Are you a thief?
Austin Kleon writes in his wonderful book All artists steal:
All creative work builds on what came before.
A couple of tricks for becoming a master thief writer:
- Steal from many sources: writers, philosophers, scientists, musicians, etc.;
- Snatch ideas and writing techniques;
- Understand why your heroes are fascinating and how they inspire you;
- Mix your favorite writing styles to craft your own voice;
- Read, read more, and read more.
And of course: Give credit to your sources, and don’t imitate slavishly. Mix it up to create your own work.
Read more. Steal more.
