Do Great Authors Give TERRIBLE Writing Advice?

You've read their books, but have you listened to their advice?
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[@Gandalf-The-Green]

I just re-read the first chapter of "A Game Of Thrones" - the one with the dire wolf pups - and was surprised how much exposition Martin uses. I then read the "Winds Of Winter" sample chapter. Same here, pages upon pages of exposition. The books are obviously very good, but I do think that an unknown writer using the same amount of exposition would have a very hard time getting published.

[@PaulRWorthington]

Agreed about pantsing. Obviously it does not or cannot work for everyone. The problem with those who advocate for it is survivorship bias. It's as if Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg gave business advice saying everyone should drop out of Harvard to make it rich. Yes, writing without an outline works for Stephen King, but we don't hear from the thousands who toiled at a novel for a year and ended up with an unworkable pile of gibberish with no coherent story, not even one that could be found and saved through revision. Most of those people never try again, thinking they failed at novel writing, unaware the failed only at one strategy for novel writing. On the other hand: I am one of those who push back against critiques calling for cutting all "unnecessary" scenes. I take issue with the advice that "everything that can be cut should be cut because readers have short attention spans." I look at the Travis McKee series by John MacDonald, a famous old thriller series, which introduced the main character's best friend, with whom he would have one or two long conversations only tangentially related to the plot in each book… And those reportedly became the favorite parts for the thousands of devoted readers. If done, well, if entertaining, those types of asides can add to a novel, not just detract from a fast-paced plot.

[@PaulRWorthington]

(Yes, I'm writing overly long comments instead of working on my book.)

[@delstanley1349]

Steinbeck-6:50 "Beware of a scene that becomes too dear too you, dearer than the rest...." Sounds like Faulkner's "Murder your darlings."

[@kiirian]

I've found your channel just recently and it is such a God-sent. Thank you so much for your work and please keep on creating!

[@duncanosis6773]

Thanks I really appreciate it!

[@Barklord]

Walter M. Miller put some writing advice in his sci-fi-ish novel 'A Canticle for Liebowitz.' *"But he tells it sweet-and-simple, rather stupidly, in fact, and lets the others read in the meanings."* -Abbot Arkos, speaking about Brother Francis' manner of telling about his meeting the traveler and the discovery of the Liebowitz relics.

[@fragwagon]

One of my all-time favorites!

[@nurabsal0x018c]

Stephen King is able to “pants” his way through everything because he internalized all kinds of concepts and principles for writing to the point that it’s like chewing or breathing to him. That makes him good at doing it but not so much explaining it. To him plotting is like trying to explain how you get your brain to send nerve impulses down to your diaphragm to get it to contract and create negative air pressure to fill your lungs with oxygen. Totally stupid thing to waste time on. Just breathe. For those of us who have lots of ideas but little talent, we need to learn the craft the hard way with willpower and discipline, countless try/fail cycles, and all that. In that sense I value the advice of some random dude on KZbin more than Stephen King. By the time he was my age Stephen King was already basically the most wildly successful writer in pop culture. I’ll be happy if 2 people I’ve never met before read something I write and 1 of them hates it.

[@BooksForever]

How you got through that whole long “ego section” without mentioning the applicable, famous advice “kill your darlings” I’ll never know.

[@duncanosis6773]

I've mentioned that quote in a few other videos recently and didn't want this one to be too repetitive. But yes it is a much more succinct version of Steinbeck's advice.

[@BooksForever]

@@duncanosis6773 It seemed like you were avoiding that for some reason - perhaps because it is sort of a tired cliché that isn’t as immediately apparent in meaning. Your version was certainly better without it. Thanks for going the extra mile.

[@susiduo3438]

I dont write books but I am a lfietime GM for roleplaying games and your videos are quite itneresting for that purpose too. I uh just wanted to drop that here.

[@andreasboe4509]

More, please.

[@Seldarius]

I disagree on favourite scenes being the useless ones. Sometimes they’re the heart of your story and they feel exactly right and therefore they become „more dear“ than any of the rest. That said every scene you ever liked at all will be painful to delete, even if it’s not necessary.

[@DavidLeeHolcomb]

What kind of pickles are those on the shelf behind you?

[@duncanosis6773]

I don't remember... That jar is at least 5 or 6 years old, so its a mystery that's lost to time.

[@DavidLeeHolcomb]

@@duncanosis6773 -- The mysterious pickle jar. A story waiting to be told ...

[@woclass-w2g]

Great video!

[@duncanosis6773]

Thanks!

[@Drudenfusz]

I make use of extensive outlining, still I would not call me a plotter. My writing falls more into literary fiction than genre fiction, and as such I have to agree with King, that plot is just bad. Having an idea of how to express a theme that is more what I am going for.

[@duncanosis6773]

Yes that's a good point. I think the genre you write in determines a lot of whether plotting or not is a good idea. Definitely literary fiction would lean away from plotting.

[@joshuam2212]

fear is a addiction for some people have you could argue Mr. kings work is successful because he is feeding it not because he is the best writer i have never liked his books so i done know if they are well written but it is something to keep in mind

[@IHBooks]

Sports ball is brilliant

[@markwatson7652]

I do enjoy your humor, sir.

[@duncanosis6773]

Thanks!