Instead of a special Friday this
week we have a special Saturday because we had to post pone what we planed
yesterday for next week. Kyle has been having trouble with his computer and our
collaborative story was not going to work over a large distance. So today I
decided it would be good to have me explain at least some of my writing
process. Now Kyle and I actually took the same creative writing class and we do
have fairly similar ways of writing but everyone writes differently. This is
supposed to give you a little summary of how to improve or things to look at
while you write.
1.
Read a lot, like a lot a lot.
This is very important and why it
is number one. You cannot learn writing with out reading first and it has to be
a lot. This means reading a lot of different things: fiction, nonfiction,
dialog heavy, scenery heavy, plot heavy. There are a lot of different styles of
writing. To do this in our class we read a lot of short stories but I say find
a genre you like to read and start there because you have to enjoy what you are
reading to continue. Then move from there and find other things that interest
you sometimes you will need to read something you hate so make it brief. When
you read you start to understand writing rules unconsciously and then consciously
you can see how the writer adds their details. With that in hand you can mimic
it. Did you know that Hunter S. Thomson rewrote F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The
Great Gatsby” to just see what it felt like to write a great American novel? That doesn’t mean you need to rewrite someone
else’s work just take notes and try writing it your own way. We are all
influenced by the people we enjoy the same goes for writing.
2.
Show don’t tell.
This is a little harder to explain
but it is my mantra and sometimes I still get caught up in not doing it and I
probably need to revisit it. Anyways when you write you need to take the time
to expand upon things. So take one simple sentence and turn it into something
with a lot more depth for example: “I think she hates me.” , “She avoided me
like the plague in school and whenever gym had a dodge ball game she aimed straight for me.”
See now you can actually feel the hate instead of just telling it straight out
right. This can be hard to remember and to detect in your own writing but it is
imperative. Chuck Palahniuk said it best in my opinion, “From this point forward—at
least for the next half year—you may not use “thought” verbs. These include:
Thinks, Knows, Understands, Realizes, Believes, Wants, Remembers, Imagines,
Desires, and a hundred others you love to use.”
3.
Don’t try to have the whole story at once/ take it slower.
So you always put off writing your story because you don’t
know the whole story. In fact you should only have an idea and a direction.
Even then don’t be married to that idea, feel free to cut up the useless parts
and change it how you like to make it better. I don’t know how many times I
have been stuck on something because I wanted one thing and it took until I had
another idea that was even better to replace it. Now once you have an idea
write one sentence at a time and let yourself find your way through the story.
This will make you slow down a lot more in the story, which is a great idea
because then it will mimic the usual human experience. To take it slower also
means that if you see your end in sight don’t head straight for it, which
includes dialog because dialog is organic everyone has their own wants and
needs. Don’t let some one be there just to advance the plot or give the
character and idea. Let them be real.
4.
Stick with it
Do not leave at the drop of a hat from your writing always
stick with it because progression will happen randomly. Don’t distract yourself
and get something to eat or drink unless it is time to do so or you are really
stuck for an hour or more.
5.
There are no rules
Most of the rules out there are guidelines, break the
rules and form wherever possible and let the story create itself. Make it
organic and not ridged. Even the stuff
above can be left behind in the dust if you want but they are there to help
you. Make the story your own. And most important of all enjoy writing.
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