Well, this title is a bit of an exaggeration. Lawrence Block didn’t teach me everything I know, my other mentors – PD James, Agatha Christie and Douglas Reeman – taught me more than their fair shares, too. I will probably speak about each of these tutors in future blogs, but today I want to talk about Lawrence Block.
Now many readers may be yielding to suspicions that my veracity is flawed. Could I really have studied at the elbows of these writers? Did (Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America) Lawrence Block teach a class at my university, or did I attend one of his writing workshops? No. I first “met” Lawrence Block when I was twelve years old, flipping through my Mother’s Writer’s Digest magazines (My Mother aspired to be a crime fiction writer – alas, she never finished her book). I already aspired to be a writer, in this was about the time I had discovered detective fiction, so I wondered what tutelage I might find in my Mom’s subscription.
He wrote a monthly column on the craft of writing and I read the first one I came upon – perhaps skeptically. I have read a lot of advice on writing before and since -much of it is interesting - but most of it was not very helpful to me. One of his best pieces of advice was just to write. Don’t care if it’s bad, you can fix it later.
Mr. Block’s column was written in an entertaining style and was filled with what I call practical advice, both on the craft and discipline of writing. He wrote a great article on how to structure flashback sequences and integrate them into your plot as seamless tools of exposition sharing. He talked about the advantages – and disadvantages of outlining, and his experiences with both. He wrote about how he became stuck when writing one of the Bernie Rhodenbarr books, (the regular characters all performed brilliantly but the plot was absent) and how he navigated through those difficulties. He wrote his advice as he wrote his prose – in a style that seemed straight forward and no-nonsense but was filled with personality and revealed a genuine enthusiasm for writers and writing.
Those Writer’s Digest magazines were my first textbook – and I still have them next to my desk. I also have his book on writing – Telling Lies for Fun and Profit – which is compiled from years of those columns. It is a frequent oracle of useful advice.
I should pause and emphasize – I have never met Mr. Block, except through the lessons he put on the pages in his columns and his books. If you don’t believe me, ask him. He will tell you he has never heard of me, but he’ll admire my taste in writing mentors.
Whether you have never put pen to paper in your life or are an accomplished writer, I recommend keeping a copy of Telling Lies for Fun and Profit close by. (I am not an Amazon affiliate or a representative of Mr. Block. I will receive no remuneration for this endorsement, I just believe it’s a great resource for all writers, and writers of detective fiction in particular)
If you keep a copy of his advice handy, you will be in good company – Alphabet mystery writer Sue Grafton picks up her copy and turns to one of his articles when she finds herself floundering for the next scene or next turn of the plot.
There is much to be said for academic training in the writing craft, but it’s not an option for every writer. For those that choose or must be self-taught, resources like Mr. Block’s offer valuable mentorship. There are two streams of education for us to enroll in: Studying the work of the masters and reading them over and over. The other is finding “how to” books written by established authors or instructors that can help you find your way. Lawrence Block is among the best writing tutors available to us through the medium of writing, and whether you are an aspiring writer looking to learn or an accomplished writer seeking to hone your skills, I recommend him to you.
How about you? Who are the writing craftspeople you have studied on your writing journey?
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