On writing
Tony Rossiter explores great words from great writers
Tony Rossiter
INSPIRING WORDS
Whenever I read a book or passage that particularly pleased me … I must sit down at once and set myself to ape that quality.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
I mitating the methods – rather than the content – of a favourite author is an excellent apprenticeship for anyone who wants to master the craft of writing. It’s how many of the most successful authors began. Learning from an author you admire can help you to develop your own individual style. After all, that’s how artists usually learn their craft – by imitating works of art they admire. An aspiring writer copying the style of an admired writer is the equivalent of an art student who copies the drawings or paintings of a well-known artist.