Spruill’s Rules

 

Without further ado, here are this week’s rules:

124.  (After Robert Heinlein) Writers write.

125.  Do not fear writing less than perfectly (that’s for poets, not fiction writers).

126.  If it’s “write poorly” or “wait until you know what to write,” write poorly. 

127.  Be glad when you see that you’ve written poorly.  It’s your best teacher.


Welcome.  This is the website of Steven Spruill.  I’ve also been published under the name Steven Harriman.  If you like the site, please tell others! Word of mouth from friend to friend is the most powerful form of advertising.

    If you don’t like the site, it’s okay to say nothing to anyone.

    So what’s new on the site?  Under “New Novel” you’ll find buttons to visit the webpage of WMUK, the NPR affiliate at Western Michigan University.  There you will find Zinta Aistairs, author, editor, and host of “Between the Lines,” interviewing me about my latest novel, ICE MEN.  I thought Zinta did a great job.  I tried not to stick my foot in my mouth too many times, but you can be the judge of that.

    You’ll also find an archive of blogs.  Sadly, since Apple discontinued support for comments on the blogs, I’ve stopped doing blogs.  I’m trying to find a work-around that restores comments.  I don’t consider it a conversation unless you can talk back.  When we can have comments again, I’ll do more blogs.  In them, among other things, I lay out my approach to writing to help people who are serious about breaking in with a story or novel or who would simply like to improve their writing.  In the archived blogs you’ll find tips and tricks of the publishing business I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, over the nearly forty years I’ve been writing fiction professionally.  At the least, the blogs will keep you from making amateur mistakes in what you show to an editor. For some, it could mean the difference between rejection and selling your story or novel.  I favor the light touch but I’m serious about providing clear, usable information about how to write better.  

    For fun, I also post new “Spruill’s Rules” from time to time.

    If you’ve read any of the seventeen books posted on this site under “novels” and “non-fiction,” thanks. I’d like to hear from you about my novels or blogs, the site, or whatever is on your mind. Just hit the “E-mail me” button at the bottom of this page or the next (About Me) or at the bottom of the blog, send your message and I’ll get back to you.

    I hope you enjoy the site. Browse through “Reviews,” then take a look at “Novels” and “Nonfiction.” If you’d like to buy a book, clicking on its cover will take you to the Amazon page selling it. I promise to use the royalties to feed Lula (above).


  My colleague Ray Garton writes terrific blogs: http://preposteroustwaddlecock.blogspot.com/

                                                                     http://raygarton.newsvine.com/