This is the second post in my collaboration with Sarah K. Stephens that we are calling Write On. It is a deep dive into some topics that interest us.
Here is one of the questions I answered on Hemingway.
5. For all of our readers who perhaps despised having to read A Farewell to Arms in high school, convince them why they should go back and try Hemingway again.
The Old Man and the Sea was 27,000 words and won a Pulitzer. If you find yourself struggling to elicit interest in your 200,000-word manuscript, I suggest reading Hemingway. He was a master of economical word use. If you find yourself struggling to write dialogue that sounds authentic, read Hemingway. He is roundly regarded as the master of dialogue. Those are purely suggestions for writers looking to improve their craft — for the reader looking to try Hemingway
again I would suggest The Old Man and the Sea which I mentioned is shorter and less of a commitment or any of his short stories which he was also a master of (one of those guys). One last recommendation — those of you who have an interest in absinthe should readFor Whom The Bell Tolls. It has one of the most complete descriptions of the complex and ritualized preparation of that drink.
Check out the rest at Sarah K. Stephens’ website and more of the series Write On here.