Comments on: 27 Secrets To Writing Like Hemingway http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/ Because our words count Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:20:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Joanna http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-25277 Joanna Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:11:10 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-25277 Well, I would probably agree with you if these secrets were aimed at aping a particular style... but they're not. Check out #27 and you'll see. Well, I would probably agree with you if these secrets were aimed at aping a particular style… but they’re not. Check out #27 and you’ll see.

]]> By: xcrimsonprophecyx http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-25235 xcrimsonprophecyx Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:12:32 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-25235 Why would anyone in their right mind (aspiring writer or otherwise) attempt to reproduce something from the past? It sickens me that there are writers out there reading this garbage and thinking to themselves that they could get by on someone else's style and way of relaying perceptions. I would say that unless you are truely looking at this list objectively; attempting to pick up some helpful writing tips, then you need to check yourself out and leave this business to those who focus on new and creative approaches to thinking without plagairizing someone else's style. I'm sure he was a great writer (actually looking for some of his stuff now for some light reading, but am trying not to because I don't want to be swayed into a new style. I like mine.), but to actually get hung up on becoming the guy when you are writing is madness. Think for yourselves. Why would anyone in their right mind (aspiring writer or otherwise) attempt to reproduce something from the past? It sickens me that there are writers out there reading this garbage and thinking to themselves that they could get by on someone else’s style and way of relaying perceptions.

I would say that unless you are truely looking at this list objectively; attempting to pick up some helpful writing tips, then you need to check yourself out and leave this business to those who focus on new and creative approaches to thinking without plagairizing someone else’s style.

I’m sure he was a great writer (actually looking for some of his stuff now for some light reading, but am trying not to because I don’t want to be swayed into a new style. I like mine.), but to actually get hung up on becoming the guy when you are writing is madness. Think for yourselves.

]]> By: Hemingway « ::perdidos::para::siempre:: http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-24576 Hemingway « ::perdidos::para::siempre:: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:16:13 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-24576 [...] = De acá. ▶ Ninguna respuesta /* 0) { jQuery('#comments').show('', change_location()); [...] [...] = De acá. ▶ Ninguna respuesta /* 0) { jQuery('#comments').show('', change_location()); [...]

]]> By: By George Journal › Ernest Hemingway on effective writing http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-23451 By George Journal › Ernest Hemingway on effective writing Tue, 25 May 2010 14:46:02 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-23451 [...] http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/ [...] [...] http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/ [...]

]]> By: Joanna http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-23167 Joanna Sun, 09 May 2010 07:36:49 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-23167 <b>Brad</b> I'm not sure I've been writing very Hemingway-esque recently. One of my latest endeavours: photos and prose-poems, you'll find them here, <a href="http://jointhedance.co.uk" rel="nofollow">Join the Dance</a>. Brad I’m not sure I’ve been writing very Hemingway-esque recently. One of my latest endeavours: photos and prose-poems, you’ll find them here, Join the Dance.

]]> By: Brad Neal Clark http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-23053 Brad Neal Clark Sun, 02 May 2010 05:28:45 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-23053 Hello Sweety, Joanna, you are a very sweet girl. I can tell just by looking at you, although it's true that all humans have their evil points, too. Maybe not you, however. You have that pure look. I don't know. It's something about red heads. It's deceptive. Anyway, I'd like to read some of your writing. See how other Hemingway fans incorporate that influence into their work, you know? I think it can still be done. Successfully. Where can I read your work? And thank you for your kindness in this cold, hard world. Brad Hello Sweety,
Joanna, you are a very sweet girl. I can tell just by looking at you, although it’s true that all humans have their evil points, too. Maybe not you, however. You have that pure look. I don’t know. It’s something about red heads. It’s deceptive.
Anyway, I’d like to read some of your writing. See how other Hemingway fans incorporate that influence into their work, you know? I think it can still be done. Successfully. Where can I read your work? And thank you for your kindness in this cold, hard world.
Brad

]]> By: Joanna http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-23039 Joanna Sat, 01 May 2010 08:00:21 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-23039 <b>brad</b> no you weren't negative... it's just I like to keep affirming that anyone can write and can write better, especially if they keep reaching for the truthful sentences ;-) I'll ask around about online groups and get back to you... brad no you weren’t negative… it’s just I like to keep affirming that anyone can write and can write better, especially if they keep reaching for the truthful sentences ;-) I’ll ask around about online groups and get back to you…

]]> By: brad neal clark http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-23020 brad neal clark Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:08:39 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-23020 Howdy Joanna, Yes, you're right. Those were all great suggestions and very helpful ones. Very insightful, too. Can help anyone write better. I hope I didn't seem negative in my comments. I might have been drinking at the time, though it's hard to tell. My outlook tends to get rather bleak when I do that. Say, Joanna, do you know of any online writer's groups that share stories for critique? I live in San Antonio, Texas, and it seems a bit difficult to find very many of these groups. I thought an online group might be better. Brad Howdy Joanna,
Yes, you’re right. Those were all great suggestions and very helpful ones. Very insightful, too. Can help anyone write better. I hope I didn’t seem negative in my comments. I might have been drinking at the time, though it’s hard to tell. My outlook tends to get rather bleak when I do that.
Say, Joanna, do you know of any online writer’s groups that share stories for critique? I live in San Antonio, Texas, and it seems a bit difficult to find very many of these groups. I thought an online group might be better.
Brad

]]> By: Joanna http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-23004 Joanna Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:50:17 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-23004 Hi <b>Brad</b> thanks for the thoughtful contribution to the discussion. It's a while since I last looked at this post, so it was good to be reminded of it. I don't think, looking at it again, that any of these suggestions or all of them can make someone write like Hemingway. Perhaps like you say you either have it or you don't. Or it's the kind of life you lead, or how you experience it. But there is something in each of those lines that speaks to me and I hope can speak to others - to dip that bit below the surface, to find something of the essence, to find something that is hard and truthful and then try and write it that way... and that approach can enhance the quality of anyone's writing, and help us to get to the point of what it is we're trying to say... Thanks for stopping by. Hi Brad thanks for the thoughtful contribution to the discussion. It’s a while since I last looked at this post, so it was good to be reminded of it. I don’t think, looking at it again, that any of these suggestions or all of them can make someone write like Hemingway. Perhaps like you say you either have it or you don’t. Or it’s the kind of life you lead, or how you experience it. But there is something in each of those lines that speaks to me and I hope can speak to others – to dip that bit below the surface, to find something of the essence, to find something that is hard and truthful and then try and write it that way… and that approach can enhance the quality of anyone’s writing, and help us to get to the point of what it is we’re trying to say… Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: brad neal clark http://confidentwriting.com/2008/02/27-secrets-to-w/comment-page-1/#comment-22989 brad neal clark Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:15:08 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=324#comment-22989 Hello people, I like the fact that there still are people even talking about Hemingway's style. In today's writing there seems to be no trace of what he had going on. There must be others (maybe not?), but Ray Carver seems to be the last writer who truly followed the Hem's style. But he did it his own way. Like I say, I could just be ignorant. There may be others. I started out a songwriter. I used to be a country singer. Many people thought I was a good one. And original sounding. In fact I still have a myspace band page under brad neal clark. Why I was a good singer is because I learned from the greats. I didn't give a damn about Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw. Instead I wanted to see who the hell those two were influenced by: Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzel and George Jones. It is those that I studied and honed my craft from. Remember when we didn't have digital? Only cassettes? Do you remember when you would record an original cassette onto a blank one? And then you'd give your copy to a friend so he or she could record it? Well, by the third or fourth time you could barely hear the damn music. It got watered down through all the recordings. To me it's the same with writing. See who the hell Hemingway was influenced by and immerse your brain in that for a while. Mark Twain, for example (or Rudyard Kipling). Twain's writings were much like Hemingway in many regards. I don't mean to be negative or discouraging, but another point I'd like to add is that you either have it or you don't. Many people have tried to write like Ernest or others, many of them very talented folks, however they were unable to do so. Look at how Hem's life ended: suicide with shotgun. Same with his father. Raymond Carver died at age 50 from lung cancer, after a whole life of alcoholism. I believe two of Mark Twain's daughters and his wife died before him. That doesn't make for a happy camper, but a cynic. It almost seems to me that one must have a life of hell to be able to write in this minimalistic manner. To me, "minimalist" is a compliment and not an insult. Like they say, the good die young. Maybe that means great art comes mainly through desperate humans. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule. I haven't necessarily seen any yet. And there are good writers who aren't desperate ones. But the desperate ones have their own quality, which I like and which seems can't be emulated. I'm glad I'm going to die soon. Anyway, Joanna, you are a doll. This is a good discussion. Good luck, everybody. Brad Neal Clark Hello people,
I like the fact that there still are people even talking about Hemingway’s style. In today’s writing there seems to be no trace of what he had going on. There must be others (maybe not?), but Ray Carver seems to be the last writer who truly followed the Hem’s style. But he did it his own way. Like I say, I could just be ignorant. There may be others.
I started out a songwriter. I used to be a country singer. Many people thought I was a good one. And original sounding. In fact I still have a myspace band page under brad neal clark. Why I was a good singer is because I learned from the greats. I didn’t give a damn about Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw. Instead I wanted to see who the hell those two were influenced by: Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzel and George Jones. It is those that I studied and honed my craft from. Remember when we didn’t have digital? Only cassettes? Do you remember when you would record an original cassette onto a blank one? And then you’d give your copy to a friend so he or she could record it? Well, by the third or fourth time you could barely hear the damn music. It got watered down through all the recordings.
To me it’s the same with writing. See who the hell Hemingway was influenced by and immerse your brain in that for a while. Mark Twain, for example (or Rudyard Kipling). Twain’s writings were much like Hemingway in many regards.
I don’t mean to be negative or discouraging, but another point I’d like to add is that you either have it or you don’t. Many people have tried to write like Ernest or others, many of them very talented folks, however they were unable to do so.
Look at how Hem’s life ended: suicide with shotgun. Same with his father. Raymond Carver died at age 50 from lung cancer, after a whole life of alcoholism. I believe two of Mark Twain’s daughters and his wife died before him. That doesn’t make for a happy camper, but a cynic. It almost seems to me that one must have a life of hell to be able to write in this minimalistic manner. To me, “minimalist” is a compliment and not an insult.
Like they say, the good die young. Maybe that means great art comes mainly through desperate humans. I’m sure there are exceptions to the rule. I haven’t necessarily seen any yet. And there are good writers who aren’t desperate ones. But the desperate ones have their own quality, which I like and which seems can’t be emulated.
I’m glad I’m going to die soon.
Anyway, Joanna, you are a doll. This is a good discussion.
Good luck, everybody.
Brad Neal Clark

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