Writing
Don't be misled by the title of Ring Lardner's book, How to Write Short Stories. It is a book of ten excellent short stories, preceded by a completely facetious exposition of its title.You can have a lot of fun writing, even though you are never going to become another Ring Lardner. How many professionals ever approach his mastery?
You are writing now, even if it is no more than occasional letters to your family and friends. Perhaps you think writing is a boring task. If you do, chances are that you have been writing dull and boring letters. If you devote more attention to your writing, whether letters or anything else, and do not approach the chore in awe of the written word, you will write better and you will begin to enjoy writing.
The professional writer needs an understanding of English grammar and the techniques of his selected medium: short story, drama, novel, or whatever it may be. He may acquire these at school, or he may learn them by his own observation and study of the work of others.
The amateur needs only a desire to write, and he must know that writing is not essentially different from speaking. If, in talking to a friend, you can give him an interesting account of your visit to Paris or yesterday's Yankees-Senators baseball game at Yankee Stadium, you can do the same thing with a pen and paper. A typewriter is better, though, if you want anyone to read it.
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October 12, 2008