Chuck Palahniuk’s writing advice

“When you don’t want to write, set an egg timer for one hour (or half hour) and sit down to write until the timer rings.”

“Your audience is smarter than you imagine. Don’t be afraid to experiment with story forms and time shifts.”

“Before you sit down to write a scene, mull it over in your mind and know the purpose of that scene.”

“Surprise yourself. If you can bring the story - or let it bring you - to a place that amazes you, then you can surprise your reader.”

“When you get stuck, go back and read your earlier scenes, looking for dropped characters or details that you can resurrect as ‘buried guns’.”

“The longer you can allow a story to take shape, the better that final shape will be. Don’t rush or force the ending of a story or book.”

“Don’t give up.”