The Great American Authors

• Episode 409 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 7) William Faulkner

  Send us a textIn this episode we look back at the man who can lay claim to having written the longest sentence in American Literature. He also wrote the story, "A Rose For Emily" which is a play that our host, Randal Wallace,  once played the part of Homer Barron, the unfortunate beau of Ms. Emily, who they would later find dead in her bed years after he disappeared.  William Faulkner offered extensive advice on writing during his time as a writer-in-residence at the University of Virginia and in various interviews. His tips emphasize passion, discipline, and a ruthless dedication to craft over commercial success or style. Core PhilosophyBe writing, not "a writer": The act of writing is about movement and activity; adopting the static label of "a writer" can lead to stagnation.Write for pleasure, not money: Relying on writing for income or external approval can compromise artistic integrity. Keep your writing amateur in spirit and get another job to pay the bills.Embrace failure as growth: You will never achieve absolute perfection, and that is a healthy condition. The goal is a "splendid failure" that drives you to improve with each new work, always striving to be better than your past self.Be ruthless for your art: The writer's only responsibility is to their art. Everything else—honor, pride, security—goes by the board to get the book written. Craft and TechniqueFocus on core human conflicts: Faulkner believed that enduring stories focus on "the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself," such as love, honor, pity, and sacrifice.Prioritize character: According to Faulkner, if you understand your characters, they will drive the narrative, and the writer's job is to record their actions and words.Don't overthink style: Style should serve the story and is not a goal in itself. There are no mechanical rules for writing.Use dialect sparingly: A few touches of recognizable dialect are better than extensive use, which can confuse readers. Process and HabitsRead extensively: Faulkner advised reading all kinds of literature, good and bad, to learn from other writers.Stop while you're inspired: To maintain momentum, stop writing for the day when you're in a good flow and know what you'll write next.Make time for writing: Faulkner contended that anyone claiming they lack time to write is mistaken; even ten minutes can be used, and ideas should be written down immediately.Combine experience, observation, and imagination: These elements are crucial for a writer, and they can compensate for each other's absence.  Questions or comments at , [email protected] , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

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• Episode 408 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 6) Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville

  Send us a textIn this episode we examine the life and work of two authors who actually knew each other and corresponded as they wrote their literary masterpieces. Nathaniel HawthorneFrom a modern perspective, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing tips emphasize the importance of deep psychological exploration, moral complexity, and meticulous craft. His advice challenges writers to move beyond simple storytelling and engage with the more difficult truths of the human condition. Embrace the difficulty of good writingHawthorne’s most famous writing maxim is: "Easy reading is damn hard writing". Editing is keyThe illusion of easeFocus on psychological and moral depthAs a key figure in Dark Romanticism, Hawthorne's work delves into the complexity of the human mind and its dark side. Explore complex inner strugglesExamine sin and guiltUncover hypocrisyUse symbolism and allegoryHawthorne masterfully used symbolic imagery and allegorical narratives to create layered, meaningful stories. Go beneath the surfaceEmploy symbolsCraft evocative narrativesDevelop a strong writing ritualHawthorne was known for his very structured, solitary, and monotonous daily routine, which created the ideal conditions for deep and sustained thought. Embrace solitudeMake it a habitRecognize the power of wordsHawthorne viewed words as an instrument of immense power that a writer must learn to wield skillfully. Combine words carefullyLet the narrative unfold naturallyHis storytelling technique was focused on telling a story as a process, allowing it to reveal itself naturally. Character-driven choicesCreate richly detailed narrativesHawthorne’s elaborate, ornate prose style was intentional, designed to force readers to examine every word. Craft intricate sentences: His notoriously long, winding sentences were used to add layers of meaning and complexity to his ideas.Encourage reader interpretationHerman MelvilleFrom his letters, essays, and fictional works, Herman Melville's writing tips emphasize originality, ambition, and the pursuit of truth beneath surface appearances. He encouraged a deep, unyielding commitment to art, even if it meant commercial failure. Pursue originality over imitationMelville deeply valued originality and considered it a measure of a writer's potential for greatness. "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation".Choose a "mighty theme"For Melville, a book's substance was directly related to the ambition of its topic. He advised writers to grapple with "great and enduring" subjects "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme".- Uncover the truth beneath the surfaceTruth is often elusiveChallenge assumptions Embrace creative struggle and even failureUse your own experiencesBe prepared for your work to be misunderstoodWriting from the heart, Melville was famously undervalued in his lifetime, and in a letter to Nathaniel Hawthorne, he resigned himself to this fact.   Questions or comments at , [email protected] , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

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• Episode 407 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 5) The One Hit Wonders: Harper Lee, J. D. Salinger, and Margaret Mitchell

  Send us a textThese three writers all wrote just one novel of renown but they were gargantuan titles. We celebrate their impact on American Literature in this episode. Harper Lee offered several writing tips centered on persistence, humility, and the importance of craft over reward. She emphasized a love for language and a dedication to writing for oneself. Key Writing Tips from Harper LeeDevelop a thick hide Write for yourself A writer worth their salt writes to please an audience of one: themselves. Writing is a self-exploratory process, an exorcism of "divine discontent," not a pursuit for external validation or monetary gain.Be a steady, slow worker Embrace the revision process Master the English sentence Write what you know and use vivid imagery Nurture the creative spirit  Fundamentally, Lee's advice was to focus on the integrity of the work and the process itself, hoping for the best but expecting nothing in return.J.D. Salinger's writing approach prioritized authenticity, a distinctive narrative voice, and emotional depth achieved through minimalist prose and realistic dialogue. His tips for writers can be distilled into the following principles: Write for yourself, first and foremostPrioritize a strong, authentic voiceEmbrace minimalism and precisionKnow your characters inside and outUse naturalistic dialogueWork with focus and disciplineRead extensivelyMargaret Mitchell's writing tips and style emphasize thorough research, relentless rewriting, and a simple, direct prose. She prioritized her creative work and was known for working methodically on a single project at a time. Key Writing TipsPrioritize writing above all elseEmbrace rewriting: She famously said, "I do not write with ease, nor am I ever pleased with anything I write. And so I rewrite". She emphasized that "Pulitzer-type writing... comes in the rewriting".Research thoroughlyWrite with simplicity and clarityFocus on the story and what mattersPlan meticulously but be flexibleWork with discipline and enduranceAvoid digressionsWork on one project at a timePersonal Habits and Style"Show, Don't Tell" (selectively)Character and dialogue-drivenGumption is keyAnswer fan mail Questions or comments at , [email protected] , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

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• Episode 406 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 4) Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou

  Send us a textThis episode looks at two literary giants and includes their writing tips. It also features the only writer in our entire series our host, Randal Wallace,  actually met, Maya Angelou. Mrs. Morrison was at the time of her passing, America's only living Nobel Laureate for writing. This is an inspiring episode for any aspiring authors and for everyone else too. Toni MorrisonToni Morrison advised writers to embrace the revision process, to write without considering an audience, and to trust the stories that demand to be told. Her writing method was deeply personal, relying on a pre-dawn ritual and an intimate focus on her characters. Begin with self-authorshipWrite the book you want to read. Ignore the "white gaze."  for honesty and truth rather than for applause.Write for the characters, not an audience. Trust the creative processFind your ideal creative space.Start with an image. Be open to what your writing tells you.Embrace revision and growthRevision is where the real work begins. Know the difference between revision and "fretting." Recognize missed opportunities. Maya AngelouMaya Angelou emphasized discipline, emotional truth, and mastery of language as essential for writers. Her own writing process was a dedicated ritual that supported her creative work. Embrace a disciplined routineAngelou held great respect for the craft of writing and maintained a consistent, structured process.Create a separate workspaceWrite consistentlyEdit and reviseWrite from the heartFor Angelou, the goal of writing was to reach the reader's heart and help them feel connected to the shared human experience.Tell the truth, not just the factsShare your story to help others : She said, "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song".Move beyond bitterness. Master the craft of languageAngelou believed that creative inspiration was nothing without the discipline to master one's tools.Use words to create emotion Take familiar words and make them new: Engage the sensesBelieve in your creative capacityAngelou taught that creativity is an endless resource that only grows through use.Creativity is a muscle: She famously stated, "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have".Dare to be creative: Make writing a necessity:   Questions or comments at , [email protected] , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

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• Episode 405 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 3) John Steinbeck, Thomas Wolfe, and Mark Twain

  Send us a textThis episode looks at three giants of American Literature who all wrote about the struggles of forgotten America. One of them, Mark Twain, is considered the Father of American Literature. John Steinbeck is known for sharing six practical writing tips in a letter to a friend in 1962. These rules prioritize flow, discipline, and authenticity over immediate perfection: Focus on the daily work: Write one page each day instead of thinking about the entire length.Write the first draft rapidly and freely: Avoid correcting or rewriting until the entire draft is complete to maintain flow and rhythm.Imagine a single, specific reader: Address your writing to one person you know or imagine, rather than a general audience.Bypass difficult scenes: Skip troublesome sections and return to them later; they may not fit the overall work.Be willing to cut favorites: Be cautious of scenes you are overly fond of, as they may be "out of drawing" or not fit the overall piece.Read dialogue aloud: Speak dialogue out as you write it to make it sound like natural speech. Steinbeck also highlighted the importance of discipline and persistence. He viewed writing as a "clumsy attempt to find symbols for the wordlessness". Thomas Wolfe, the novelist (1900–1938), is primarily known for his voluminous, autobiographical fiction. His editor, Maxwell Perkins, heavily shaped his sprawling manuscripts into publishable novels like Look Homeward, Angel. The "writing tips" associated with Thomas Wolfe often relate to his personal habits and the nature of his expansive, autobiographical style. Here are the key takeaways regarding Thomas Wolfe's approach to writing:Write everything, use everything. Embrace the "flood" of language.Trust your instincts over convention. Establish a consistent routineWriting is life. Wolfe's legacy is one of a "splendid failure" in terms of self-editing and structure, but a master of language, description, and the power of memory in autobiographical fiction. Mark Twain, the Father of American Literature: Mark Twain's writing tips emphasize clarity, simplicity, and revision, encouraging writers to prioritize the reader's experience above all else. His advice often uses humor and sharp wit to make memorable points about avoiding common writing pitfalls. Here are key writing tips attributed to Mark Twain: .Use plain, simple language"Kill" adjectives (most of them)"Use the right word, not its second cousin"Show, don't tellRewrite and revise: Writing is an iterative process.Start writing after you finishEnsure dialogue sounds humanMake all episodes and characters necessary.Avoid clichés and "stage directions" in dialogue:Write without pay (initially): He advised aspiring writers to "write without pay until somebody offers pay. If nobody offers within three years, the candidate may look upon this circumstance with the most implicit confidence as the sign that sawing wood is what he was intended for".  Questions or comments at , [email protected] , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

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