Episode 407 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 5) The One Hit Wonders: Harper Lee, J. D. Salinger, and Margaret Mitchell

These three writers all wrote just one novel of renown but they were gargantuan titles. We celebrate their impact on American Literature in this episode. 

Harper Lee offered several writing tips centered on persistence, humility, and the importance of craft over reward. She emphasized a love for language and a dedication to writing for oneself. 

Key Writing Tips from Harper Lee

• Develop a thick hide 
• Write for yourself A writer worth their salt writes to please an audience of one: themselves. Writing is a self-exploratory process, an exorcism of "divine discontent," not a pursuit for external validation or monetary gain.
• Be a steady, slow worker 
• Embrace the revision process 
• Master the English sentence 
• Write what you know and use vivid imagery 
• Nurture the creative spirit  
  
  

Fundamentally, Lee's advice was to focus on the integrity of the work and the process itself, hoping for the best but expecting nothing in return.

J.D. Salinger's writing approach prioritized authenticity, a distinctive narrative voice, and emotional depth achieved through minimalist prose and realistic dialogue. His tips for writers can be distilled into the following principles: 

• Write for yourself, first and foremost
• Prioritize a strong, authentic voice
• Embrace minimalism and precision
• Know your characters inside and out
• Use naturalistic dialogue
• Work with focus and discipline
• Read extensively

Margaret Mitchell's writing tips and style emphasize thorough research, relentless rewriting, and a simple, direct prose. She prioritized her creative work and was known for working methodically on a single project at a time. 

Key Writing Tips

• Prioritize writing above all else
• Embrace rewriting: She famously said, "I do not write with ease, nor am I ever pleased with anything I write. And so I rewrite". She emphasized that "Pulitzer-type writing... comes in the rewriting".
• Research thoroughly
• Write with simplicity and clarity
• Focus on the story and what matters
• Plan meticulously but be flexible
• Work with discipline and endurance
• Avoid digressions
• Work on one project at a time

Personal Habits and Style

• "Show, Don't Tell" (selectively)
• Character and dialogue-driven
• Gumption is key
• Answer fan mail

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Chapters

• 0:00 Gregory Peck tells a story about Harper Lee while filming "To Kill a Mockingbird" = American Film Institute
• 3:01 Music Intro
• 3:25 Host Randal Wallace talks about these one hit wonders, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Catcher in the Rye, and Gone With the Wind
• 5:51 Harper Lee dead at 89 - CNN Anderson cooper
• 8:41 Inside the Life of the famously reclusive Harper Lee - PBS Newshour
• 12:41 Harper Lee True Crime Story - CBS Sunday Morning
• 20:28 Host Randal Wallace reads Harper Lee's writing tips from GOOGLE Artificial Intelligence
• 23:35 Harer Lee's only recorded interview about "To Kill a Mockingbird" - Local News Cast in Alabama
• 34:05 Who was J. D. Salinger - CNN Jake Tapper
• 37:20 Host Randal Wallace talks about J. D. Salinger and reclusiveness
• 37:53 From the Archives JD Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" - CBS Sunday Morning
• 43:15 Host Randal Wallace reads Writing tips from JD Salinger from Googles Artificial Intelligence
• 46:10 Host Randal Wallace introduces Margaret Mitchell the author of Gone With the Wind
• 48:58 In the Shadow of a Novel Margaret Mitchell - Georgia Stories - Georgia Public Television
• 55:10 Host Randal Wallace reads writing tips from Margaret Mitchell from Google Artificial Intelligence
• 58:02 Ellen F Brown on Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind - The Forum Network is a public media service of GBH that records lectures from the world's foremost scholars, authors, artists, scientists, policymakers, and community leaders.
• 1:15:31 Closing music