Maria Popova of BrainPickings shared two letters written by F. Scott Fitzgerald to young writers who dared to show him their work. Fitzgerald isn’t shy about telling the young writers they have a lot to learn, but he also gives them excellent advice on how to be better. In the first letter he writes,
I’ve read the story carefully and, Frances, I’m afraid the price for doing professional work is a good deal higher than you are prepared to pay at present. 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. This is especially true when you begin to write, when you have not yet developed the tricks of interesting people on paper, when you have none of the technique which it takes time to learn. When, in short, you have only your emotions to sell.
read more »
