Writers Create Something out of Nothing

 

Looking at the poster for today, it occurred to me that maybe writers don't give themselves enough credit for what they do. Think about it. Writers start with a whole bunch of nothing and create something from it.

That's magic, isn't it? Writers don't wave a wand to create this magic. Instead, they delve deep within and bring it forth from past experiences and imagination.

More than once, I have thought about a man like Walt Disney, not a writer, but one who created a wonderful world from nothing more than the ideas in his mind and ionspiration and hard work. Hard to imagine a world without what he has given us.

Writers are the same as they come up with an idea, feel inspired, and spend time seeing it to fruition. 

Is it hard work? It is. Anything worthwhile is going to involve a work effort. 

Do you have a list of publications in your files? Take a minute or two today to read through the titles. You created each one from nothing, made it into something and managed to get it published. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back. You've earned it. 

What about the file that holds all the pieces you've written that have yet to be published.? Take credit for them, as well. Once again, you started with nothing and made something. Not everyone can do that. Are they all perfect? Probably not, but you can continue working on each one and make it better, maybe good enough to submit and hope for publication. 

Start with an armful of nothing. End with a great big scoop of something. That's the writers' own special magic!

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldRephraseRephrase current sentenceEdit in Ginger×

Writers--Tight is Right

 

When we look at a blank page, be it in a book to use for journaling or on our computer screen, we can write anything we want to. And any way. It's our choice. No holds barred. But wait...

We do have to stay within certain perimeters if we want to see our work published. Editors set word counts. They tell us to send a 'story' not an 'essay' or they tell us what we send must be fiction, or sometimes true. They also don't want writers rambling all over the page. Instead, we're urged to 'write tight.' So many guidelines that fence us in a bit.

To be published, we must follow those rules set by the people who have the final say as to whether your story will be seen by the public or not. 

Let's look at the art of writing tight. Our aim in anything we write is to grab the reader's attention and keep it. If we ramble like a herd of cows on the prairie searching for ever-sweeter grass, we're going to lose our reader in a hurry. 

Master the following and you'll never have a problem being told to write tighter:

1. Eliminate unnecessary words like just, really, quite, very. They do nothing but take up space. 
2. Use active verbs to replace the 'to be' passives like was, is, had been, are. To do this, you may have to flip the order of the sentence. Don't just try to insert the active verb where you had the passive one. It doesn't always work.
3. Practice writing flash fiction; enter flash fiction contests. You want to try the ones that ask for 100 to 300 words, or even less. There can be no extras in this kind of writing. 
4. Delete words wherever you can. If your max word count is 1200, and you have 1357 words, don't despair. You can cut those extra words and not lose anything in your story. I've done it many times, and you can, too. Look for ways to reword a sentence so that it uses fewer words but still gets the same idea across. Cut those unnecessary words. Do all the things mentioned in this list, and you'll be surprised at how many words you can cut. 
5. Get rid of dialog tags by using merely an action to show who spoke. Jane slammed the book on the table. "I will not read anything this woman writes again!" There is no need for the usual 'she said' It's perfectly clear who said it.
6. Use clear and to the point sentences. Don't embellish with lots of adjectives and adverbs.
7. Read a lot of poetry. Why? Poets are masterful in economizing on words. Note how they write and try it in your prose.

Can you write 'too tight?' Yes, and you want to be careful that you don't cut down and out so many things that you've lost your story and will surely lose your readers. 

Keep in mind that 'tight is right.'

Writers--Venture Into New Territory

If you're a writer, you were once a beginner  If you kept with it and worked at learning the craft, you moved on to being an intermediate writer. Hopefully, you kept going and are a super writer today! 

I was interviewed by a newspaper reporter this morning and one of the things that emerged from our question and answer session was that I originally wanted to write for children. I did that for a few years and then I decided to venture into other areas of writing. I tried writing about writing, which I'm still doing today. I made a stab at adult short fiction and I wasn't very good at it. Then, I tried my hand at memoir and personal essays followed by poetry. It turned out that creative nonfiction--memoir and personal essay--was my strong suit. 

What if I hadn't moved out of the comfort of the first kind of writing I'd tried? I still enjoy writing short stories for middle-grade kids, but now I write more creative nonfiction than anything else. I've had more published in that category than any other along with articles on the craft of writing. 

I would have lost so much had I never tried a different category of writing. I probably wouldn't be writing this blog. Nor would I be teaching workshops on writing at my state authors convention. Nor would I be having as many acceptances after submitting. Probably not as many rejections either!

Many writers write only one kind of story or article. Or only poetry. I think they may be missing something big. We need to step forward and attempt other types of writing. Never written a memoir piece? Why not give it a try? After all, every one of us has memories that can give us the basis for a short memoir story. 

If you've always written nonfiction, what's to stop you from writing fiction? Lack of experience? Lack of self-confidence? Fear? You can overcome all of those. If you decide to try writing personal essays, read all you can about the form. Read examples of personal essays. Educate yourself to give you a springboard.

If you've never written poetry, who says you can't? Anyone can pen free verse. You don't have to be knowledgeable about meter and rhyme and other things.  A free verse poem comes from the heart. It's writing your feelings or describing something meaningful to you. There's no reason you can't give it a whirl. If you find you like writing poetry, start learning more about other forms and keep practicing.

Note that I said 'keep practicing.' When you try a new type of writing, it takes some practice to reach a point where you are satisfied with what you've written, where you feel it is of a quality that you can submit it for publication or for a contest, and that you feel satisfied. That goes for poetry, fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction--whatever category you want to try. Don't give up too soon unless you know that you really don't like that particular kind of writing. If you don't like it, quit. There's no rule that says you have to keep on, but you'll at least know you tried it.

Even if you're completely happy with the kind of writing that you do now, move into new territory. There is no guarantee you'll like it, but it's worth trying. It could be that you find a whole new part of your writing world like I did. We don't need to be pigeonholed into only one kind of writing. Someone once said Variety is the spice of life and it became a well-known adage still alive today, so there must be something to it. 

You were once a beginning writer; you can be a beginner in a different kind of writing, too.

Writing Is Not Easy

 Did you ever think starting on a writing journey would be easy? If you did, it wouldn't take too long for that idea to deflate like a pin-pricked balloon. 

Writers jump hurdles all the time. Look at the list of things they deal with:

• finding a topic or story idea
• being motivated to act on the idea
• writing clearly
• writing what appeals to readers
• research, if needed
• the all-important first draft
• revising
• proofreading
• editing
• searching and searching for a market to submit to
• preparing the submission
• waiting for a response
• receiving a rejection and dealing with it
• receiving an acceptance--great, but time to start again
• marketing already published work for another publication
• finding time to write
• dealing with a difficult editor
• helping other writers
• finding time and money to attend writing conferences
• building a platform
• speaking engagements for some
• book signings for some
• continually learning more about the craft of writing
• deciding to join or not join a critique group

I'm sure I've missed a few other things that writers wrestle on a regular basis but the list above should scotch the idea that writing is easy. Only those who have tried it will understand. Following a tough road just might result in a beautiful experience.

Some might wonder why we pursue the writing life. We do it because it sometimes brings us great satisfaction, because we love to write, because we want to give something to readers. We are passionate about the subject of writing--enough that we jump all those hurdles we encounter to keep moving on our journey.

A Quote From A Famous Young Writer

I scanned through a pinterest site of writing quotes and got stopped by this one. I read it, moved on, but then went back to it. Somehow, it spoke to me. We are all familiar with Anne Frank's tragic story of living in a hidden attic room with her family during WWII. Her father was the only one of her family to survive and, thanks to him, we have all been privileged to read this young girl's writing. 

Writing was her way of coping with the horrors of her time. Her quote made me think about those of us who write today. None of us is living the kind of horrific life Anne did, but we all do have our own battles we're fighting, worries, concerns and more. 

When I am at my computer tapping on the keyboard, I feel cocooned. I forget whatever else might be on my mind. I guess I could say it's my 'safe' place. When I write, I'm in another world, one of my own making. 

When I'm finished writing, I slip back into the real world and all it's cares come back, so I don't look at writing as a mini miracle--a way to get rid of whatever problem I might be dealing with. Not at all, but it does give me respite. I'm not handling major problems in my life but there are always concerns of some kind or other. When I'm writing, nothing else bothers me. I can even ignore the phone if it rings. That's why we have a message machine! 

We talk often of our writing journey but we also live in our own writing world. Whenever and wherever you write, consider invisible walls put around you. I know what some of you are thinking--how about all those interruptions when kids need something or a spouse needs immediate attention? Yep, that happens but you have to decide the importance of each instance. Is it enough to shatter those walls and make you leave your writing place? For those of you, who are past child-rearing age and have a spouse that recognizes your working times, be grateful. I have one writer friend who solved her husband interrupting by closing the door to her office after taping a sign on the outside of the door that said Writer Working. Yes, he got the hint and no longer bothered her except for something of extreme importance. 

I, for one, will be grateful for finding this quote from Anne Frank. One more way in which she influenced the world that came after her. 

Writers Are Artists

You're an artist! Did you know that? No brushes, no canvas, no sculptor's clay in your hands but you use words to paint a picture. I've shared a short piece I wrote on painting with words which I won't repeat today. You can read it here, if you like.

One of best ways to paint that picture for your readers is to use sensory details. If you can let your readers taste, smell, see, hear or feel the touch of what you're writing about, you've accomplished something big. All those little details draw the reader into the scene. He/she can relate from their own previous experiences. You will paint the picture for them.

Sensory details are important but so is showing the reader those details. Do not just tell them that the birds were singing. Show your character stopping to listen to the chirping. Show the character experiencing the sickening smell of days old garbage. Show it and your reader will feel it.

The Arts World includes more than the paintings and sculptures. Theater, dance, and literary works are all a part of it, as well. Yet, we hear the word 'art' and we sometimes fail to remember that we, as writers, are a part of the Art World. If you write, you are an artist, too.

I wrote a poem about writers being artists and have shared it here in the past but perhaps today is another day to share it once more with you, the writer artists.

Artists All

Painting with oils,

watercolors brushed across canvas,

clay molded by loving hands,

marble chiseled to exquisite form

Artists ply their trade,

by the golden light of day

and velvet depths of night,

with passion and verve.

One more artist joins the rank.

The writer brushes words over paper,

molds a story bit by glittering bit,

chisels a novel to survive the ages.

The writer gathers life’s stories

from country roads to city streets,

written from the depths of a heart

bursting with intensity and rapture.

Artists all, masters of creation,

be they painters, sculptors or writers,

leaving footprints on canvas, marble and paper--

heartfelt tributes embraced by mankind.

The Many Keys To Writing

Last night I dreamed about lost keys--one of those dreams that highlight frustration in giant letters. My plate is a wee bit too full this week so it's no wonder those lost keys and me chasing hither and yon looking for them came to haunt me in the dark of night. The one I lost was for my car and, in this world, we are toast with a car that sits in the garage waiting for its owner to find the key! When I woke up this morning, that dream made me think about other keys, the ones in our writing world.

Writers must find the keys that open up their writing world. It's not a hide-and-seek game, not nearly as easy as that. We don't find the keys as soon as we decide to pursue the craft of writing. It can sometimes take years and many, many words tapped out on the keyboard or written in longhand. I also think that we sometimes overlook the key when it's lying there staring us in the face. Open your eyes and find me! is what the key might say were it able to speak. 

There is no one key to open all phases of writing. Do you remember the old skeleton keys? They had been altered in such a way that they could open all locks. Writers have nothing so easy as that. Let's look at the areas  where we'd like to find keys to fling the door wide and allow us complete vision ahead. 

Writing:  OK, this one's a biggie. We want to know the very best methods to use when we write, the things that will make us memorable writers rather than one of the ordinary sheep in the flock. 

Editing and Revising:  One more thing that will make you grow as a writer and polish your writing

Marketing: Guess what? This one's a biggie, too. We want to find the best markets for the kind of writing we do.

Selling yourself as a writer: Very hard to do for some people but ever so helpful in promoting your work

Inspiration and Motivation to write:  We all need this. Where to find it is often frustrating and when we have it, life is good.

Now, you'd like me to give you the key to each of the categories above. Sorry, but we must each find the key that works for us. We're writers but we're also individuals and one key fits all isn't going to work here. My aim with today's post is to make you seek the key for each of the above in your own writing life. It's to make you think about what the key is for you. When you find it, use it and don't lose it. Lose it and Mr. Frustration moves right in. 

Rejections Can Be A Good Thing

Look at this poor guy. He appears to have nothing in life going for him. Kind of how we all feel when that dreaded rejection letter or email arrives. Hits the ego, self-confidence and inspiration buttons all in one fell swoop.

I've received two rejections this month after having sent out only two submissions. 0 for 2 is not a very good track record, nor is it an encouraging way to begin a new year in my writing world. But wait! There's some good news involved here, too.

Both editors wrote me lengthy messages explaining the reason they didn't accept the work I'd sent. One was the editor of a haiku journal. I've dabbled in haiku poems ever since being introduced to the form at a writer's conference a couple of years ago. Since one of my goals this year is to step outside my comfort zone and submit to new publications, I selected my five favorite in my haiku file and sent them in. The editor let me know in a very nice way that I needed a better understanding of what haiku is, not just that it is a poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count in three lines. She even gave me a link to some good resources.

The other editor explained the reason they did not accept the story I'd sent, and she gave a suggestion as to how I could revise it so that it might fit their publication better.

Both editors asked me to submit again, which is encouraging, even somewhat inspiring. So, all is not doom and gloom with these two rejections. It's now up to me to act on the advice the editors offered.

Sometimes a rejection can be a good thing. We all want our best work to be offered to the reading public. If it didn't work the first time, revise or rework and try again. Then you might have a different look on your face. Even if it isn't accepted the next time, you know you've given it your all.