quotes for writers

Apr 12, 2005 | Craft | 5 comments

My current favorites:

“Think hard. Be honest with yourself. Are the stakes in your current manuscripts as high as they can possibly be? Can you define the stakes right now? Can you point to the exact pages in which the stakes escalate, locking your protagonist into his course of action with less hope of success than before?” – Donald Maass – Writing the Breakout Novel

“Think of your novel as “A Life: The Good Parts Version.” All the sex and violence, passion and struggle. None of the teeth brushing.” – Holly Lisle.

Steph T.

5 Comments

  1. Katie
    Katie on April 12, 2005 at 3:19 pm

    No tooth brushing? What if the hero is a dentist? What if the hero knocks out the heroine’s tooth by accident and she needs a root canal? And hey, what about heroine telling hero to go brush before sex? Not that either? What about potty breaks?Sigh…I’m gonna go mumble to myself and get rid of all those toothbrushes in my WIP. Darn.

  2. Sasha
    Sasha on April 12, 2005 at 5:59 pm

    You know, I have my character shaving her legs and pits, but not brushing her teeth. :shocked:

  3. Cece
    Cece on April 12, 2005 at 7:37 pm

    I have teeth brushing but it’s something I’m rather …God forgive me for this one….anal about :thumbsup:

  4. Larissa
    Larissa on April 13, 2005 at 9:53 am

    Ooh, I love that book! I have never read it front to back, though, and I probably should.

    And I had a character buy toothpaste once. Does that count? 😛

  5. Jill
    Jill on April 14, 2005 at 10:49 am

    Damn. Now I have to take out all those teeth brushing scenes …

    Seriously, that Maas quote … amazing.