₦airaland Forum

Tips on Writing From Ernest Hemingway


1. Use short sentences.Hemingway was famous for a terse minimalist style of writing that dispensed with flowery adjectives and got straight to the point. In short, Hemingway wrote with simple genius.
Perhaps his finest demonstration of short sentence prowess was when he was challenged to tell an entire story in only 6 words:
For sale: baby shoes, never used.

2. Use short first paragraphs.See opening.

3. Use vigorous English.
Here’s David Garfinkel’s take on this one:
It’s muscular, forceful. Vigorous English comes from passion, focus and intention. It’s the difference between putting in a good effort and TRYING to move a boulder… and actually sweating, grunting, straining your muscles to the point of exhaustion… and MOVING the freaking thing! I think in the music world Rick Ross does this to almost its full potential. Lots of alliteration and tongue-twisters in Ross records.

4. Be positive, not negative.
Since Hemingway wasn’t the cheeriest guy in the world, what does he mean by be positive? Basically, you should say what something is rather than what it isn’t.
This is what Michel Fortin calls using up words:
By stating what something isn’t can be counterproductive since it is still directing the mind, albeit in the opposite way. If I told you that dental work is painless for example, you’ll still focus on the word “pain” in “painless.”
• Instead of saying “inexpensive,” say “economical,”
• Instead of saying “this procedure is painless,” say “there’s little discomfort” or “it’s relatively comfortable,”
• And instead of saying “this software is error-free” or “foolproof,” say “this software is consistent” or “stable.”

5. Never have only 4 rules.

Actually, Hemingway did only have 4 rules for writing, and they were those he was given as a cub reporter at the Kansas City Star in 1917. But, as any web writer knows, having only 4 rules will never do.
So, in order to have 5, I had to dig a little deeper to get the most important of Hemingway’s writing tips of all:
“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit,” Hemingway confided to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. “I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

Fear not friend. 6 0,000 words only seem like a never ending story. Double spaced will give 250 words per page. You have said writing short stories are easy for you. A 60,000, or even a 100,000 word book is nothing more than a series of short stories…that fit together, and make a complete story.
To write a good book takes time, and hard work. In 1999, Arthur Golden published a best seller, “Memoirs of a Geisha.” The re-write of this book took Golden ten years. Why do you think great writers look old? Because it has taken them a life time learning how to write, and develop their talent. Of course writers do write, and sell other works while they are building great stories.
I want to recommend two books you will need; “Nitty-Gritty Grammar,” by Edith H. Fine, and Judith P. Josephson, and “Stein on Writing,” by Sol Stein. These two books are a must for those who believe they have the heart to be a writer.
I also suggest you get, “Writers Digest,” This magazine comes out each month. Never throw them away. These two books, and Writers Digest may be your only companion through the thousands of solo hours you spend learning, and writing.

Of course, if you do not have the heart of a lion, go about your way, and disregard all I have suggested.

senbonzakura_kageyoshi,

This is good. There is some good stuff here...this is very good. You have a great talent. Most great writers are not good writers, they are great story tellers. You are a great story teller.
If you do not have the money to hire a Professional book editor, save your money, sell whatever you have, and hire one.
Once it is professionally edited, write a great one page query letter, and seek out a New York literary agent. You have a winner here. Do not put this story aside. Expand it to 60,000 words.
You must write a great query letter. You may find this harder than writing a story. You will not get an agent without a good query letter. You will not get a big publisher without a good agent.
Your work is not the quality to just post on the net, e-book, or small publisher. You have a great story, told in a manner few writers can write. This is the kind of talent big publishers are dreaming about.

As I have suggested, expand the story to 60,000 words. Allow yourself one, or two years to prepare to submit to a New York Agent. Your query letter may take a year to write.

You will have hard dark days. You will want to stop, and burn the pages. Do not allow yourself to give up. Do not allow anyone to side track you. This work will have a life far beyond your Grand children. You have reached inside of men as few have done.

caseless: English is hard...thank GOD for pidgin!

If you write with pidgen, you better first find a publisher who will publish it, or you are a dead pidgin.

It’s clear from your advice; you have never been published by a standard publisher.
Your advice is misleading. There is no short cut to being published by a standard publisher. The rules can not be bent, or put aside.

One may conceder they are published because; they have published other than via a standard publisher. The publishing Industry does not conceder these as published.
Here is the big difference between having a standard publisher except your work verses other paths to publishing.

You must present a work the publishing Industry conceder’s quality, sellable work, ready for print. Your work must pass a high standard.

Other means of publishing need not, (and most do not) pass the high standard required by the Publishing Industry.

Those who write want to know if they are good writers, or just so, so.
This is not to say those who publish other than the Standard method can not write great books…but they don’t know if they have stepped to the mark.

Any body can write a story, and put it out as an e-book…even those who do not know spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
The internet is becoming the main avenue of publishing. When a high standard is required on e-books, these writers will then be published writers.

At present, Standard Publishers are beginning to dip their toes into the internet market.
Take warning; books not professionally edited, will never step to the mark. Learn how to edit your work, or pay a professional to do it, or you are wasting your time.

The story had nothing to do with sex...it is a bible story...lol

Story on English means finger slip

Thank you

I posted a thread under the title; An Abomination.
Here is a copy of the post.

The computer, or whatever it is, changed a word in a section I posted. (Clay of the Gods.) The program changed the medical term used for a mans private parts, to JOYSTICK.
JOYSTICK is akin to using the C word for a women’s private parts.

These to words are never used in professional writing. They are an abomination.
Whoever programmed the forum to use such words should be hung by their heels.
I removed the section I posted.

If this program is not changed, I will not post further sections of my work.
Writers should check their posting for such changes...if the changes are not to your liking, delite the posting.

I would like to read this story in ENGLISH. Can you have someone translate it?

The computer, or whatever it is, changed a word in a section I posted. (Clay of the Gods.) The program changed the medical term used for a mans private parts, to JOYSTICK.
JOYSTICK is akin to using the C word for a women’s private parts.

These to words are never used in professional writing. They are an abomination.
Whoever programmed the forum to use such words should be hung by their heels.

If this program is not changed, I will not post further sections of my work.
Writers should check their posting for such changes...if the changes are not to your liking, delite the posting.

Why did the forum change the word which starts with a P to joystick? P is the medical word for a mans private part. That is sick. A mans p.... is not refured to as a joystick. Whoever did that should get their mind out of the gutter.

I do not post sections of my work to be changed in that manner...I have removed it for that reason.

I have enjoyed reading the works some have posted for review. I congratulate your efforts, and your courage. I see myself in you. A little spoken truth, “All writer must walk the same path.” Where you are now, others have left their foot prints. This path we follow has no end. As you slowly move forward you will see the bones of many sticking out of the ground…those who gave up. Some before you have leave notes along the way, giving warning. Some will even leave bread from their heart for you, words of encouragement.
I see many of you are struggling with English. Do not be discouraged. Those of us who were born, and raised in lands were English is the mother language…also struggle with this complex curse…filled with words that sound the same, but have different meanings. It is what it is, and is part of the path we must struggle with.
Many years after starting my trip, I was completely lost on a section of the path with tall trees that blocked out the sun. The path was covered with heavy vines, and torn manuscripts. I found a note someone had left tacked to a tree. It read, “Warning…before continuing further, learn how the Publishing Industry works.” I was ready to let the my bones mingle with those who had given up. It was to much. I just want to write a book. “Why.” I shouted into the unknown distance…”Why I did I let myself take this path? I want to go home.” I turned, but the path home was gone. I could stay where I was wetting the ground with my tears, or go forward into the unknown.
I am still on the path my friend. I have found it’s meaning. I have found this never ending trip is glorious. I’ll wait here for some of you. We can cook hot spicy beans. Swap stories, laugh , and together…follow the foot prints of those who went before us.

Hope is found in despair.there can neva be hope without total despair,in our time of despair there is hope and in our time of hope there is despair.they say hope is hard 2 find in despair but despair is easy 2 find in hope.hope exist as a very thin line dat only wen u take time 2 luk closely dat u see dat there is hope.in life the eye sees manytins bt recognise sumtins.d spirit sees hope while d body feels fear.our fear is nt despair bt we feel fear in our despair.min the bible xperienced despair,pple lik Job,ELIJAH and David.bt in all wat they any pple went through they always called on God 2 see them through.in despair depression is inevitable,so pray n b hopeful

More than fifty percent of this has error. I assume English is your second language. An Agent, or Publisher. would reject this work after reading half the first sentance.
Do not be mislead..if you self published, you would meet with rejection from readers. You have a good story, and I can tell you love to write. You must take the time to master English. Give yourself one, or two years...you can do it.

Post removed by True?