“I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven.”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed.”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot if difference. They don't have to makes speeches. Just believing is usually enough.”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“...it was another year or two before I discovered that drat and draft were different words. During that same period I remember believing that details were dentals and that a bitch was an extremely tall woman. A son of a bitch was apt to be a basketball player. When you're six, most of your Bingo balls are still floating around in the draw-tank" (27-8).”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit.”
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Joyce’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Joyce’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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