Branching out with my writing
“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.”
—Larry L. King
“Style is to forget all styles.”
—Jules Renard
“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”
—Ernest Hemingway
Credit to: writersdigest.com
Life’s treating you like a captive in an outhouse.
But wait! Those ill-fated moments can launch you into some quality writing.
You shrug your shoulders, admit you have nothing to lose, reach for your pen and durable paper [no bathroom tissue, please], and have at it.
And…even if, in your heedless state, a little doubt is tucked in your back pocket, here is a vital kick in the seat of the pants.
Yes, it’s time…
One of your favorite characters has to meet his demise.
You’ve written yourself [your character, actually] into a corner.
Buck up, put on your ‘audacious author’ pants, and lead him off the pier.
So to speak.
To coin a phrase.
As it were.
Need a little help with this challenging next step?
There is prewriting. That’s good.
And then there’s prewriting hysteria. Not so good.
Create a basic framework as a starting point and let inspiration and imagination fill in the blanks.
**
Contradiction alert!
However, if you’ve signed onto a previously promoted two-month ‘finish this!’ program, well, just ignore the first draft suggestion above.
Hey, it’s the writing life! No one said it would make sense.
Sometimes it helps to see your opposition.
Could one of these faces match up with that nagging voice of resistance?
Go ahead. Select one that fits, give him or her a name, print it out, and put it on a dart board. You are better than these self-righteous, judgmental naysayers.
The voice is back.
Today’s message: “Forget this aimless pastime. Spend time with family, friends, pets, yard work…fill in the blank. Something constructive, something that leaves a mark.”
[Notice I didn’t mention the dirty dishes.]
Hang in there. Today’s haunting is just another version of resistance, another creeping doubt meant to undermine your creative work.
Suggestion: write a quick note to ‘the voice’.
Other than this brief authorial detour, make it clear it won’t deter you. [Nice that you’re engaging in the very activity the voice wants to inhibit, by the way.]
Use a large font size. Print it out. Post it above the computer.
Some folks even name the voice and put a face to it. Sounds like a hint at the next entry…
You’re feeling a little lost. Your efforts have been disjointed and erratic.
You don’t want to bother your writing buddies who are busy with their own projects.
A little inspiration, a little guidance would be nice.
Enlist Honoree Corder.
Her notable work You Must Write a Book ** will inject enthusiasm and purpose to your projects, whether non-fiction (her specialty) or fiction. Within a page or two, her sincere, almost urgent, style and salient points have me reaching for a notebook. [Like I said, ‘a notable work’.]
Need any more encouragement? Check out these Goodreads testimonials.
**No affiliate links here!
If somehow JK Rowling’s rules of writing weren’t enough, or didn’t quite address your writing life, here is even more wisdom.
In his lithub.com post, Joe Fassler provides seven of the most common writing tips, based on his conversations with 150 authors.
The list includes:
Read the rest of the article for the other three, as well as his expansion on each tip.
His name is Austin Kleon.
This first link leads to his blog page explaining his progress sheet.
This second link takes you directly to the download page.
He calls it a lo-fi resource. I call it, straightforward and to-the-point.
Use it for your end-of-year resolution projects.
Suggestion: Subscribe to Austin Kleon’s newsletter.
Word Inventions