I didn’t really mean to, but I’ve been having a feast of writing how-to books passing through my life lately. Usually I try to ration that kind of stuff out – because the one thing that’s a whole lot better than reading writing how-to books is definitely just WRITING – but the writing’s been in a bit of a lull and a bunch of how-to books that I’ve had on reserve at the library for ages just all arrived at once.

Which means this week I’ve been devouring Stephen King’s On Writing again. I read it once on loan from some foreign library (in Japan? or Germany?) but I couldn’t remember much about it. It’s lovely. It’s utterly readable and interesting and didn’t make me feel there are a million rules to follow when I write; but at the same time it gave me a bunch of reminders of how I can improve my writing. So for my own good more than anyone else’s, here’s a list of reminders I need, courtesy of my interpretation of Stephen King’s:

• no adverbs. Well, almost no adverbs.
• no passive voice. Ditto.
• watch dialogue attribution. Usually, stick to “X said” or better still, nothing at all.
• King writes 2,000 words every day. I should write something every day.
• keep your first draft private. Don’t let other people’s ideas interfere with yours until they’re on paper.
• story is everything. Characters come next. Other stuff doesn’t matter.
• good description makes the reader participate.
• make dialogue honest.
• 2nd draft = 1st draft minus 10%
• nail down the symbolism and theme after the first draft, then enhance them
• re-read 1st draft after (minimum) 6 weeks, and all in one sitting if possible.

A lot of these reminders will frame what I now go back and do with the draft of my first novel, which I hope to make a start on this weekend (a long one, thanks to our Queen’s Birthday holiday).

And also this weekend, the next Writers Weekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest is on and I’m signed up again. It’s on Sunday (my time) so send some creative energy my way, please.