One of the best tips that anyone can give you about writing is to read. Just read. Familiarize yourself with the works of others’ that you admire. Read the kinds of things you want to be writing.
The story I’m working on has been a long time coming. The idea began unfolding in my head over four years ago. I really only began to organize it this past year. Here are a few things that may help the process of organizing thoughts for a novel.
Get a notebook--a simple notebook to jot down ideas, thoughts, maps, graphs. This notebook will be a crucial tool. My notebook is titled “Novel Notes”. Creative right? It is very sci-fi fantasy genre based. The things below are categories that I’ve included in it:
-Language
-Climate, Geography, Mood & Setting
-Cataclysmic Events
-Speculative Elements- theoretical possibilities
-Economics
-Education
-Races
-Characters
-Some Kinks in my story ideas
I also keep a sketch book that includes different maps and sketches of different land areas and some detailed drawings of places, houses, and cities.
Go get a notebook, try your hand at mapping out these categories, and keep up on my posts for more ideas!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
The Few Tips I Have on Writing a Novel: What Works Best for You?
There is no real formula to writing. If there was, there probably would be a lot more successful writers scampering about earth.
It’s all about the individual. Every writer has a different personality, temperament, desire. For me, I need quiet, I need space, and I need time.
Most often, I need a quiet place away from people. Everybody needs their own space. For me, writing is about control--control of my characters, my plot, and my environment. I have found that music plays a huge part in the atmosphere of my writing. Listening to music that matches the feel of your writing can be a big help.
Writing takes time. When I write, I sit down and give serious time to my work. I don’t often find that I have many blocks of time for writing, so when I do, I give it hours. Perhaps more success would come from consistency, writing less at each sitting and at more sittings. However, beings that I am a full time student, significant blocks of time, less often, work best for me, allowing me to immerse myself into my plot and characters.
In my next blog, I’ll be giving more detail about how to begin organizing a story and some of the approaches I have found to be most effective. Stay tuned!
It’s all about the individual. Every writer has a different personality, temperament, desire. For me, I need quiet, I need space, and I need time.
Most often, I need a quiet place away from people. Everybody needs their own space. For me, writing is about control--control of my characters, my plot, and my environment. I have found that music plays a huge part in the atmosphere of my writing. Listening to music that matches the feel of your writing can be a big help.
Writing takes time. When I write, I sit down and give serious time to my work. I don’t often find that I have many blocks of time for writing, so when I do, I give it hours. Perhaps more success would come from consistency, writing less at each sitting and at more sittings. However, beings that I am a full time student, significant blocks of time, less often, work best for me, allowing me to immerse myself into my plot and characters.
In my next blog, I’ll be giving more detail about how to begin organizing a story and some of the approaches I have found to be most effective. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
A Writer Cannot Exist without Writing
Over two years ago, I embarked on a lofty and laborious trek, filled with both excitement and frustration. I have been working on a full length science fiction fantasy novel, the ideas of which I began fabricating four years ago, and have been developing ever since.
I find myself inching my way towards Journey's end, a destination that is still distant, but finally coming over the horizon.
I confess that I know very little about writing novels. In fact, I know very little about writing in general. Those that do know anything have tried and tried their hands at the art, over and over again, until they finally stumbled upon something useful. This novel has taught me, and will continue to teach me, more about writing than any class or mentor ever could. It's all about the pursuit. Pursue writing, and it will pursue you. It will teach you, it will guide you. So take a leap off your comfortable lilly pad into the mysterious sparkling water and stretch your legs. Just try it. Embark on a long journey. To be a writer, you have to write. It's as simple as that.
I find myself inching my way towards Journey's end, a destination that is still distant, but finally coming over the horizon.
I confess that I know very little about writing novels. In fact, I know very little about writing in general. Those that do know anything have tried and tried their hands at the art, over and over again, until they finally stumbled upon something useful. This novel has taught me, and will continue to teach me, more about writing than any class or mentor ever could. It's all about the pursuit. Pursue writing, and it will pursue you. It will teach you, it will guide you. So take a leap off your comfortable lilly pad into the mysterious sparkling water and stretch your legs. Just try it. Embark on a long journey. To be a writer, you have to write. It's as simple as that.
Friday, September 9, 2011
The Foundation
This is the beginning of my blogging journey about writing.
To be a writer, one must perpetually focus on the purpose. Why do I like this kind of writing? What is my goal in writing? There are millions of writers in the world, all of which have been called to writing through different avenues. These avenues include careers like journalism, speech writing, editing, advertising, and many more. All of these paths are beautiful and significant in their own ways. It is important to consider the kinds of persons we are as well as what we like to do. Do I interact well with people, or is it that I have an imaginative mind? The avenue I have chosen is creative writing. For me, this type of writing is a portal into another world, an opportunity to explore the deepest spaces of the human mind. Determining what type of writing to pursue is all based on who the writer is, and what the purpose of his or her writing may be. What type of writing would best suit you?
This is the beginning of my blogging journey about writing.
To be a writer, one must perpetually focus on the purpose. Why do I like this kind of writing? What is my goal in writing? There are millions of writers in the world, all of which have been called to writing through different avenues. These avenues include careers like journalism, speech writing, editing, advertising, and many more. All of these paths are beautiful and significant in their own ways. It is important to consider the kinds of persons we are as well as what we like to do. Do I interact well with people, or is it that I have an imaginative mind? The avenue I have chosen is creative writing. For me, this type of writing is a portal into another world, an opportunity to explore the deepest spaces of the human mind. Determining what type of writing to pursue is all based on who the writer is, and what the purpose of his or her writing may be. What type of writing would best suit you?
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