Ryan G. Van Cleave
"What people SHOULD preface their rule-dispensing [for creative pursuits] with is something like this: 'Hey, this is the way it worked for me. Maybe it'll work for you too? And if not, no worries. We're still pals.'"
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | creative process, creating isn't easy, the successful artist, reaching your audience, feedback/criticism/rejection, artist's message, artists supporting artists, Ryan G. Van Cleave, artists vs. artists/competition among creatives
"It's clear that advice of any type—whether it's for writing great novels, making a terrific spinach soufflé, or pitching a new widget to the sales team—is anything but one-size-fits-all."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | gadgets, novel writing, creativity, writing, never stop LEARNING, Ryan G. Van Cleave, culinary arts
"Write often enough that you don't lose your rhythm or forget what you're up to. That might mean writing every other day. Or only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you're thinking about your work and reading a lot during that in-between time, it can help make those less-than-every-day writing sessions as productive as an every-day 'Must-Do!' writing routine (which can start to feel like drudgery pretty darn fast)."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | create for YOURSELF, writing, word count, the creative life, Ryan G. Van Cleave
"Reading is fuel for the imagination. Reading is inspiring. Reading is relaxing. Reading is a way to keep this 'art' part of your brain active between writing sessions."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | reading, books, writing, inspiration/the muse, value the art, never stop LEARNING, Ryan G. Van Cleave
"I've used more than one non-sentence in this article alone, and the Grammar Police haven't come after me yet. If it sounds right to your ears and it works for readers, leave it alone. Even if it's a fragment."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | language, writing, creative freedom, Ryan G. Van Cleave
"'You should write every day': that's a terrific idea... in theory. I should also swim 20 laps every day, mow my lawn twice a month, and grade student papers the moment they're turned in. But like you, I'm busy and don't do all the things I ought to do when I 'should' do them. I accept that."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | writing, KEEP CREATING, the creative life, Ryan G. Van Cleave
"If you're truly worried about sounding too much like a specific author, read outside of your genre when you're writing."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | reading, writing, artist's voice, genre, Ryan G. Van Cleave
"The claim some young writer makes each semester to me [is] that they don't want to read the writing of anyone else because it might damage their own creativity and squelch their voice. Hard to believe, I realize, but I get myopic Kurt Vonnegut wannabes in my classes all the time. ... Reading helps [writers] find their own voice."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | reading, creativity, writing, artist's voice, Ryan G. Van Cleave
"'Don't read other authors while you're writing, or you'll end up sounding just like them.' IF this were true, everyone would be reading Stephen King while writing their horror novels and we'd have oodles of people making 8 gazillion dollars because they sound a lot like Stephen King."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | reading, creative process, writing, artist's voice, Stephen King, Ryan G. Van Cleave
"There's a huge difference between writing for yourself (aka journaling) and writing for an external human audience. If your goal is to be published, there's no getting away from caring about—at least a little—what other people want from your writing. So at some point in your process, you need to attend to the needs of those readers."
— Ryan G. Van Cleave
for Creatives | create for YOURSELF, writing, reaching your audience, writer-reader relationship, publishing, Ryan G. Van Cleave