So, it seems Nathan Bransford — who used to be an agent, is now and author, and has had an excellent writing blog the whole time — has just collected all his writing-themed tweets into one post. Lots of them are funny and/or thoughtful, so it’s entertaining to scan down the list.
My favorite so far:
William Faulkner on what makes a good writer: “99% talent, 99% discipline, 99% work”
Hah! That sounds about right.
Also! Scroll down and there’s a good post about Nathan’s recent first-paragraph contest. I agree with him: first paragraphs are important! (Here’s how he puts it: “A first paragraph is like starting a dance with a reader who can’t hear the music. You have to guide them until they find the rhythm.” Nice!)
Lots of entries follow. And I have to say, they’re pretty darn good first paragraphs. Nathan’s commentary about each one is also worth reading.
My favorite . . . and it’s a genuinely hard choice . . . is the one Nathan picked as his winner. Which is at the bottom of his post. Sorry, I don’t want to give it away! Read the whole post, which isn’t that long.
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