This post is dedicated to the aspiring author who frets with the discipline of writing their first novel. This is not about the creative aspect, plot, theme, etc. This is solely aimed at the discipline of putting thought to paper. First thing is first: Take a deep breath…exhale. Still with me? Excellent!
There is one notion I express to all aspiring authors I talk to: There is a story within all of us. Granted, having it come to life can be a little tricky, but the emphasis in this post is focused on DOING!
What is DOING? Sitting down and committing yourself to putting thoughts on paper. Debate continues in regards to how many words you need to write per day. So-called experts proclaim a minimum of 1000, others more, and some express less. By the Gods…don’t concern yourself with a number. The important issue is just sitting down and creating a pace that’s comfortable for you. Obviously, the amount you write on any given day will differ, and that’s perfectly okay. The victory is building a routine that keeps you consistently in front of your notebook, laptop, typewriter, or 3-ring binder on a daily basis. If you’re just beginning, start small…and don’t punish yourself if you fall short of a preestablished goal. Just pick it up the following day and move forward.
In my case, the daily writing regiment is all over the board. Some days I exclusively write. On other days I only edit or do a combination of editing and writing. Hell, sometimes I say screw it, and turn on the X-box.
One recommendation I have, which may buck many voiced opinions is this: From time to time, hop from one project to another. This has a tendency to keep things fresh when you revisit each piece of work. While writing my novel, Shadows of Kings, I was hopping between future novels in the series. This kept my creative juices flowing and ensured I didn’t make any continuity errors with the saga. I call myself a four-booker: I’m generally working on four pieces of work at a time with one being the primary project.
Just keep at it…you’re doing great!
With that said, I leave you with this quote from Calvin Coolidge:
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
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Comments: 6
However, simply writing SOMETHING, whether it's a poem, a few phrases, a 'stream-of-consciousness' piece, a freewrite, a couple of words, is good; IT'S WRITING.
When I needed to 'wake up' to any talent I have for writing, I discovered it from many sources. Julia Cameron's THE RIGHT TO WRITE arrived to my eyes at a good time. She advocates 'Morning Pages', the little notebook you scribble in first thing in the morning, about half an hour before the household gets up. It's for freeing up your mind for other work, although I've actually captured the germ of an idea for later work; poems, short stories and so on.
Next, I have been many times to public art galleries here in the UK, stood and took notes on paintings or photos on display, then written up the notes and, with imagination running, written stories based on what I saw. I've written poems which developed into plays, I've written prose which I converted to plays, I've written poems which became stories, and mini stories which I pruned down into poems. It's easier just to get the ideas down, then to decide where it goes; what shape it should be.
I have done four uni courses, two of which were Creative Writing, which were extremely good for me. The others required more academic language and did not directly help towards any creative writing.
Nevertheless, persistence is the key. In fact, it's good to get into the mind set of actually wanting to know how the story you're writing turns out. If people are worried about it, the technical stuff, the nouns, verbs and so on, can be an aside you can learn about while you're going along. Getting the ideas down on paper is the real deal.
And if you haven't got clear ideas? Cluster diagrams of Spider Charts will help to grasp the growth of the core idea; the main idea goes in the middle and the extensions or associated ideas link. Simple!
Some may have read it, but Stephen King wrote about his own experiences; On Writing. Julia Cameron, however, will show how writing can be achieved, can become a part of a way of life. There's some great 'slam' poetry on Youtube which is worth listening to for ideas and inspiration!
'Writers' are not strange animals, not aliens, neither are they all celebrities; they are you and me.
Keep on keepin' on!!
Cheers