I Agree With Maugham

As some of you know, I currently sport a strong prejudice against writers who tell other writers how to write, found most commonly in the bevy of "how-to-write" books that published authors write for "aspiring" (that is, non-published) writers. (I call myself an "aspiring writer" if I talk about writing, read about writing, and think about writing, but stop short of putting words on a page. But if I put words to a page, I call myself a writer, published or not.)

In any case, I think of writing as such a personal process...I'm not offended when pros say what works for them, but I recoil at these sweeping generalizations I hear them make. To wit, I cringe when Stephen King -- a writer with skills I deeply respect -- says something like, "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write."

What you really mean, Stephen, is "If I [Stephen] don't have the time to read, I don't have the time or the tools to write." Leave the rest of us alone! You don't know what I need in order to write.

So I really appreciate it whenever I come across a writer who succinctly captures the ineffability of the writing process. I made an exception with a statement attributed to Robert Heinlein. But today I found a quote I wanted to share that sums up my contrary feelings perfectly:

"There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
- W. Somerset Maugham

Maugham says it all. (Ahem) For me!

Anyway, thanks to Kibby on the NaNoWriMo forums who had this delightful quote in her signature...

Write on!