Friday Five: writing wisdom from Ernest Hemingway

‘… a glimpse into the thoughts and ideas of one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.’

Not too long ago, on a whim, I was browsing a list of Kindle deals on Amazon and discovered the book Ernest Hemingway on Writing was available for less than a cup of coffee. (The price has since gone up.) This collection of quotes about writing, pulled from Papa’s letters, interviews, and writings and edited by Larry W. Phillips, offers a glimpse into the thoughts and ideas of one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, someone who took the craft of writing seriously. As Charles Scribner Jr. explains in his introduction to the book, Hemingway was “an artist wholly committed to the craft” who sometimes “showed an almost superstitious reluctance to talk about writing, seeming fearful that saying too much might have an inhibiting effect on his muse.” 

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The secret to writing

It’s ‘one of those Horrible Truths’ few writers want to think about

Behold, I share with you a mystery.

Ready?

The secret to writing is … writing!

That’s it. Apply butt to chair and fingers to keyboard, or hand to pen to paper, and write.

“How do you become a writer? Answer: you write.”

Ursula K. Le Guin on How to Become a Writer

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