Dorothea Brande's Becoming A Writer from the 1930's, is a really fine book. It deals not with writing techniques, but with the psychological blocks that may stop a writer. Ray Bradbury recomends this book very much (his own Zen In The Art of Writing is also quite good).

For techniques and grammar, I have used an old high school grammar book, and A New Guide to Better Writing (be warned of newer editions, in which parts have been omitted and sacrificed on the altars of the politically correct. My copy. ), as reference. The Elements Of Style, 4th edition , is also said to be good. I have not read it, but am about to.

Much more important though, is to write a lot. And to read. And, as Farmer says, to read parts you like loud to yourself; hearing it will get an instinctive feel for the language (and besides, it will give you the added pleasure and the more intimate sensation of the natural aesthetics and organic truth of the language, a treasure that only a long history of interesting life and cultural evolvement can create in a language). Grammar and techniques should preferably be learned like riding a bicycle, and not be used consciously to build text, but only consulted as side reference for details when needed. It is pure Visions that flow through a good writer's pen, not conscious ideas about language. This state evolves only gradually with training over the years. In the beginning the language of every writer will be stilted, but this doesn't really matter as long as there are interesting visions and ideas glowing in the background. Visions is the essence of writing, and fantastic imagination is not built only from reading fiction, but equally important, from building a store of manifested firsthand knowledge and life experience.

I am not a fiction or poetry writer, and have not trained for it. And I hated grammar back in school. I am more into visual art. My English is limited, but I'm still happy for what I have learned later in life from my own efforts, enough for passably presenting some of my ideas in communication. When writing, I simply visualize the events in my head, and try to put down the corresponding words in the same order as the events would grab attention from the mind (which does not always follow a seemingly obvious linear timescale, since the relation between elements of reality, and their subjective importance, can be more complex), often using a dictionary and thesaurus to exactly capture my meaning.

If you read Smith's letters and essays, you will know indirectly what he would have told you. But it doesn't really matter what he would have told you, or what anyone tells you. His magic would not have transfered over to you. We all want to, and try to, help others in the best way we can and believe in, from our own perspective. But everyone has his/her own individual path to follow, and only takes in the knowledge he is already aimed for, and this knowledge comes naturally within easy reach (although the acquiring may take time, and also include searching out other individuals for specific knowledge) as one pursues ones interests. And being an artist, in any field, is usually not a smooth path (unless you are extremely talented. But even then, you still can't escape the existential struggles); and self-critical as artists are, it's a constant struggle with self-imposed feeling of failure. You crash, rise up again, run along with joy, crash, rise upp again.. Eventually over time you become better and better from experience and training. Also, remember that working as an artist is a privilege, you do it primarily for the pure joy the creative process brings you. Most people never get to experience such joy. It has a value by itself, and will not necessarily lead to money. It is an added fortune to also be able to make a living out of it. That is a gift for a job done well. Pursuing art for the money will surely backfire, unless one is a skilled con-artist with sharp elbows. The dedication to imagination and creativity, and sensitivity of perception, is everything that matters.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 24 Nov 08 | 10:28AM by Knygatin.

Knygatin,

You are so correct. The pure joy of art is in the creation itself. Many artists struggle with that, some more than others. I just happen to be one of those select few who is never happy with what he creates. But yes, I am sure as I get older the dark clouds will fade, revealing a luscious spring time garden.

You definetly have keen insight and what you say is so touching. I believe that is as equally as important.

Your cool buddy,

Ch.

Just keep reading and writing. If you want to write poetry, you should regularly read it aloud. Like others mentioned, keep a journal on you or email yourself ideas while at work so you don't miss out on spontaneous ideas or truths.

Some day, with persistence, you will have your own tome of Eldritch Horrors to be proud of! Even if everyone else thinks it is horrible, your writing/ideas are your own and nobody can take that from you!

For you, I highly recommend "The Atlantis Fragments"!

[www.hippocampuspress.com]

Welcome to the forum wayward traveler!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24 Nov 08 | 02:49PM by Eldritch Frog.

G'day, Charles,

good to have you on board. If you're interested, you could always email me some of your poetry, as I am starting up an e-zine of poetry from January, and I would love to see more of your work. I'll be dropping by your Myspace page as well.

Phillip

P.S.: Apropros the remark that it is impossible to have poet as a career, I think Les Murray is making a good crack at it, and surviving quite well.

P.P.S.: And don't forget to read your work aloud, as well, as an ongoing process

it helps.

Phillip,

I thank you very much for the offer. I have finally edited and condensed my poem to a proper poetical pattern. I would be glad to send it. Is your email address australianreader.com. Lastly, Alot of things on my myspace page are practise exercises for only myself and are not things I am sending out and that rather vulgar one I wrote when I was angry. Just letting any word pour fourth from my mouth. I will try the australianreader.com and send you the poem posted here.

Charles D. O'Connor III

I think that Tom Ligotti has mastered the craft and is our perfect writer (in response to your remark that none of us be perfect). I never cringe when I read his work, as I sometimes do when reading those masters whom I love like Lovecraft and Smith. Your poem is imaginative and has some lovely imagery.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 25 Jan 09 | 11:12PM by wilum pugmire.

Debating matters of taste is fruitless, so I'll simply add I couldn't possibly disagree more about Ligotti, who, in my opinion, is tremendously overrated.

Because of subjectivity and varying personal taste, there has never been, nor will there ever be, consensus as to perfection in the arts. Even the reputations of Shakespeare and Bach have had periods of eclipse.

Ligotti, to me, is artificiality and pretentiousness with no point. Do not misunderstand me: I like artificiality and pretentiousness. I just want it to have a point.

Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ligotti, to me, is artificiality and
> pretentiousness with no point. Do not
> misunderstand me: I like artificiality and
> pretentiousness. I just want it to have a point.


You have both left me stunned -- and almost speechless, with your views on Ligotti. To those of you who wou'd like to learn why Tom is our greatest living weird literary artist, I refer you to the magnificent site, THOMAS LIGOTTI ONLINE.

However, this is an excellent example for our new young writer to take in -- pay no heed to public opinion when it concerns the creation of your own literary work. You are an individual artists with your own perspective on life and art. Your dreams are your own -- no one else can possess them. & thus spin your fiction and your poetry in your own manner, be precisely and beautifully yourself. If you are influenc'd by another genre writer, do not try to hide that fact, but celebrate it. Use the influence of other weird writers as a foundation of inspiration with which to build your own very distinct gothic castle of wondrous imagination. Be completely and deliciously yourself. This is easy in the small press, where we have publishers and editors who truly appreciate the individual, and who champion the artist as outsider. For Lovecraft we have Arkham House and Hippocampus Press, and for Clark Ashton Smith we now have the wonderful volumes coming from Night Shade Press, and the poetry volumes from Hippocampus.

Do not fear editorial rejection. If an editor is severely harsh and even cruel to your attempts at writing (and I have had some experience with that), remember that what one editor hates another will cherish. Never give up in the face of repeated rejection. And use the opportunity to post some of your writing online. People online tend to be extremely helpful and honest in their reaction to new writers who allow people to read their beginning work. The important thing, the only really vital thing, is to write. Write, write, write -- until you have enough material to fill a small volume of collected works, and then try to place that collection with a publisher. Of course, I speak as one who writes almoft exclusively for the Lovecraftian underground. None of this can apply to you if you wish to make a career of writing. That is an area of which I know nothing. Best of luck to you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 26 Jan 09 | 12:35PM by wilum pugmire.

Wilum:

Don't get me wrong: I do like some of Ligotti's work, very much. I simply am less enamored of it than others seem to be, and I think that he is overrated, on the whole. At his best, Ligotti's work is poetic and evocative, but at its worst, his writing is precious and needlessly obscure. I also have zero sympathy for his nihilistic, self-defeating world-view (although I have tremendous sympathy regarding his unfortunate mental illness). I would certainly never discourage anyone from reading his work.

I am glad that you are reasonable about the disagreement, though. I remember a couple of people from the Ligotti Web site you mention who got wind of my (mildly expressed) negative view of Ligotti, who then came to the forum where I was contributing, provoked me into a flame war (I should not have taken the bait, of course), and departed. I learned from that incident that some of Ligotti's fans are not much more emotionally stable than he is!

Anyway, to get back on track, your advice to aspiring fiction writers is excellent. These days, no one who aspires to artistry and quality should try to earn a living by writing, unless it is completely unrelated to one's art.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 26 Jan 09 | 07:31PM by Kyberean.

Yes, we Ligottians are passionate -- but hopefully not rudely so. I feel the same about Lovecraft. It's difficult for me not to react emotionally when I read someone trashing HPL as a bad writer. Since coming online two months ago, I have made a vow to myself to keep my cool, to be gracious and intelligent as I am able, and to try and consider what I write -- and what is read by so many potential numbers of people. But I am EXTREMELY PASSIONATE about weird literature, and I have to do what I can to preach the gospel of those whom I admire, those whose works have inspired me to try and improve my own weird writing. And if by my example of keeping my cool, as well as my dead serious love of our genre, I can hopefully inspire new writers to feel that same seriousness and passion for weird fiction and its master -- very cool indeed. Thanx.