Wonderful book for writers

We live in an increasingly curated world. We are given suggestions on what to read and what to watch by sophisticated algorithms. These complex calculations determine what we will like by what we have enjoyed in the past. The problem with this approach is that we find ourselves being channeled into a narrow pathway like cattle sent down a shoot. 

There is something to be said for randomness and serendipity. I like to wander the secondhand stores and library sales to discover books that haven't been chosen for me. I delight in finding books that I've never heard of from authors tat are new to me. These books often take me to new and wonderful places that I didn't even know existed.

I just picked up a book that I found in just this way, The Little Virtues by Italian writer Natalie Ginzburg. This little book is a collection of essays about her life during and after World War II. The essay titled My Vocation is a very instructive and entertaining piece for any aspiring writer. When the Coronavirus Crisis is over I intend to track down some more of Ginzburg's books. 

One passage is particularly applicable in this time of quarantine: "at the moment someone is writing he is miraculously driven to forget the immediate circumstances of his own life."

Keep writing and stay safe.

Jim Busch 

John D MacDonald on what makes a story

What makes a story a story? Is it just a collection of words? An article on choosing a lawnmower is a collection of words, but it is hardly a story. Stories engage us. They pull us in and hold our interest. Here is author John D. MacDonald"s definition of what makes a story a story:

"Story is something happening to someone you've been led to care about."

A good story has two elements, characters we care about and a sequence of events which happen to them. 

Keep your cheeks in the seat and your fingers on the keyboard and keep writing. 

Thanks

Jim Busch

Great Flaubert quote

"It is a delicious thing to write, to be no longer yourself but to move in an entire universe of your own creating. Today, for instance, as man and woman, both lover and mistress, I rode in a forest on an autumn afternoon under the yellow leaves, and I was also the horses, the leaves, the wind, the words my people uttered, even the red sun that made them almost close their love-drowned eyes."--Gustave Flaubert

"This I Believe" writing workshop

Please join the Ligonier Valley Writers for a fun and informative writing workshop based on the classic Edward R. Murrow "This I Believe" radio program and books. Check out this link for info:        
http://triblive.com/aande/moreaande/13238335-74/ligonier-valley-writers-hosts-workshop-for-essays-on-guiding-beliefs

We hope to see you there. Thanks for reading

Jim Busch

The writer's duty according to Ursula K Le Guin

I have just learned that the great writer Ursula K Le Guin passed away at the age of 88. A prolific author she penned 20 novels, 12 books of poetry, hundreds of short stories and 13 children's books. Her books were translated into 40 languages and she sold millions of copies around the globe. Here is how Ursula K Le Guin described the true work of a writer.

"The writer's pleasant duty is to ply the reader's imagination with the best and purest nourishment that it can absorb."

Check out the LVWonline.org site for information on our upcoming programs. This spring we will be presenting programs on writing an Edward R. Murrow style "This I Believe" essay and a program on writing historical fiction in conjunction with Fort Ligonier.

Thanks for reading this post.

Jim Busch

How many writers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

How many writers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Six. One to screw it in, one to sharpen all the pencils in the house, one to make more coffee, one to call a friend to chat, and one to complain that there's never time to do any writing. Wait, that's only five — that's why they need editors.

This is a great joke but if you're serious about writing join the Ligonier Valley Writers in 2018. 

Thanks

Jim Busch

Advice from one of America's most successful writers

Louis L'Amour was a successful writer in anybody's book. In his life he wrote over 100 novels, published more than 250 short stories and had 320 million books in print in over 10 languages. He was a hardworking writer who knew how to engage his readers. Here is L'Amour's advice on how to start a book:

"Begin every story in the middle. The reader doesn't care how it begins, he wants you to get on with it."--Louis L'Amour

If you want to learn how to be a great writer, join the Ligonier Valley Writers. Information on joining and on our upcoming programs visit LVWonline.org

Thanks for reading