Episode 405 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 3) John Steinbeck, Thomas Wolfe, and Mark Twain

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This episode looks at three giants of American Literature who all wrote about the struggles of forgotten America. One of them, Mark Twain, is considered the Father of American Literature. 

John Steinbeck is known for sharing six practical writing tips in a letter to a friend in 1962. These rules prioritize flow, discipline, and authenticity over immediate perfection: 

• Focus on the daily work: Write one page each day instead of thinking about the entire length.
• Write the first draft rapidly and freely: Avoid correcting or rewriting until the entire draft is complete to maintain flow and rhythm.
• Imagine a single, specific reader: Address your writing to one person you know or imagine, rather than a general audience.
• Bypass difficult scenes: Skip troublesome sections and return to them later; they may not fit the overall work.
• Be willing to cut favorites: Be cautious of scenes you are overly fond of, as they may be "out of drawing" or not fit the overall piece.
• Read dialogue aloud: Speak dialogue out as you write it to make it sound like natural speech. 
  
  

Steinbeck also highlighted the importance of discipline and persistence. He viewed writing as a "clumsy attempt to find symbols for the wordlessness". 

Thomas Wolfe, the novelist (1900–1938), is primarily known for his voluminous, autobiographical fiction. His editor, Maxwell Perkins, heavily shaped his sprawling manuscripts into publishable novels like Look Homeward, Angel. The "writing tips" associated with Thomas Wolfe often relate to his personal habits and the nature of his expansive, autobiographical style. 

Here are the key takeaways regarding Thomas Wolfe's approach to writing:

• Write everything, use everything. 
• Embrace the "flood" of language.
• Trust your instincts over convention. 
• Establish a consistent routine
• Writing is life. 
  
  

Wolfe's legacy is one of a "splendid failure" in terms of self-editing and structure, but a master of language, description, and the power of memory in autobiographical fiction. 

Mark Twain, the Father of American Literature: 

Mark Twain's writing tips emphasize clarity, simplicity, and revision, encouraging writers to prioritize the reader's experience above all else. His advice often uses humor and sharp wit to make memorable points about avoiding common writing pitfalls. 

Here are key writing tips attributed to Mark Twain: .

Use plain, simple language

• "Kill" adjectives (most of them)
• "Use the right word, not its second cousin"
• Show, don't tell
• Rewrite and revise: Writing is an iterative process.
• Start writing after you finish
• Ensure dialogue sounds human
• Make all episodes and characters necessary.
• Avoid clichés and "stage directions" in dialogue:
• Write without pay (initially): He advised aspiring writers to "write without pay until somebody offers pay. If nobody offers within three years, the candidate may look upon this circumstance with the most implicit confidence as the sign that sawing wood is what he was intended for". 

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