Darynda Jones

Darynda Jones

"Screw the beaten path! Do your thing. Write the best story you can. the rest will fall into place."
37 Quotes
"Screw the beaten path! Do your thing. Write the best story you can. the rest will fall into place."
Darynda Jones
"Fresh writing and an original twist on an old idea. As much as this term is hated in the industry, it doesn't make it any less true. High concept. Simply put, you take a universal concept, something that has been done a million times (because everything has been done a million times), and add a fresh twist to it. Something no one saw coming. But mostly fresh writing! Keep it clean, simple, and compelling."
Darynda Jones
"I think the first draft is so challenging because that elusive BALANCE is so challenging."
Darynda Jones
"I've been rejected a hundred times. It just takes that one person who totally believes in you!"
Darynda Jones
"Any time a beloved character is killed off, it affects the audience in a very powerful way, especially in a series."
Darynda Jones
"WHILE writing, just try to have fun with your ms. Enjoy the process, but push on. Always push toward the finish line!"
Darynda Jones
"Read. Write. Read some more. Explore the universe through your writing. Practice and learn what moves you and what doesn't."
Darynda Jones
"And as your writing evolves, what you need and get from it evolves."
Darynda Jones
"Developing your voice takes... time and practice."
Darynda Jones
"There is a difference between fresh and weird. You never want to throw your reader out of the story. Keep it fresh but natural."
Darynda Jones
"Humor is so subjective, not everyone is going to get what you are peddling. Others will be offended when what you meant no offense whatsoever. Those are the stakes. You have to be able to stand up for yourself and what you’ve written. Comedy pushes limits, makes people uncomfortable, and is a natural reaction to the environment. Otherwise, as I said, it is forced. Let it flow and give your characters permission to cross a line or two, but only if you can take the heat afterward."
Darynda Jones
"I cannot tell you how important fresh, crisp writing is for an aspiring writer. Plot is great. The overall concept is super important. But the writing is what sells your work. It all boils down to the words you choose and the order in which you arrange them."
Darynda Jones
"Writing doesn’t get any easier with time or talent. If writing is easy for you, you’re probably still learning the craft. You haven’t perfected your style or landed upon your “voice.” You haven’t learned to analyze your writing with a critical eye, to rip it apart and figure out why it isn’t doing exactly what you want."
Darynda Jones
"Writing is transcendental. It is a form of expression, a form of art that you can take anywhere. That you can do anywhere. It poses the deepest questions in the universe. It generates emotion. It elicits empathy, promotes learning, creates an intellect you simply cannot get from any other medium. For me, it is air."
Darynda Jones
"The point is, stories can be all lengths. Never underestimate the power of “less is more."
Darynda Jones
"Real writers write. Period. No, the muse does not come to visit everyday. She’s a lazy, precocious flirt. You cannot get into the habit of being “in the mood” to write. No writer on Earth is in the mood to write everyday, but the good ones do it anyway. They fight through their fatigue, their stress, their doubt, and they write. They get the words on the page. Period. So stop waiting for your muse. Trust me, she sleeps around."
Darynda Jones
"Who knew Demon Child would have such a normal name? I expected something exotic like Serena or Destiny or the Evil One That Comes in the Night to Make Us Chilly."
Darynda Jones
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