James Crumley’s Unofficial Rules for Writing

 

I’m a big  James Crumley fan, and I wish he was more prolific as a writer. Something about his writing voice always reminded me of Jim Thompson, but with a more optimistic tone.

There’s some great advice here, especially for writers who are losing confidence in their work, or who are having trouble getting motivated.

2. Aim for something that’s better than sex and drugs.

“Someone once told me that you know it’s good if it raises hackles on the back of your neck. If it doesn’t do that, I don’t keep it. No matter how funny or smart or incisive the descriptions and the dialogue. But when it works, it’s better than sex, it’s better than—well, it’s better than everything. That’s why people write, because it’s the best goddamn drug there is.”

Every year when James Crumley’s birthday rolls around we try to do something on CrimeReads. I’m not sure why, exactly, except that certain authors inspire an outsized personal connectio…

Source: James Crumley’s Unofficial Rules for Writing

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