Thursday, March 25, 2010

Mamet Rules

If you're going to take advice about writing you won't get a better source than David Mamet. http://www.movieline.com/2010/03/david-mamets-memo-to-the-writers-of-the-unit.php

Hat tip to Brian for this excellent link!!

5 comments:

pattinase (abbott) said...

Well, I need to take a red pencil to what I am working on. And I have to admit when I read "literary" novels-that don't do this--I am bored. We are not willing to read through superfluous plot anymore.

sandra seamans said...

Readers don't seem to want to take their time with stories any more, Patti. They want to jump into the action and ride the wave.

I usually write this type of fast-paced stories but I have a drawer full of stuff that just takes its time meandering through the story. While they don't often sell, I enjoy writing the slow thoughtful pieces. They give me a chance to stretch writing muscles I don't use very often.

Cormac Brown said...

Flash Fiction 500 is back!

No, it's not. At least, they're not taking submissions, but they did retool the template and site.

sandra seamans said...

They retooled that about a month or more ago, Cormac. I've been checking back since but still no other signs of life. There's a few other flash sites that have popped up and I've linked to them in the flash column. One's bloody bridge review and the other is the molotov cocktail - they look to be publishing the same types of stories especially bloody bridge.

sandra seamans said...

Just popped over to FF500, Cormac, and discovered that they'd changed it...again. I missed that change. Sorry about that!