Advice from the Masters: John Steinbeck

Jun 11, 2014 | Better Writing

As his Wikipedia entry notes, John Steinbeck wrote “twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and five collections of short stories.” The novels include Of Mice and Men, Grapes of Wrath, and Cannery Row. His nonfiction includes one of my favorite “traveling around America” books, Travels with Charley. Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize in 1962.

Here’s a piece of advice for you whether you’re writing a novel, a business book, a blog post, or marketing copy.

“In writing, your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person—a real person you know, or an imagined person and write to that one.”

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