What Makes a Writer?
Tips for the craft of the written word; how to be great!
Whatever your reason, whether it be a hobby, beginning that first novel, to test the waters, or maybe, you are already published, here are some tips to keep you going!
Just Do it!
"Being a real writer means being able to do the work on a bad day." Norman Mailer
If you are serious about putting pen to paper, you have to write. That means, that if you are finding it difficult, or you have too many ideas flowing, you need to put them down. The harder it is, the more important this is. It will get easier with practice. The thing to remember is that writer’s block is a form of procrastination. We use it to excuse our human behaviour of wanting to justify our actions. Set aside a time everyday that is just yours to write. This might mean you have to schedule with a babysitter or reprioritize your life a little bit. Then, no matter how insignificant your idea may seem to you, put it down. It is surprising how one small idea might spark many more bigger and better ones.
Write With Impact
Vary your sentence length, and keep the sentences short to create tension in key places in your work. There is nothing wrong whatsoever with long flowery speech, but know when to use it and when to avoid it altogether.
Show Don’t Tell
If you are involved in the writing industry whatsoever, you’ve probably heard this a million times, well you can hear it at least once more. Seriously, when you spout details and facts, you are not including the reader. No one likes to be dictated to, so be sure that you are letting the reader visualize what you are saying. The concept can be difficult to get used to, since you are, in a way, telling by the mere fact that you are writing it down, but there is a difference and there are many books to consider for help if this is a challenge for you.
Write What You Know
Every great writing professional will tell you to write what you know about. Readers are intelligent folk who are not as willing as you might think to just accept glazed over concepts or areas that are not well researched. In other forms of media, it is sometimes ok to “fake it” but not only will the reader appreciate that you know what you are talking about and thereby, make your work more credible. When you write what you know, you have all the experience already at your fingertips and you will not need to spend as much time in the research room!
Write What You Love
When you write about something that is important to you, your passion makes its way to the page with ease and intensity. That tension that your writing needs in order to grip its reader in, and make them feel a part of the story, regardless of whether it is non-fiction or fiction, will be inherent. Think of your favourite written work, and then read the bio on the author. Chances are good, that their subject matter is close to their heart.
Revise Revise Revise
Everyone hates it, but after you have finished writing your first draft, and only after, it is critical to self-edit until the work is your most polished, concise form of itself. There are many ways to do this, if you find it particularly hard, ask a friend or join a blue-pencil workshop for help or things you may have missed from being so close to your subject matter.
Persevere
"Successful writers are not the ones who write the best sentences. They are the ones who keep writing. They are the ones who discover what is most important and strangest and most pleasurable in themselves, and keep believing in the value of their work, despite the difficulties."
Bonnie Friedman
If publishing is what you are striving towards, there are two things to keep in mind. The first, make sure you are writing because you love it, not to make money. Someone or other once said that writing is probably the most difficult profession and that there is a lot of better paying positions out there. The second thing you want to remember is that though it sounds trite, it is the absolute truth. Don’t let the rejections get you down; you will get many more rejections than you will acceptances.
