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

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.

By: Clarice-EbookGuru

Clarice-EbookGuru — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:32:24 +0000

I’m usually against rules for writers, but with this particular set I think you hit the nail on the head. Great Job!

By: Kellyg

Kellyg — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:10:43 +0000

Usually, I hate these types of rules that a writer must follow. But this list caught my attention, and I’m glad I read it. Nice job!

By: Masonspace

Masonspace — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:55:22 +0000

You Didn’t finish it, afterwords it reads

“The greatest American short story writer of my generation was Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964). She broke practically every one of my rules but the first. Great writers tend to do that.”

By: Eli James

Eli James — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:48:13 +0000

Glad you enjoyed it, Writer Dad.

By: Writer Dad

Writer Dad — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:26:41 +0000

Yeah, this list is a classic. My favorite, by far, is “start as close to the end as possible.”

By: Chantix

Chantix — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:17:26 +0000

Great advice! Being a sadist is probably the best advice for a writer. People love reading about sadness, loss, and feelings of despair since they are all a part of life. No matter how many people may not admit it, but people do enjoy reading about sadness.