Letters of Note features this gem written by Fitzgerald to an aspiring writer and family friend who asked him for feedback on a story.
“You’ve got to sell your heart, your strongest reactions, not the little minor things that only touch you lightly, the little experiences that you might tell at dinner.”
Do follow the link and read the whole letter, and if you’re hungry for more here’s the book it’s taken from: A Life in Letters: F. Scott Fitzgerald
One response to “Writers on writing: F. Scott Fitzgerald”
Love Fitzgerald, love this quote. It’s not just a pithy overstatement, it’s truth. “Your strongest reactions”…that’s what every good writer feels the compulsion to explain. We aren’t just trying to communicate little chit-chatty things. We’re trying to persuade our readers of our experiences. Thanks for the link to the book.
-Forrest Lybrand
Learning by writing/how to teach children to write at http://www.advanced-writing-resources.com