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You will enjoy this short video of Kurt Vonnegut’s advice on writing a short-story. The eight writing tips are pithy, wise, and apropos to just about any kind of writing, not just short stories. Not sure I agree with the one about “suspense.”

Here are some interesting tidbits about Mr. Vonnegut I pulled for you from a Wikipedia article. You can read the full article here.

  • He majored in chemistry at Cornell University.
  • His mother committed suicide when he was 21-years-old.
  • He was a prisoner of war in Germany during World War II and the experience influenced his writing.
  • He was awarded the Purple Heart for what he called a “ludicrously negligible wound.”
  • After the war, he attended the University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and worked for the City News Bureau of Chicago.
  • He worked in Public Relations for General Electric, wrote for Sports Illustrated, was a volunteer firefighter, and managed the first United States Saab dealership.
  • He raised three of his own, and four adopted children.
  • He attempted suicide in l984.
  • An asteroid was named in his honor in 1999.
  • He taught at Harvard University and City College of New York.
  • He did the illustrations for two of his books and designed an album cover, which is now part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame traveling exhibition.
  • He was politically outspoken, a lifetime member of the American Civil Liberties Union, and held unconventional views on religion.
  • He wrote 14 novels.
  • In 2007. Vonnegut died at the age of 84 from massive head trauma after falling down a flight of stairs.

Interesting stuff. Have you read his books or did you know these things about the man?