I ran across this some time ago and loved it–and thought it was worth sharing. I’ve taken pains to reproduce it here, word for word, as I found it.
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(Letter From CS Lewis) To A SCHOOLGIRL IN AMERICA, who had written (at her teacher’s suggestion) to request advice on writing.
14 December 1959
It is very hard to give any general advice about writing. Here’s my attempt.
- Turn off the radio.
- Read all the good books you can, and avoid nearly all magazines.
- Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye. You shd hear every sentence you write as if it was being read aloud or spoken. If it does not sound nice, try again.
- Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else. (Notice this means that if you are interested only in writing you will never be a writer, because you will have nothing to write about…)
- Take great pains to be clear. Remember that though you start by knowing what you mean, the reader doesn’t, and a single ill-chosen word may lead him to a total misunderstanding. In a story it is terribly easy just to forget that you have not told the reader something that he wants to know—the whole picture is so clear in your own mind that you forget that it isn’t the same in his.
- When you give up a bit of work don’t (unless it is hopelessly bad) throw it away. Put it in a drawer. It may come in useful later. Much of my best work, or what I think my best, is the re-writing of things begun and abandoned years earlier.
- Don’t use a typewriter. The noise will destroy your sense of rhythm, which still needs years of training.
- Be sure you know the meaning (or meanings) of every word you use.
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TKZers, what do you think? Does this advice from a master (who convinced several generations that lions and beavers could talk…) still apply today? And which is your favorite?
Cool. Great advice. My favorite was:
“Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else.”
This really hit home because I’ve felt like a fish swimming against the tide because my favorite thing to write isn’t nearly as popular as it once once. I always wanted to write westerns. I love writing in the mid-1800’s U.S. setting. So even if the demand for westerns or historicals completely dried up, I’d have to write to entertain myself. Now I am working on a project that is set in the very early 1900’s, but it’s been like pulling teeth dragging myself that far forward into the timeline. 😎 And I have no interest in writing contemporary.
I had to laugh at the “don’t use a typewriter” re: the noise. You gotta be careful what kind of keyboard you select because some of them can be horribly noisy too. 😎
Good morning, Brenda!
I also think you should go for the western. “Write what really interests you…” Best advice ever.
My keyboard is nearly silent…I love it. Hope I never have to buy another one…
Have a good one!
Fun bit of history, Deb. Also cool that Lewis took time to answer the young writer’s query.
My two faves:
“Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye.”
“Remember that though you start by knowing what you mean, the reader doesn’t, and a single ill-chosen word may lead him to a total misunderstanding.”
Back in 1959, typewriters were huge, heavy, clunky beasts. Typing was a real physical workout. I understand why Lewis would think longhand was better for creativity than pounding hard on keys.
Hi Debbie!
My mama was a secretary (in different settings) for most of my growing up years. We always had one of those beasts sitting somewhere in our house. And I think we have one presently, on a shelf in our garage.
I also liked that Lewis replied to the little girl. I wonder who she was and if she ever became an author.
Have a great weekend!
If I had to write a book on a typewriter, there would be no book…just sayin’. 🙂 These are great tips, except I disagree about not reading magazines…and Brenda, write that western unless you signed a contract to write the one set in the early 1900s!
Good morning, Patricia…
I wonder if the mags in Lewis’s day were more trashy than today? Just wondering…
And, can’t a western be set in the 1900s? Cowboys haven’t gone away yet, as far as I’ve heard. 🙂
Have a great day, my friend!
Excellent advice. Funny that CS Lewis was an auditory writer. I am, too. Not all writers are; some are visual.
Hi Sue!
I thought it was timeless…any age, any era. My favorite was: “(Notice this means that if you are interested only in writing you will never be a writer, because you will have nothing to write about…)”
Have a great weekend!
Always good to hear from Mr. Lewis about writing (or anything else).
Here is my favorite quote from him about writing — What you want is practice, practice, practice. It doesn’t matter what we write (at least this is my view) at our age, so long as we write continually as well as we can. I feel that every time I write a page either of prose or of verse, with real effort, even if it’s thrown into the fire the next minute, I am so much further on.
I also think this quote from his essay on Learning in a Time of War is relevant to our writing — Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice. Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun.
Hi Michelle…
So much to digest in your spot-on comment. Especially:
“Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice. Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself.”
I think I’ll be thinkin’ on that for quite some time.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!
I don’t use WordPress. Is there no way to turn off the Theo feature from commenting? The comments are convoluted, off-topic, and miss the point of what it’s commenting about. On a site that is anti-AI writing, having these agent comments seems… completely wrong.
Sorry if this is a repeat post. I received an error message saying I could not reply directly to the Theo post because the Theo post wasn’t an approved post. ??? So WordPress can slap any old thing they want on your blog without your permission?
Good morning, KS.
After I saw “Theo’s” comment this morning, I went in and “unapproved” it, then threw it to the spam furnace.
Preventing Theo? Not sure how to do that. I did send an email to tech, so maybe he can address it.
Thanks for stopping by this morning!
A lot of wisdom in just a few words. Lewis’s letter would be a great starting point for anyone interested in writing.
I don’t have a favorite. I like ’em all.
Good morning, Kay.
Yeah, it’s hard to choose a favorite. For me, it’d be like trying to choose my favorite Narnia story…I love ’em all!
Have a good weekend!
One minor change: Read all the good books you can, and avoid nearly all social media.
Indeed, Jim!
If I ever get the chance, I’d like to ask Lewis & a few others their opinion of SM.
Probably won’t be good…
🙂
Thanks for checking in to the Zone this morning!
I recommend waiting as long as possible before asking that question.
Good tip, Marshall!
🤛🤛