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Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist looks at his craft
by David Morrell
Famous Novelist talks about his profession.
I'm one of the few people in the United States who never saw any of the Rambo movies. I also have to confess that I've never read any of David Morrell's many novels. One final confession: I usually HATE when writer's write about writing. Seems to me if a writer is worth his salt, he'd be writing novels or screenplays or short stories or articles instead of picking the pockets of naïve writer wannabes. Therefore, I had a bad attitude when I picked up ‘Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing'. However, Mr. Morrell won me over in the first chapter and continued to amuse, entertain and inform me throughout this short book aimed at anyone considering writing as a career.
A long time professor of literature, he begins with a simple question that he used to pose to his students. Why would anyone want to write? Answers range from ‘to make money' to ‘to be famous'. Mr. Morrell quickly punctures those dreams -- only a very few novelists ever make it big enough to achieve either fortune or fame. The systematic barriers are so high that most will never ‘make it'. The real answer to that question is ‘Because I have to.' Authors are authors because they MUST write. Period. A type A person myself, Mr. Morrell's thesis explains why many people spend far more time talking about writing than writing, while others write rather than eat or sleep.
For those willing to put in the time in front of the keyboard, the best-selling author of ‘First Blood', ‘The Brotherhood of the Rose' and ‘Extreme Denial' talks about both the technical aspects of writing and the business issues associated with the profession. He offers practical advice on plot, character, structure, point of view, narrative, dialogue and action. Of particular interest was his habit of writing every day, even when he didn't have anything in particular to write. As he says, imagination is like a muscle -- it weakens with inactivity. He employs an intriguing plotting technique similar to journaling where he has a written conversation with himself. Each day he sits down to the computer and types in, ‘Hi David. How are you this morning?' That was a new one. Ever the skeptic, I gave it a try and found that it DOES help one keep track of the whats, whys and hows. As you are sorting through various approaches, being able to go back in time to reevaluate your thinking is a big help. Simple but effective. Thanks Mr. Morrell.
However, it was his chapter on ‘Getting Published and the Business of Writing' that was most helpful. He illustrates his points with experiential anecdotes -- many of them hysterically funny, if they weren't so sad. One in particular describes his dismay at discovering how ‘best seller lists' posted in pharmacies, airports and convenience stores are compiled. The sheer arbitrariness of the process is enough to discourage the cheeriest optimist.
“There are no inferior types of fiction,” Mr. Morrell sums up. “Only inferior practitioners.” He further advises, “Your goal should be to write something that's important to you, not the critics.” He emphasizes that fame is fleeting and money disappears with time. The writer who is true to himself, who is brave enough to create something unique, is most likely to succeed in the long run. Unfortunately, these are words that the unique and brave don't need -- after all, they must do what they must do as Mr. Morrell points out himself. Those who aren't unique or brave won't or can't get over this hurdle anyway.
Title: Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist looks at his craft
Author: David Morrell
Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
ISBN: 1582972702
Review written by: Joyce Faulkner
Reviewer's Rating:9
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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