Advice from the Masters: Bruce Sterling

Oct 4, 2017 | Better Writing

Bruce Sterling is someone who makes me go, “Hmmmmmmmm.” You can get an idea of why by checking out his quotes on Goodreads.

I discovered his work decades ago. Mirrorshades caught my attention. I loved Islands in the Net and The Difference Engine. If you want your mind stretched while you read a good story, any one of those will do the trick.

For you, I chose some advice from “Bruce Sterling’s Advice for New Science Fiction Authors: ‘Trying to ace your way through collapsing industries is a drag.’” Obviously, it’s for science fiction authors, but I think it’s also for anyone who wants to do any kind of writing.

“I’m pretty sure that the best way to get a toehold in writing is to start writing work that you yourself want to read. Then, see who really cares about it, and try to understand why. Wasting energy trying to ace your way through collapsing industries is a drag. You should never be surprised if your most effective, most influential writing is writing no publisher will pay for.”

Want more? Check out the complete list of Advice from the Masters posts

If you want even more writing advice from writers, check out Jon Winokur’s blog, “AdvicetoWriters.”