Is it possible to teach someone to write? Are there any books f'rinstance that are genuinely useful? Not ones where you nod wisely and say how very true, but ones where having read them your next story is better than anything you've written before. I've always thought that if you read a lot - nothing like seeing how the professionals do it - and write as much as you can, you get about as good as your talents will allow. Am I wrong? Is there a shortcut?
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maddan | August 15, 2008 - 11:17
I read a story the other day, probably apocryphal but very believable, of a pottery class where the students were divided into two groups at the start of the year. The first group were told they would be graded simply on the quantity of pots they created, the more pots they submitted at the end of the year, the higher the grade. The second group were told they would be graded on the the quality of their best pot, they would only be able to submit one pot at the end of the year and the better the pot, the higher the grade.
The first group just made pots, pots and pots and pots, all year long.
The second group studied, designed, carefully and diligently tried to construct the perfect pot.
At the end of the year the first group (the 'quantity' group) had made far better pots than the 'quality' group.
I don't know if that goes any way to answering your question and if it doesn't I don't care, it's a good story and I like it.
FTSE100 | August 15, 2008 - 11:43
You've just used 200 words to say what you could have said in 20, but I don't care. It's a good story and I like it. :o)