(according to Wiki)
On pages 9 and 10 of his book, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction, Vonnegut stated that there are eight rules for writing a short story.
1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
4 comments:
One time in another fiction class, Michael tried to use #3 without citing the source. I, however, am obsessed with Vonnegut and promptly pointed out his "accidental" omission. I think I said something like "Didn't Kurt Vonnegut say that once?"
I will miss his cynicism (Vonnegut). Being adopted, I could claim him as my grandpa and nobody could prove this to the contrary. I think I still will.
Either I remember that exact instance, or Michael used it in another class as well. What a brilliant piece of advice.
Katie, I don't know if this is your ambition at all, but you would make a wonderful professor someday.
Yes, Katie, I agree. You would make an excellent professor.
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