Are Trees and Writers Alike?

 As we were driving to church this morning, I noticed the vast number of different trees we passed. Big ones, small ones, Tall ones, short ones. Trees that were full and those a bit sparse. Some had leaves, while others were dressed in needles. Go farther south, and some of the trees would have fronds. All are classified as trees, but each one is different from the others. 

Most everyone has seen or memorized the famous poem by Joyce Kilmer titled 'Trees.' It seems worth putting it in this post.

Trees

BY JOYCE KILMER

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Writers are like trees. Writers may be our group name, but each one looks and writes in a different way. No two are exactly alike. Nor should they be. Each writer uses his/her own voice, his/her own style. All trees should not look alike, and all writers should not write alike. 

Finding your voice, or the style in which you write, does not happen as soon as you begin writing. It evolves as you pursue your craft. The more you write, the more evident your particular way of writing becomes. You are an individual that fits under the group heading of Writers. 

Have you ever heard a reader say something like "Oh, I love the way he writes." Readers are aware of the differences in writers. They know the ones they like best, just as botanists have favorite trees. 

I am reading a book that is written in present tense. It's driving me crazy. I like the story but not the way the writer tells it. Even so, it's his style, his way of telling a story. Many readers might like reading the entire book in present tense. Is he wrong for writing in this manner? Not at all. Different readers appreciate different writers. That's the way it should be, I think. 

Some writers try to copy or imitate the style of a writer they admire. Go ahead and admire that other writer, but develop your own voice, your own style of writing. Each tree is individual, Writers should be, as well. Be yourself. You will still fit into the glorious group known as Writers.

Be A Writer Who Stands Out

 

Did you know that the name for a group of penguins on land is called a 'waddle?' They are also referred to as a 'colony,' a 'huddle,' and a 'rookery.' If the penguins are in the water, then one refers to them as a 'raft.' A bit of trivia for your weekend! 

Look at the photo. That waddle doesn't have much individuality to it. One penguin looks pretty much like another. How does that compare to a group of artists known as writers? In some respects, we do all look alike. We have arms, legs, heads, ears, eyes, a nose, and a mouth. As writers, we each have our own characteristics. Maybe the penguins do, too, but we don't see it in the photo. We do see it in us as we produce our stories, essays, articles, and poems.

What if I showed you a photo of a large group of writers standing side by side? Would you be able to pick out the ones that have distinguished themselves by looking at the picture? Probably not, unless we included some famous writers whom you would recognize. 

How are you going to be the writer to stand out among the crowd of people plying the same craft that you do? What are you going to do to make people remember your writing? There are some who would dress in an unusual way to stand out in the crowd. Would that indicate the quality of their writing? No. Some would be the one to monopolize a group conversation. That wouldn't indicate the strength of their writing ability. You might notice one of the writers hiding behind the others, not wanting to be seen. Would that tell you the kind of writer that person is? None of the above will tell you the quality of the person as a writer.

What are you going to do to outshine the others in the group of writers? A writer's goal is to write well enough to be published multiple times. What the guy next to you wears or does is worth nothing for your own writing world. You need to work at being a better writer every single day. Not just on Mondays or Fridays but every day. 

Keep these things in mind:

• Read about your craft frequently
• Write on a daily basis.
• Join writing critique groups. 
• Converse with other writers on a regular basis. 
• Study writer guidelines at many publications or publishing houses. 
• Reach deep into yourself when you write; don't write on the surface and ignore what is within you. 
• Increase your vocabulary. 
• Look for ways to make your writing stand out among others who write in the same genre
• Feed your passion for writing in every way you can
• Do your best every day

If you achieve all of the above, your writing will grow stronger with each new project. Use the above as a checklist. Which ones do you accomplish on a regular basis? Which do you need to work on? 

Do what you can to stand out rather than be a cloned-looking penguin in a waddle, or a huddle, or a rookery or a colony. (How can they have so many names?) 

Writers Are Individuals

School-age children like to copy their peers in what they wear, the slang they use, actions and more. It makes them one of the crowd. Or so their young minds tell them. Even as adults, we often try to copy a celebrity or someone we admire. It might not be as often or as strong an urge to do this as when we were kids, but we still do it. Little boys and grown men are copying the hairstyle of winning Super Bowl Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.

When it comes to writing, we shouldn't attempt to copy the same style of writing as an author we admire. Nothing wrong in liking the way someone else writes. We just shouldn't want to be a carbon copy. We need to be ourselves.

All the books on the craft of writing mention something called a writer's voice. It's your style of writing, the way you write, and it should be different from every other writer. It's the tone, the word choice, even the subject matter. Hemingway developed his voice just as Charles Dickens and Louisa Mae Alcott did. The important thing is that you, as a writer, develop your own voice. Not a copy of theirs or some other writer you revere. 

The choice of subject matter when you write should also be yours (unless you're a freelancer who writes on assignment). Maybe you are an expert in some particular thing so you can write with authority. The genre you choose to write in should be your choice, not because it is wildly popular at the moment but because you feel comfortable with it. I could never write sci-fi or horror stories. That's just not me. It wouldn't be right for me, and I'd probably do a terrible job. I write in niches where I am comfortable and bring satisfaction to me. It's what is right for me.

When it comes to writing, don't be only one of a crowd. Be yourself. Write from your point of view, from your experiences, not from that of some other author. Be an individual.