Why Writers Are Cranky and Five Emergency Tools for Writing a Short Story

This is a quick read that would be perfect for a little inspiration when trying to come up with some ideas for a short story from complete scratch. The first part is a valid, informative, and amusing view of the writer as a a cranky perfectionist. The second part divulges the authors personal techniques for coming up with short stories off the top of his head. The ideas are solid and I have no doubt they'd be useful in that particular situation. For novel writing or for brainstorming short stories with characters or settings lacking a plot , you'll probably want a different read. Also, the marketing tip that is given as the reason for coming up with these techniques is worth the price alone.

As a writer myself for over ten years, I've studied writing as much as time has permitted me, and I very much enjoy reading pieces which bring me fresh and inspiring insights into the philosophies and methods of writing. While I've read many books and articles on writing, only a few, like Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, or Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan, have served to get me excited about writing by reminding me of the reasons why I write.

Bruce Holland Rogers' piece is one of those rare gems, and whether you are a veteran writer or one just starting out, I highly recommend that you read Mr. Rogers' essay. I learned much from it, and you will too.

- Gregory Bernard Banks, author of "Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life", plus other books and Amazon Shorts.

...since most of the reviewers below me have done a stellar job of covering the precise contents of scribe Rogers' "short-short" article, I'm not going to get into that. Please scroll down to some of the colleagues below for their insights on the cleverness of Mr. Rogers' suggestions for breaking out of the temporary writing doldrums.

There was something in his this writer's bio that I actually found quite fascinating -- the connection between how psychology and writing interconnect (this is something he and his spouse are interested by).

** Is there something unique to the writer's psyche which makes them writers?

** Or -- in perhaps yet another take on this -- can *anyone* be a writer? As in, is it a skill which can be learned?

** Moreover, are Rogers' techniques for cracking out of a writer's slump actually applicable, for example, to non-writers? As in, follow these five easy steps, young woman/man and you too will be able to write yourself into a tornado?

Rhetorical questions, all, perhaps...

I was inspired by his note about how the publishing industry has always been a tough one to break into -- and any writer looking for a hard and fast rule about how to get in there -- and stick there like, um...molasses? -- is demanding something that hasn't been invented yet. Kudos for that one. Persistence, we love.

Would be keen to come and check out a writer's forum in Greece, however. Curious to know when the author actually gives those...

This two-part essay is a look at the nuts and bolts of being a writer. The first part examines the nature of the writer's mind and why writers always seem to be trying to outrun failures nobody else can see. The second is a list of applied tactics to produce work on a tight deadline.

Part one, "Why Writers Are Cranky," starts from the presumption that writers, as a class of people, are dissatisfied with the whole world, themselves included, and are trying to do something right. Why else, the author suggests, would we expend so much effort trying to make up for past shortcomings? We are our own worst critics, always trying to do better than last time, always trying to leave the world a little better than we found it. Professor Rogers' insights into the source of this spur are by no means definitive, but they are strong and incisive.

Part two, "Five Emergency Tools," is a selection of tactics Professor Rogers has personally used to get short stories out under the deadline. I've only used two myself so far, but if they are representative, I can tell you two things. First, they work. Second, they only work for short stories or scenes; if you are looking to write a novel, you'll need to go with a different set of tools, or else use these to build your book scene by scene.

Combining both the insightful and the handy, this article is one that will speak to writers right where they live. Keep it close at hand, because you'll read and use it more than once. And what greater compliment can you give a writer than that his article will be read and used?

Bruce Holland Rogers offers up a humorous, yet real world, assessment of the perils and pitfalls of writing, as well as insight into the worth of writing as a process. The first half of this Amazon Short deals with the general attitude of writers, specifically, why are they so cranky? His insight is keen and, I think, accurate. I believe the ability to re-read your previous work without the ability to improve it is the key factor in authorial crankiness, and a vexation unlikely to disappear anytime soon. The viewpoints Rogers shares on his personal likes and dislikes of the literary profession are right on the money, and are probably held by the vast majority of writers, even when they may not be conscious of them.

The second half of the article deals with five techniques to help writers of fiction begin projects that have impending deadlines. I have written nonfiction almost exclusively (and that only for small audiences in very specialized areas), but even so, some of his creative techniques (especially "a crowbar") have applications outside of fiction. Regardless of what you write, or for what audience, the five tips he presents are entertaining and thought-provoking.

For writers, would be writers, or people interested in the writing process, this is a great Amazon Short, and I recommend it.