I started reading an article about Jonathan Franzen and how we love to hate him (you know what I mean) and then I was diverted by this older piece in The Guardian which compiles writing rules from incredible writers, among others Margaret Atwood, Elmore Leonard, Richard Ford, Neil Gaiman and (God love him) Franzen.
It’s all very practical and they are rules we’ve read time and again from lesser known writers and teachers. However, coming from Philip Pullman or Margaret Atwood, each little piece of practical advice bears slightly more weight.
I plan on printing out both (it’s a two-parter) and adding all of the rules to my compendium of amassed writing advice which is starting to take over my desk.
As for Franzen, I’m ignoring the copy of Purity sitting on my dining room table, taunting me. That I found the opening pages compelling only makes it worse. He’s like that super-smart pretentious guy in high school who knew his smarts and was condescending about it. And the fact his work could actually support his hubris, you had to grudgingly respect him.
Franzen (think Jerry Seinfeld saying ,”Newman“).
