tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657662925997069756.post415680779611819210..comments2019-03-04T23:30:14.349-08:00Comments on Michael Gruber's Blog: Murdering DarlingsMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09730968556503210340noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657662925997069756.post-5810975803230146472013-01-02T19:32:21.827-08:002013-01-02T19:32:21.827-08:00It depends on whom you're teaching. I've ...It depends on whom you're teaching. I've taught classes in which most of the people had no idea at all about how to construct a story. Hard to believe, and hard for me to believe while it was happening, but there it is. Some people who show up at writing courses can't do compound sentences; no one has actually taught them the rules that govern sentence structure. OTOH, there are selective workshops where people just need to bounce work off sophisticated readers, and that can be useful to some, I guess. Anyway, can you teach writing? is one of the perennials, like why is there air? I just was thinking about the murdering darlings thing while I was reading through my latest recently, and it suddenly struck me as a loony thing to teach, hence this post.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09730968556503210340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657662925997069756.post-50256031985869185472012-12-29T08:10:40.276-08:002012-12-29T08:10:40.276-08:00The fact that no writing "coach" hasn...The fact that no writing "coach" hasn't come up with anything better since 1916 says something about the advice--it's not all that bad an idea. It's usually followed by LOOONG discussions on Hemingway's gleaning and refining. <br /><br />As you said, the mushroom rising thing is the truth and those writers already know the winnowing stuff. <br /><br />One of my favorites is when I asked a writer in a class to teach me to write humor. He said that if he had to teach me that I probably just couldn't. Now, that's funny. watchwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318329956601834415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657662925997069756.post-32661886026249743082012-12-27T17:52:36.297-08:002012-12-27T17:52:36.297-08:00At last, something that no one ever says, that mus...At last, something that no one ever says, that must or at least should be said if writing courses must exist (I never took one but was tempted into teaching a couple).<br /><br />One possibly useful corollary? Beware one's beloved digressions. Unfortunately, since I am a hopelessly discursive writer, I can't.<br /><br />Steve Bodiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14434597061701369867noreply@blogger.com