Writers and Patience

 

Many times, I have mentioned the two keywords in my writing life. One is patience and the other is perseverance. Today, let's concentrate on patience.

When did you first have the desire to become a writer? As a child? A college student? A young career person? After raising a family? Or maybe after you retired. Just because the desire takes root doesn't mean that is when you're going to give this craft a try. It may settle into your conscious or subconscious mind for a long time. For me, it was many, many years. 

Finally, you're ready to give writing a try. What's the first thing you do? Probably sit down and write a story that you've thought about a long time. You write it, then look at markets to decide where you'll send it. You find a magazine that seems to fit your kind of story, so off it goes. And then you wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, an email arrives telling you that the publication cannot use your submission. Suddenly, the realization comes that this business doesn't happen in a hurry. 

The person above probably made a lot of mistakes. After all, it's a first try. Here are just a few things this writer might have done wrong:

A. Wrote the story too fast

B.  Didn't edit the story before submitting

C.  Didn't let the story sit a few days before editing

D. Didn't study the markets well

E.  Expected to hear from the publication quickly

The writer was not patient. There are many steps in the writing process and they should be taken one by one. The list below gives a few suggestions for a new writer, and ones that seasoned writers should consider, as well: 

A.  Join a writing group 

B.  Take a class about writing and go to workshops at conferences

C.  Read, read, read about writing

D.  Join a critique group and take their advice to heart; learn that criticism is meant to help, not hurt

E.  Learn to accept rejection (not easy, but as time goes on, you can do it)

F.  Write on a regular basis, even if it is only 15 minutes a day

G.  The more you write, the better writer you can become

All the above requires patience. To be honest, I am not a patient person, but writing has helped me learn to be more patient than I have ever been. 

There is no magic number of months or years that will bring you success in writing. We're all unique people, all with different kinds of talents, all with hopes and dreams, but reaching the mountain top will take many roads and we will not all have to travel that road the same amount of time. Work on your patience while you also work on your writing skills. 

 

Wow Your Readers at the Beginning

 

Our quote for today tells us that 'The Beginning is the most important part of the work'. It's also one of the most difficult to get right! 

Consider what you must accomplish with the beginning of any works, be it fiction, flash fiction, essay, article, or poem. Your job here is to capture the attention and interest of the reader. 

Have you ever picked up a book and read pages before anything 'happened'? I find myself silently saying 'Get on with it.' Some who write novels choose to write many pages to set the scene. That may help the reader fix the place and time and more in their mind, but does it hold their interest? Are they wondering who the characters will be and what is happening to them? Quite possibly. It's alright to incorporate bits and pieces about the place, time etc as you move the story along. Once again, this is the writer's choice.

Starting out with a bang is going to make your reader want to turn the page to see what happens next. Make something happen in that first paragraph, something to pique the reader's interest.

When you begin a personal essay, you might pose a question, relate a vivid anecdote, introduce a character, or plant the seeds of an idea. But do it with gusto. 

That first paragraph or two, or first line of a poem, is your chance to hook your reader. Bore them then is to lose their interest quickly. 

Do a search for famous openings and see if you can find a common denominator. One we all know is the first sentence of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The many children's stories that start with 'Once upon a time...' tells children this story happened long ago and there is a tale to be told. 

As an exercise for today, go through your files of stories and essays. Look at the beginnings or the opening lines. What do you think? Can you revise it to something better? Or do you like the way you started your story? 

A reference book I often recommend for fiction writers is Beginnings, Middles, and Ends by Nancy Kress. It was published in 2011, but her advice is still pertinent.