19 Comments
User's avatar
Kim Allison's avatar

Fast and dirty? Oh if you insist.

I think I needed to read this. Thank you.

Cynthia's avatar

I've been a burn writer trusting that the ideas that are meant to come through will return. As a single mom of four and massage therapist of 30 years I'm just now starting to flesh things out. I love that quote!!!

Anthony Neil Smith's avatar

Sounds right to me! I work scenes out in my head for a long while, especially when the day job is keeping me from writing, and when it’s time to get them typed, it’s all still there! Mostly.

Jonas M. Paterno's avatar

I'm a big fan of Frederick Barthelme... how cool that you were a student of his. "Driver" is one of my favorite short stories. Sorry to focus on a minor aspect of your larger point!

Anthony Neil Smith's avatar

Hey, no worries! Happy to talk about him. Great teacher and writer.

Noémi Kiss-Deáki's avatar

Haha! I am someone who when I write I write very fast and much and I'm mostly happy when done and edit very little. Always feel like an alien when reading about what writing life is 'supposed' to be. Maybe it's just my individual ADHD. Also very taxing, I've been a mental wreck in my high flow and high output writing periods. So I guess wouldn't really recommend it either? Obviously there is no "wrong" way, I am just fascinated one seems to be more of a norm (and somehow superior) than the other.

Sean Patrick Little's avatar

I'm going to second the potato chips--possibly the best flavor of chip I've ever tried. Just amazing.

Craig's avatar

I need these chips.

Anthony Neil Smith's avatar

These chips…wow.

Bryan Wiler's avatar

I’ve written some absolute rubbish, but DELETE it? Never. There’s a grain of goodness that can be salvaged with any story. Might take reimagining or telling yourself to stop…fucking…overthinking it…but there’s a zygote of an idea that could turn into something really cool.

Anthony Neil Smith's avatar

I accidentally lost about 10k of a Lafitte I gave up on, but when I was ready and knew I could use some of it, it was nowhere to be found. I’d rather keep a hundred failed stories and go back later than just delete.

Brutus Macdonald's avatar

You are correct. In the world of fiction, pretentious twats abound. Writing does not seem like a job to those people, the way they talk about it, but they sure love saying they’re a writer and describing how they do it. Danielle Steel’s drink of choice was a Virgin Mojito.

Brutus Macdonald's avatar

Not a virgin fan.

Anthony Neil Smith's avatar

Except for olive oil.

Anthony Neil Smith's avatar

I won’t be drinking that. Not a mint fan.

James Gary Vineyard's avatar

Liked the piece, but is that a human ear at the bottom left in the tater chip ad?

Anthony Neil Smith's avatar

Hey, I don’t know what they put in this stuff, but whatever works.

Daniil Frolov's avatar

Ive been writing a while. Never delete. I've used and reused and deleted small paragraphs and whole pages as I'm sure most writers do. I always get something from them. Agree with a lot of what you say. But I never listen to people on the Internet giving advice.

Good Boy Records's avatar

I never chuck anything. Bin it in a folder, maybe, but everything has its use. I write songs, so I am used to having a dozen versions of something on the go, but I eventually borrow from them all to achieve the end result. But I quite agree, as a writer, if you're chucking away more than you are producing, maybe have a think about why you're doing any of this in the first place. Well said you.