If you’re feeling stuck or just craving inspiration, or if you’d love to get a peek at the creative process of a favorite author, these are for you, thanks to 1st Books* and Boing Boing:

8 Writing tips from F. Scott Fitzgerald (courtesy of 1st Books*) GreatGatsby

My favorite of Fitzgerald’s: “I think it’s a pretty good rule not to tell what a thing is about until it’s finished. If you do you always seem to lose some of it. It never quite belongs to you so much again.” Read the rest of his tips here.

6 Writing tips from Kazuo Ishiguro (also courtesy of 1st Books*)

RemainsofthedayMy favorite of Ishiguro’s: “Focus on the relationship, and the characters will take care of themselves.” Read the rest of his tips here.

8 Writing tips from Kurt Vonnegut (courtesy of Boing Boing)

My favorite of Vonnegut’s: “Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them–in order that the reader may see what they are made of.” Read (or hear; they have the audio!) the rest of his tips here. Breakfastofchampions

*I recently discovered 1st Books, and I LOVE this blog. It’s all about writing, and it’s filled with inspiring pieces about the creative process. 1st Books is hosted by New York Times best-selling author Meg Waite Clayton.