Sunday, September 28, 2008

Toby Litt's Advice to New Writers

Toby Litt's advice to new writers:

Don't write what you know. You don't know what you know. Surprise yourself.

For the rest of the Guardian interview from which this nugget comes, click here.
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3 comments:

  1. Suko9/28/2008 4:55 PM

    There's really so much I don't know about the things I know, which is why writing about them is always a learning experience. (Hope that doesn't sound too dorky!) The very act of writing about something, known or unknown, forces us to get to know our subject better.

    Toby Litt's last name is perfect for a writer!

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  2. Chris9/29/2008 12:02 PM

    I love his secret to writing. I didn't even notice his apt last name till I read Suko's comment. Just read about a special term for that ... how one's last name perfectly fits one's profession.

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  3. Anonymous10/02/2008 3:09 PM

    Well, I think you usually start with what you know and then wander off... isn't that what it's about? Writng I mean.

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