So you want to be a writer. Maybe there is a story that possesses you and will not let you rest. It hounds you night and day to "write me". You sit at the keyboard and type the title followed by your name. You revel at seeing your name in print. You say to yourself "I am a writer:" You fantasize about the finished product. Possibly a story or an article in a magazine. Or your first novel. You see yourself signing autographed copies for hundreds of adoring fans. Your family is proud of you- even the relatives who said you couldn't do it. Then of course comes the fat cheque from the publisher.......
These are the dreams of would-be writers. Making these dreams a reality takes plenty of hard work. To quote an old cliche writing takes "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration". For those of you who are aspiring writers here are some "do's and don'ts" to make the perspiration part just a little easier.
We all have romantic visions of far off lands and places we would love to visit. But don't write a romance novel about a South Seas Island unless you have visited one (or are prepared to do a lot of library research). It doesn't matter where you live or what you do for a livilhood. Your particular perspective on a subject is unique and capturing that point of view can bring a fresh approach to anything you write.
Don't tell us how your character feels or what he or she thinks. Create actions that bring that person and their feelings to life. A favourite example comes from a creative writing teacher, Dr. Maara Haas, whose class I took over twenty years ago:
"I love to cook', she said, slamming the pot lid on the stove."
This is much more effective than describing the characters feelings about cooking.
Can you imagine trying to build a house without ever studying a blueprint? Writing works the same way. If you want to write mystery stories, read as many as you can. Read critically, looking at how the author has handled setting, plot and characterization. The idea is not to copy someone else's writing style. But rather examine the structure of the particular genre so that you understand just how it is written.
One of the greatest myths about writers is that they work in isolation. Worse yet is for writers to accept judgements from family members who make comments like: "that's nice dear" or "it stinks". Family members and friends might be particularly rough on you if you are writing a fiction story and they think you have shown them in an unfavourable light. Or they may expect to appear in your work and will be disappointed if they cannot see themselves portrayed in the way they want to be shown.
To avoid this response, find a writers group where you can meet with other writers to share ideas or even get your manuscript critiqued. If you can't find an organization close to home, you might want to even consider starting one. Writers groups can be very well structured with scheduled meetings and elected officers. Or they can simply be a gathering of a few people on a regular basis who wish to share writing and offer each other empathy and support.
Show me a writer who is successful and I will show you someone who has done many rewrites. No one gets it perfect the first time. The purpose of good constructive criticism is not to tear apart your writing. Rather it is an effort to point out ways in which the writing might be improved.
Learn to think of suggestions about your writing as just that and not as personal attacks. Good writers will consider all comments made on their work. Some suggestions may be worthwhile others may not. It is your choice to incorporate those you like and reject those you feel are not appropriate. If your work is being critiqued, try to listen to the comments without being defensive. There are guidelines for critiquing that suggest the person being critiqued should sit in silence until all comments on the work have been made. Remember, if several writers Make the same observation then the passage in question may well need eworking.
The best way to become a writer is to write. An oversimplication? Too often beginning writers are overly critical of their own work. They feel that every word has to lead to an end result rather than just allowing the ideas to flow. Some things you write you will want to discard. But you may discover flashes of brilliance in your work or ideas that you can use. No writing exercise is wasted even if it is only gets something off your chest. To quote Dr. Maara Haas, an early creative writing teacher and mentor of mine: "Write your guts out". Some writers keep journals or just scribble ideas in a notebook. You might want to make observations about people eating in a restaurant or the particular way sunshine hits the waters of the lake. You just never know when these ideas might prove useful.
If you create scenes or characters that you feel are unbelievable then likely these will not covince a reader. Even a fantasy novel has to ring true or else your reader (and probably the publisher) will reject it. The best fiction comes from some inner truth or true experience that has happened to you. Sometimes fiction is an appropriate vehicle to vent emotions too difficult to otherwise share. For example it might be too painful to write about a loved one dying of cancer where it would be easier to write about a fictional character. Fiction allows distance from the event while maintaining the essence of reality needed to make your writing convincing.
Keep your writing lively by using varied techniques. Intersperse narrative with dialogue to change the pace and keep readers interested. Use a variety of sentence structures. Follow lengthy sentences with very short ones. Use only details that move the piece forward. Avoid flowery language and pretenious words unless they serve a specific purpose. Study the techniques of other writers and see if they are appropriate to your writing style.
There is no correct way to write. But writing courses can expose you to different techniques and ideas that would be difficult to learn on your own. Good creative writing courses will encourage you to experiment and try out new ideas. Possibly you might want to try a prose passage as a poem, or tell a story from a nontraditional point of view.
Courses may be available in your community, through correspondence, or through the Internet such as Fiction 98 and Fiction 401 at 4-writers.com. Always be prepared to
try new ideas or methods to see which work best.
Don't listen to free advice about your writing. Ignore well meaning relatives and friends if they say you are wasting your time. There is a standing joke in the writing field about beginning authors who have enough rejection slips to wallpaper a room. Try to look at each writing adventure as a new experience and one from which you can profit. A positive attitude will keep you on the road to success.
Good luck. Who knows? One day the author signing autographs in my local book store may be you!
This article was originally published on:The Novel Approach: An On-line Forum for those interested in writing
Copyright ©1998 H. CARLTON HOBBS
