Horace On Writing

(Image credited to Ian Khan)

I have been writing since I was a little girl.  As a child, I drew stories in crayon.  In middle school, I finished my first novel.  In high school, I wrote the majority of my second novel, which I finished as a college sophomore.  I completed my third novel in August of 2011 and am currently seeking agents.  I have also read more than fifty books on writing.  So when I say I know a lot about the subject, you should believe me.

Perhaps this is why I enjoyed reading Horace's "Ars Poetica".  In his letter, he explains how to write a great poem, but most of his advice can be applied to writing fiction as well. 

Horace's Writing Tips As Found In "Ars Poetica"

1. Keep it simple.  "Let it be what you will, but let it be simple and unified." (p. 122)  Here, Horace warns against what he calls "purple patches".  By this he is referring to writing that draws attention to itself.  (For more information about the meaning of "purple patches" look here.)  This piece of his advice has made the list because throughout the years, several writers have warned against elaborate writing.  William Strunk, co-author of "The Elements of Style", has said before that "vigorous writing is concise."  If you have access to any composition textbook, check the first chapter.  I'm sure you will find a section devoted to simplicity.
2. Write what you know.  "You writers must choose material equal to your powers.  Consider long what your shoulders will bear and what hey will refuse." (p. 122)  This has to make the list because every composition class I have ever attended stresses the importance of writing what you know.  I attended a writing conference last spring and the guest author and instructor, Michael F. Smith, lectured about the importance of understanding your subject.  He went so far as to say that he will not accept anything fantasy or futuristic from his intro to creative writing students.  He claimed that only excellent writers (such as J.R.R. Tolkein) can write well about what they do not know or have invented themselves.  
3. Create well-rounded characters. "...remember that your character should always remain faithful to what is associated with his age and suits it." (p. 126)  Horace is not talking about character traits, here.  Instead, he is talking about age.  He stresses that each age brings new traits and desires to the characters.  This advice has also lasted.  Mark Twain even said that, "the personages of a tale should be alive, except in the case of corpses, and that always the reader shall be able to tell the corpses from the others." Well-rounded characters become the soul of a novel.  I have read (as I'm sure many of you have) novels in which the characters are flat but the plot is interesting.  In theory, limp characters could be excused as long as the writer does everything else right.  But this just isn't the case.  Characters (and their dialogue) bring the novel to life.
4. Show, don't tell.  "What comes in through the ear is less effective in stirring the mind than what is put before our faithful eyes and told by the spectator to himself."  (p. 126)  I have taken five composition courses and each instructor would remind the class of this rule often.  Anton Chekhov once said, "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."  This advice is timeless! 
5. Know your grammar.  "It's not every critic that notices lines that aren't tuneful, and Roman poets have enjoyed undeserved licence.  But does that entitle me to make mistakes and scribble away carelessly? ... In that case, all I've done is to avoid blame; I have not deserved praise." (p. 128)  Every profession - both artistic and otherwise - has a set of guidelines.  To ignore those is to become mediocre or worse.  Yet so many writers try to ignore grammar and usage!  Stephen King wrote in his book, "On Writing" that, "If you don't have a rudimentary grasp of how the parts of speech translate into coherent sentences, how can you be certain that you are doing well?  How will you know that you're doing ill, for that matter?" (p. 114)  Grammar is an essential part of any writer's toolbox - as King discusses in his book.  Without it, the writer is lost and the editor is to be pitied!

For me, these are the basic principles of writing.  I have seen them multiple times in one book or another.  This is why I was so excited to find them in Horace's "Ars Poetica," which was written between 48 B.C. and 32 A.D.  How can these rules, which are centuries old, be argued with?  How can people continue to tamper with them?  New tricks and processes for writing will continue to come and go.  But the good writer must stick to the basics in order to excel!

Works Cited

King, Stephen. On Writing. New York: Pocket Books, 2000.

Leitch, Cain, Finke, Johnson, McGowan, Sharpley-Whiting, Williams. The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism, Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 2010.

OnlineUniversities.com. OnlineUniversities.com. 12 July 2010. 22 January 2012 <http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/07/12-timeless-writing-tips-from-mark-twain/>.

Pick the Brain. 10 Writing Tips from the Masters. n.d. 23 January 2012 <pickthebrain.com/blog/art-of-writing/>.