Sunday, July 29, 2012

In the Background of a Writers Life-How to Write-Inspiration-

So you want to write, and you Googled "how to write," or "writing tips," and numerous articles popped up about the craft. If you read each one you'll notice a common theme, that each article is different. Which leads me too...

Learning to write isn't linear. It can't be solved in a simple equation with a solution.

When I first started to write, I had this image that there was a method that would get me easily from point A to point B. I read every blog I could, every "how to" article, and have tried many ways to organize my stories (outlines, bubble charts, box charts, software, post-its, etc.). I'll admit that all the buzz in my head about what I should, or shouldn't be doing, drove me crazy. After many years, I've come to realize, like our stories, we're all unique how we write and plot. We all have our own style, pizzazz, and spark that makes our writing, well, US and ONE OF A KIND!

There is no right or wrong way, which makes writing the most versatile job on the planet!

What works for one writer doesn't necessarily work for another. Some of us are organized, being meticulous as we go along. Others write total word vomit, rewriting ten plus drafts. Some like a chart to see their plot laid out, while others chart in their heads.

So, go ahead and experiment as to what works best for you and your story.


What have you been experimenting with, or what works best for you?



3 comments:

Jeremy Bates said...

I believe the best advice I could ever give is for a person to just write, write, write, and then write some more. Once one has a story, then they can worry about the finer details.

In fact, I believe a lot of the places that tell you how to write confuse would-be writers because they believe there is a magic formula.

By the way, I am hosting a 3-day blog fest entitled 'Dog Days of Summer" and it runs from August 10-12. I'd love to have you stop by.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I've been a pantser for all my writing life, and I just realized that's probably the reason I hate all my first drafts. So I've started outlining, and it works so well for me. We're all different, and when we find our own perfect way of doing things, that's what makes us special. :)

Mike Keyton said...

The best advice, I think, is 'just do it' again and again and again. Learning from others ref mistakes to avoid only have meaning if you are actually doing it.