PD James 10 rules for writing

PD James, or Baroness James of Holland park to give her her title, is the author of many novels including those featuring Adam Dalgliesh, but also other work too…. she also went to the same school as I did, but not at the same time, she, after all is ninety-three!

I came across her ten rules for writing; she is a great writer who I admire tremendously, but I’m not sure I totally agree with all ten points on her list! here they are:

1. You must be born to write
2. Write about what you know
3. Find your own routine
4. Be aware that the business is changing
5. Read, write and don’t daydream
6. Enjoy your own company
7. Choose a good setting
8. Never go anywhere without a notebook
9. Never talk about a book before it is finished
10. Know when to stop

I do daydream… I plot  a lot of stories by doing that, but  she means that no-one ever gets anywhere by just staring at an empty page and wishing something would happen! Sometimes you have to just get writing… and it can be a surprise where that will lead!

Choosing a good setting seems obvious, but she means the feel and character and atmosphere of a place as well as just a physical description of a location.

I’m not very good with a notebook; I do have one and I do carry it everywhere but I often find the things I’ve jotted down don’t seem particularly relevant when I look back at them, or I can’t remember what I mean by my jottings… and because my handwriting is so terrible, sometimes I can’t even read what I’ve written. When there is something which strikes me I try and really focus and try and take a full mental 3D photograph, imprinting on it the smells, sounds, sensation, feelings as well as the visual… and if its something I hear, or overhear, I try to fix it to what I see, attach it to something else as a reminder. Sometimes these things sit and fester in my mind (perhaps I should say mature!) for ages and ages before they coalesce into a story. If it is a trigger for a story, it is usually better if I write it down later, rather than try to write it down at the time… again, sometimes it needs to fatten up a bit in my mind before it goes down on the page.

I can understand why Baroness James might not want to talk about a book before its finished, but for someone like me I have to talk about it… just talking about it clarifies things wonderfully, showing up all the errors and inconsistencies as well as refining the good bits.If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know I talk – and write about my present work all the time!

Knowing when to stop… I heartily agree!!

if you want to read exactly what Baroness James thinks, have a look here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24867584