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It's All About the Writing, Part 3
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In the last two articles, I’ve addressed some frequently heard advice for aspiring authors, questions that new writers often have. Today I’d like to share a few writing tips I’ve come to appreciate in my short, eight-year writing tenure, from which I believe new writers can benefit. I write short stories and novels, so my advice is primarily for fiction writers, but it probably applies to non-fiction and most other writing too.
First, track what you write. You'll be surprised how quickly you forget. Track how many chapters and how many words per chapter you write. You’ll know where you are and, if you’re writing to an industry target for your genre, how much farther you have to go. This will also help with determining whether your major action falls where you want it to, or does all the good stuff happen in the first 20,000 words, making the last 60,000 are all filler? Keep a list of completed stories. If you write poetry or articles, also keep track of composition titles, subjects, and dates.
Along with word counts, keep a brief summary of each chapter. This will help you to remember what’s transpired up to that point, which will help to propel you to the finish. You’ll discover which point of view needs more voice, what subplots need more visibility (or less), what story questions have been resolved. If you plot in advance, the plot summary can keep you moving forward as you write. If you let the story come to you, summarizing after you finish will help to identify spots in need of revision. You’ll also learn some things that will come in handy when you’re ready to write a synopsis.
Write until you are comfortable with who you are as writer. You may admire many authors, but you will never be those writers. You can only be you. This means you may have to lay aside your dreams of publication for a bit. It’s a challenge, but also a necessity. Learn how to get from the point of having an idea, through the middle, and on to The End. As you write, you’ll grow confidence in your writing process and your voice. When you do, you’ll be well positioned to polish your coal into literary diamonds for all the world to read.
Finally, the last tidbit I’ve picked up, you may have already gleaned from reading this three-part series. There is no right way to write. Aspiring authors need to hear this more than anything, so let me say it again. THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO WRITE.
I wish, more than anything, someone had taken me by the shoulders, stared me down, and repeated this last piece of advice until I got it. Do what you do. Observe, listen, and learn from others, but ultimately, do what works best for you, and most of all…write.
For more info: I guess my procrastination in posting part three paid off. Literary agent Rachelle Gardner took on a related topic, How Do You Learn to Write, today on her blog. Check out the comments from aspiring and published authors about how they learned. It's a great lead-in to the topic in this series, Phase 2, Developing the Craft of Writing.
Don’t miss the Virtual Writer’s Conference going on now at http://virtualwritersconference.blogspot.com/.
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