Me on the left, Santwana Karr in the middle, Janice Galloway on the right
I recently came across a series of quotes and writing advice I had written down from Scottish writer Janice Galloway. I went to a writer's retreat in Saanenmoser Switzerland a couple of years ago, and she was one of the guest writers that my friend Jason Donald had invited. She was an incredibly bubbly, feisty, hilarious and intelligent Scottish lady with a wicked sense of humour and a brutally honest approach to life and creativity.
Here some of her memorable quotes from her workshop.
The hard thing is having the confidence to write. The most lauded of writers haven’t had a writer’s lesson in their lives.
Writing is all about the feeling. The spirit of the five senses (taste, smell, touch). Writing must always be sensory.
If people are having too much fun with it, some others won’t. ;)
Be as subtle as possible. If everything is on the surface, it doesn’t work. But be clear.
Show things as they are - never preach. It’s not about you.
If you don’t believe in the characters, no one else will.
It’s not just about making stuff up. It needs a purpose.
Make yourself vulnerable - and the reader will also feel vulnerable.
Read what you’ve written aloud to yourself
