spicedogs | Sound Advice for Writers from Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor’s Advice to Writers
By marymenke | April 11th, 2008

Hey, I just got back (okay, I got back Sunday) from the Erma Bombeck Humor Writers Workshop in Dayton, Ohio and I’d like to share some of the things I learned. (BTW, Patsy Zettler won honorable mention in this year’s Erma Bombeck humor writing contest! Congratulations, Patsy! Me, I didn’t even get a dishonorable mention … oh, well, there’s always next year.)

Garrison Keillor was the keynote speaker on the first night of the conference. What a funny guy and very personable. Among his advice to writers:

Writing is not narcissism; it’s about the world. Get out among people.
Get out and walk. Be in touch with how things look.
Know the names of things.
Read your work out loud; it’s a great BS detector.
You inherited your voice from other people. Stick with it and trust it.
Writers shouldn’t box themselves in. Try different forms.
Review other people’s work. Don’t be obsessed with your own.
Write about shameful and embarrassing things–even if no one else reads it.
Write something for your own amusement–again, even if no one else reads it.
Exercise the freedom of your talent–wherever it takes you. Court disaster.

Next time I’ll post some great advice about networking from a workshop leader.

If you want to see a picture of me with Mike Peters (he’s the cartoonist who draws/writes Mother Goose & Grimm), another keynote speaker and a native St. Louisan (his mom is Charlotte Peters, a 1950s local TV personality), just ask!

Source: St. Louis Writer's Guild

(click on the picture to view the larger size.)