Search This Blog

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Isaac Asimov on Writing

Thoughts from the maestro of science fiction

“There is a romantic notion that there is such a thing as inspiration – that a heavenly muse comes down and plunks her harp over your head, and presto, the job is done. Like all romantic notions, however, it is just a romantic notion.”

“If your grammar and spelling are rotten, you won’t be writing a great and gorgeous story. Someone who can’t use a saw and hammer doesn’t turn out stately furniture.”

“Writing is the most wonderful and satisfying task in the world, but it does have a few insignificant flaws. Among those flaws is the fact that a writer can almost never make a living at it.”

6 comments:

M. C. Muir said...

I would certainly agree with Azimov’s statements that ‘Writing is the most wonderful and satisfying task in the world’ and that ‘a writer can almost never make a living at it.’
But I disagree when he says ‘there is no such thing as inspiration’. Inspiration sparks story ideas, and inspiration ignites the words on paper. I believe I ‘suffer’ from visitations by the heavenly muse. I certainly know when the muse is taking a week off.

Anonymous said...

Who was it - Somerset Maugham? - who arranged to be inspired every morning at nine?

World of the Written Word said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
World of the Written Word said...

And think of RLS, who woke up with the entire plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde in his head, having dreamed it. I believe he wrote feverishly over the next 7 days before he forgot the details.

One wonders where that dream came from! Too much sherry and cheese late at night? :)

World of the Written Word said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hmmm - sherry and cheese - good thinking ...