Starting out as a fiction writer appears frightening at
first with tons of questions running through your mind, like:
Where do I begin?
What shall I write about?
Do I need to take writing courses?
Am I a fool to think I can write?
Let me say that the determined writer sticks it out and
allows the questions to be answered as the career moves along. No one has the
answers right from the start. This is a hands-on business, learning from your
rejection letters, fellow peer critiques, and editors suggestions along with
tons of reading.
Writing is an art that can be learned, regardless if the
thought 'must be born a writer’ crosses your mind. This is negative energy you
might as well toss out the door because I guarantee you this force will
stagnate your writing.
Repeat: I am a Writer!
Now let me set the true writing descriptively—flushing out characters and plot lines are not easy but maintaining a positive energy intertwined with
determination and perseverance will be your pulling force to succeed.
As Pluto said, “The
one thing I know for sure is that I know nothing.”
As new writers you build
your knowledge base one step at a time. I am sure if you ask almost any writer
to go back and reread their first writings as newbies, they’ll cringe because
they now know and have mastered writing tight. Those first pieces of penned
stories will clearly display the lack of fine-tuning, more telling than
showing, rambling dialogue unconnected to the plot, stick figure characters, and
more.
Those same writers will all offer this bit of advice: read,
read, and read some more. Reading
helps to examine various writing voices until you finally have mastered your
own.
Join a writer’s critique group. By reading and helping other
writers, your own writing ability is honed. Noticing mistakes in other writings
helps you to subconsciously avoid these areas.
Developing your craft needs patience but more than that, you
need to schedule a writing slot each day. Regardless if you manage to only
write 100 words a day, the satisfaction knowing you are maintaining your
‘status’ as writer will eventually spruce you into lengthier word counts.
To de-complicate your life as a fiction writer, let me offer
3 main questions I pose before I settle into the actual writing of any story.
Who is my main character and what is his/her story?
What is his/her obstacle/problem/goal to achieve?
What is standing in his/her way?
Answer these questions and you have a summery and condensed
outline to begin writing his/her/story.
Ex. Using the questions above, this was my own summary to
begin my young adult novel Rock
Kingdom:
1-Alexandra Stone discovers her parents kept a family secret
from her that may have prevented her current and dangerous situation if they
had confided in her.
2-She needs to safely reach Rock Kingdom,
evading the creatures from Dread’s Forest out
to capture her.
3-She discovers along the way that it is her Uncle who has
set these creatures after her. Yet, she is placed in a confused state trying to
unravel the question eating away at her: Is he good or bad?
Above I had set the premise for my novel by simply answering
three easy questions.
Writing fiction is like chiseling your first sculpture. At
first the presentation of your bust looks scrambled, out of shape. As you move
along you chip here, you file there, and slowly a shape begins to take place.
With a consistent effort and determination to perfect your sculpture, the end
result will be one of satisfaction only if you persevere and continue
developing and fine-tuning all the rough edges.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Muse Marquee article. Please join us again next Tuesday.
3 comments:
Great article...One thing I've discovered about being a writer is that it's a process. Success doesn't happen overnight, therefore erseverance is a must.
Enjoyed your article. There is no doubt writing takes determination and perseverance, which, especially on a first book, can easily wither away. Encouragement, direction, and support are invaluable. I know you have always offered writers that.
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