:fantasyaction:diamonds-n-rubies:kyndollwood
    112. laughinearlydied reblogged this from incurable and added:
      noahkai:fantasyaction:diamonds-n-rubies:kyndollwood:...or should a dog eat the the end of...
    113. lawful reblogged this from incurable
    114. benjemin reblogged this from shallowlikeyou
    115. dreamhard reblogged this from incurable
    116. beccawashere reblogged this from electricpencils and added:
      noahkai:fantasyaction:diamonds-n-rubies:kyndollwood: Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will...
    117. electricpencils reblogged this from noahkai and added:
      Probably why he is my favorite novelist.
    118. shallowlikeyou reblogged this from incurable
    119. incurable reblogged this from noahkai
    120. voiddd reblogged this from alealejandr0
    121. donamajicshow reblogged this from noahkai
    122. alealejandr0 posted this