Prompted to Write

photo credit: bluinfaccia

When I was in college, I had some outstanding writing professors.  They were all very accomplished and they had plenty of good stuff to say, but one single piece of advice stands out among all the others.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say that 80-90% of the value from those classes was wrapped up in that one simple rule – cut things ruthlessly.

As writers, we have a tendency to fall in love with our words – our clever turns of phrase and obscure references – but trust me, no one else cares like we do.  And, as Kurt Vonnegut advised, we should, “Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.”

One great way to do this is just to take your piece and cut it in half.  If you’re particularly wordy, do it one more time after that.  It may seem impossible, but trust me, your readers will thank you.

I’ve seen these creative writing tips going around for a while now, and while they’re not actually composed by Edgar Allan Poe, they’re still likely to give you some good ideas if you are working on anything a little dark or crazy.

1. Employ an unreliable narrator, preferably one who doesn’t know he is insane and has no recollection of such events as digging into a grave to rip out the teeth of his recently departed lover.
2. Include a beautiful woman with raven locks and porcelain skin, preferably quite young, and let her die tragically of some unknown ailment.
3. Use grandiloquent words, such as heretofore, forthwith, and nevermore. A little Latin will also enhance the text.
4. Do not shy away from such grotesqueries as inebriation, imprisonment, insanity, and men costumed as orangutans being burned to death.
5. When in doubt, bury someone alive.

Perfect advice for composing your own Poe-inspired poem, short story, or novel

photo credit: kevindooley