Comments on: Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules For Writing Fiction

By: Francine Craft

Francine Craft — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Gorgeous tips, as I expected. If we could really incorporate them all in our fiction, we’d all be winners. Thanks Kurt!

By: strewn « mars is heaven

strewn « mars is heaven — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:26:38 +0000

[...] writing it (one of the more painful memories of that shitty year). I read to her over the phone Vonnegut’s eight rules for writing, and she thought they were wonderful, as I do. Vonnegut also advised (I’m paraphrasing) that [...]

By: Keskiyo

Keskiyo — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:26:00 +0000

You can give your reader all the information they need to figure out a story (or even a novel) way before you make the reveal and still keep the mistery. You just have to make it look as trivial as you can or introduce something much more exciting to make it look dull. Most readers won’t notice and even the most dedicated readers will pass one or two things. Making a reader say “it was there all along! How could I have missed it?” is very satisfying.

By: Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules For Writing Fiction – Novelr – Making People Read « Numéro Cinq

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:15:54 +0000

[...] leave a comment » Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules For Writing Fiction – Novelr – Making People Read. [...]

By: Betty

Betty — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:12:57 +0000

I have just started taking a creative writing course, and i like these tips for writing fiction.

By: Missing Links: Holy Guacamole Edition « Worlds As Myth

Missing Links: Holy Guacamole Edition « Worlds As Myth — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:51:18 +0000

[...] a two-fer for you fledgling writer types out there: Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules for Writing Fiction and Chuck Palahniuk’s 13 Writing Tips. Super informative and [...]

By: The One About The Blankets and Quentin Tarantino Speaking Japanese « The World Of Rob Kaas

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:41:48 +0000

[...] here, most recently, they’re Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules for Writing [...]

By: Words of Wisdom: 101 Tips from the World’s Most Famous Authors | Online College Tips - Online Colleges

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:07:32 +0000

[...] Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut offers eight rules of writing a short story, including tips such as "Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water" and "Every sentence must do one of two things–reveal character or advance the action." [...]

By: W.Mason

W.Mason — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:40:02 +0000

It’s actually 8 rules for writing a SHORT story. Maybe they should be applied to the Wheel of Time series, though.

By: Eli James

Eli James — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:43:57 +0000

I’m glad to hear that, Wendy. I wish you the best of luck.

By: Wendi Maroon

Wendi Maroon — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:02:28 +0000

This is the first time I’ve read rule 6 “Be a Sadist”. I actually find that idea rather profound, a provocative idea that I immediately ‘felt’ the rightness of. Those two sentences in that rule taught me something that has never occurred to me before but I believe I will never forget. With what I’m writing right now, half a dozen ideas popped into my head immediately. After I finish this comment, I am going to print out these rules, put them on my corkboard at my writing desk and start writing, even though Saturdays are usually the days I don’t write. When a simple two sentences, or a simple idea, motivates me like that, I know I’ve come to the right place.

By: Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for writing fiction « Stefanie's Blog

Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for writing fiction « Stefanie's Blog — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:23:24 +0000

[...] 19, 2009 by StefanieF I found this on Novelr and felt like passing it [...]

By: Chase

Chase — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:44:25 +0000

I comepletely disagree with the last one. Mystery is important and withholding information is entertaining to the reader.

By: Darkened Jade

Darkened Jade — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:43:05 +0000

Good advice (though being Australian I don’t think that I want people to ‘root’ for my character – I think I want them to be cheering for them, or something with less explicit connotations). I do kind of disagree with number 8 though, not so much as a writer, but as a reader. Author’s who give everything away bore me. I want there to be a logical surprise at the end, it does have to be logical though.

Thanks for the informaiton. Really helpful.

By: A Dribble of Ink » Blog Archive » Review | The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:59:39 +0000

[...] Sirens of Titan is very much a novel of misconceptions. One of Vonnegut’s 8 Rules for Writing Fiction [...]

By: Eli James

Eli James — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:29:44 +0000

@Lolita: really?!

@Viqi: Oh yes indeed. He is Vonnegut, after all.
;-)

By: Viqi French

Viqi French — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:08:55 +0000

Good advice. ;-)

By: Lolita

Lolita — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:55:40 +0000

This is actually for Short Stories, specifically, but I suppose that they all have relevance to some degree on fiction writing in general.

By: links for 2008-12-10 « Valpurin vinttikamari

links for 2008-12-10 « Valpurin vinttikamari — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:06:21 +0000

[...] Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules For Writing Fiction » Novelr – Making People Read Otan tämän Vonnegutin ohjeen ylös, kun jotenkin tämä viehättää: "Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense." (tags: kirjallisuus kulttuuri) [...]

By: Eli James

Eli James — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:49:29 +0000

Thank you, all.

PS: @Masonspace: serious? But then again that last rule is common sense: Picasso learnt the rulebook inside out before he started breaking every one of them.