Ernest Hemingway on Writing

Larry W. Phillips — 1999

An assemblage of reflections on the nature of writing and the writer from one the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. Throughout Hemingway’s career as a writer, he maintained that it was bad luck to talk about writing—that it takes off “whatever butterflies have on their wings and the arrangement of hawk’s feathers if you show it or talk about it.” Despite this belief, by the end of his life he had done just what he intended not to do. In his novels and stories, in letters to editors, friends, fellow artists, and critics, in interviews and in commissioned articles on the subject, Hemingway wrote often about writing. And he wrote as well and as incisively about the subject as any writer who ever lived… This book contains Hemingway’s reflections on the nature of the writer and on elements of the writer’s life, including specific and helpful advice to writers on the craft of writing, work habits, and discipline. The Hemingway personality comes through in general wisdom, wit, humor, and insight, and in his insistence on the integrity of the writer and of the profession itself. —From the Preface by Larry W. Phillips

Reviews

A’ishah Kamaludin@ailively

Sep 20, 2021

In more than three circumstances, my senior manager had asked me to write like Hemingway. I have to be honest with you. Other than a few of his short stories, I never read Ernest Hemingway's work, and it is not his fault at all. For a while, reading and finishing fiction just never seemed to happen to me, especially after my high school years - until a decade later. So I picked up this book for the sake of delivering the job my boss wanted. Plus, this is non-fiction. It was easier for me (at least, at that time). I read it halfway. Finished my job, then I had forgotten about this book. Earlier last month, as you all know, I intend to read 'happily' again like the child I was. Finishing books (that I think are good) is a natural and easier thing to do, rather than looking around at other people's stacks and site reviews to pick one. After Palahniuk's book about writing, I'm glad to reach for this. This book is raw with its unique format. I feel like I'm reading a scrapbook or a journal, in this case, of someone collecting other people's muses. Besides the chapter's titles, you might think that everything is dumped without context. Surprisingly, this book does have some kind of flow - an art that feels like poetry by itself. Most of the writing tips are not so new to me, but I get to know Ernest Hemingway up close and get a glimpse of his mind and writing life. This book makes me want to write, no matter how little. It doesn't have to be a book; it can be a line, a letter, or just some caption/review like I'm writing you now. In his letter to Maxwell Perkins, 1944, he said that he was always happy with the pace of 400 - 600 words written per day, though someday he was made happier with 1200 - 2700 words. "But if I only had 320, I felt good." (and this review is precise of that number)

Debbie@drownedintothepages

Sep 1, 2021

Saya kurang menikmati buku ini. Bukan karena ceritanya tidak menarik. Karya Ernest Hemingway tidak diragukan lagi. Tapi saya rasa buku ini menjadi begitu kaku ketika melewati proses penerjemahan.