Truman Capote embodied the concept of “extra” before it was a thing. While we might have found his company a bit much, there’s no denying his brilliance on the page.
The Writers Write blog recently collected seven pieces of Capote’s writing wisdom, including:
On good habits: “I was writing really sort of serious when I was about 11. I say seriously in the sense that like other kids go home and practice the violin or the piano or whatever, I used to go home from school every day, and I would write for about three hours. I was obsessed by it.” – American Writers (American Biographies)
On your voice: “There is really no practical help that one can offer: it is a matter of self-discovery, of one’s own conviction, or working with one’s own work; your style is what seems natural to you. It is a long process of discovery, one that never ends. I am working at it, and will be as long as I live.” – Too Brief a Treat: The Letters of Truman Capote
On the rules: “Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.” – 1974 Interview in Paris Review (Summer)
