explore | Grilled Cheese

10 Quotable Tips From Oscar Wilde On Writing | Celebrate Oscar Wilde’s birthday on 16 October with a look at the wit, wisdom, and wonderfully sharp observations of one of literature’s most quotable writers. #oscarwilde #writingsky #authorbirthday #booksky

'I’m not one of those writers who writes every day no matter what. I write when something is compelling, so most of my books were written in short bursts of creativity. When that happens, I try to get up early and write 1,000 words a day.' ~Blake Crouch #authorbirthday

'I never tell anyone about a book until I have finished writing it, not even the title, I think it’s bad luck. I wear lucky socks when writing, even in summer, and I always have a Kit Kat at 3pm.' ~Alice Feeney #authorbirthday #writingsky

'You can’t just sit down and wing it. Those ideas have to be developed through time, and the best way is to just live your life but tend to the work mentally. Tend to it while you’re doing your dishes, while you’re showering, taking a dog for a walk.' ~Ocean Vuong #authorbirthday

'You are made up of all your parts, and the parts that make you able to write a story are also these parts. They inform your work. We don’t want to get rid of them. They are our lives, and we write from our lives.' ~Abigail Tarttelin #authorbirthday #writingsky

'Tension produces instantaneous anxiety, and the reader finds it delicious.' ~Sol Stein #authorbirthday #writingsky

'For me, writing never gets easier. It’s always hard work. It doesn’t matter how many words you wrote the day before, or how many novels you’ve completed in the last decade: every day you start fresh again with that same blank page, or that same blank screen.' ~Lincoln Child #authorbirthday

'You can tell when a book’s not working. It doesn’t seem right to go on.' ~James Crumley #authorbirthday #jamescrumley #writingsky #hardboiled

'Many people consider crime fiction to be a confining form, but I find in it a great challenge— to stick to the rule of playing fair with the reader, while bending and even breaking some of the other rules of form and content.' ~Paula Gosling #authorbirthday #writingsky

Born on 11 October, Elmore Leonard was a master of crime fiction. Celebrate his birthday by discovering his 11 rules for writing fiction and learn how to make your stories sharper and more engaging. 📝 #authorbirthday #writingsky #elmoreleonard

Nora Roberts On How She Writes | Nora Roberts celebrates her birthday on 10 October. Discover how she writes, from her daily routine and three-draft method to her advice on discipline, deadlines, and staying focused. 📝 #noraroberts #authorbirthday #writingsky

'I like colourful tales with black beginnings, and stormy middles, and cloudless blue-sky endings. But any story will do.' ~K. A. Applegate #authorbirthday #writingsky #animorphs #booksky

Welcome to the sixth post in our greatest fictional world builders series. This series is a reference and a resource for writers who are building their own worlds. Our sixth fictional world builder is Frank Herbert who was born on 8 October 1920 and died on 11 February 1986. #authorbirthday #dune

'I think the main thing for aspiring writers is to make sure you’re writing all the time... And don’t be afraid of learning the craft of writing – structure is not a dirty word. Story craft is really important.' ~Charlotte McConaghy #authorbirthday #writingsky

'Whenever you’re struggling – with the beginning, middle, or end – it’s because you don’t have fundamental conflict, and you haven’t set up the characters correctly so they are involved in a real battle.' ~Terry Hayes #authorbirthday #writingsky

'I wanted to find a voice that was not performed. And I think that a lot of times the first person—quite powerfully—is a confessional form. It’s testimonial.' ~Rachel Kushner #authorbirthday #rachelkushner #writingsky

'For me it’s important that I enjoy the characters I write about, or rather, those whose points of view I am using. I need there to be something intrinsically interesting in them.' ~Steven Erikson #authorbirthday #writingsky

Want to actually finish the book you’ve started? 6 October is thriller writer Joseph Finder’s birthday, so we’re sharing his eight practical tips for making writing a habit and protecting your time. #authorbirthday #josephfinder #writingsky

It’s Michael Morpurgo’s birthday on 5 October! The bestselling children’s author has written more than 150 books. Discover his 10 rules for writers and decide which ones you would like to use in your own writing. #authorbirthday #michaelmorpurgo #writingsky