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Erica Jong on Writing

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“The only rule I have when writing is to try to tell the truth. That doesn't mean you can't exaggerate, edit, rewrite things to make them more dramatic. But emotional truth is what I look for in writing.”
#393
Erica Jong

More from Erica Jong

“Each day that I don't write I get more fragmented.”
#394
Erica Jong
“Despite all the cynical things writers have said about writing for money, the truth is we write for love. That is why it is so easy to exploit us.”
#395
Erica Jong
“I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged.”
#7
Erica Jong
“Blocks usually stem from fear of being judged. If you imagine the world is listening, you'll never write a line.”
#80
Erica Jong
“Critics write out of intellectual exercise, not poets. Poets write straight from the heart.”
#388
Erica Jong
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Focus Saved In my younger and more vulnerable years years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. | The Great Gatsby Chapter I Words 106 Writing Time 00:18:20 / 00:30:00 Speed 342 words/hour
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. | The Great Gatsby 12:46:32 Chapter I 106 W 00:18:20