Column: Craft Versus Voice by Karen Albright Lin

Quite a while back, fellow PPW member, Frank Dorchak, posed the question of craft versus heart when it comes to writing fiction.

I say both are important and many others have said it better:

Craft:

“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” – Lin Yutang

Heart:

“When a thought takes one’s breath away, a grammar lesson seems an impertinence.” – Thomas W. Higginson

I say: We don't write just to show off craft or just to share our voices and hearts with others. We write like addicts when it seems we should give up. Why? Because the writing itself is cathartic and cheaper than a psychiatrist and drugs – unless they are generic.

(Originally posted at the Sisters of the Quill blog on August 27, 2010)

About the Writer:  Karen is an editor, ghostwriter, pitch coach, speaker and award-winning author of novels, cookbooks, and screenplays. She’s written over a dozen solo and collaborative scripts (with Janet Fogg, Christian Lyons and director Erich Toll); each has garnered international, national and regional recognition: Moondance Film Festival, BlueCat, All She Wrote, Lighthouse Writers, Boulder Asian Film Festival, SouthWest Writers Contest, and PPW Contest. Find out more at www.karenalbrightlin.com.