By Ron Murdock
Did I expect the God of Writing to invite me up to his penthouse suite, sweep all the crap off his desk and offer me a seat? – Sy Safransky
Writing is a learning process, a craft that needs to be developed; the more insight a person has, the better author they will become. Suggestions are a dime a dozen but I’d like to make a few, if it helps a person all the better.
When starting a project approach the subject from all angles to gain much needed perspective on how to write it. Do as much research as necessary, it provides more information to fill the story out. A clear head is needed as some things are to articulate so the words have to be put together with great care so the message isn’t lost in translation.
Not everyone will agree with or like what you write, some will be quite vocal. Yet some of these are the ones who fail to realize that there are different sides to every topic and every opinion has some validity to it. A person must avoid a comfortable routine to make sure they don’t stop taking a honest appraisal of they are at on any given subject. Be true to your writing as there will be times when a person or group will get disturbed on what you write as it goes against whatever agenda they want to push.
When it’s time to write find a place of solitude when you can be alone to apply pen to paper and get the flow of ideas going. When distractions arise find find a way of dealing with it. Turning off your communication devices is the thing to do.
Keep paragraphs as short as possible, no longer than needed as you could lose your reading audience. Same goes for sentences and description as too much or too little takes away from your story. Say as much as you can in as few words as possible. Keep your message simple and clear so your readers stay interested.
Drop the comfort zone and forget about playing it safe. Let your words be active and straight to the point. A reader wants to read something thought provoking and challenges them. It keeps their neurons firing away and brain cells working together. Write what you mean and mean what you write.
Keep writing, it’s the only way to improve. Don’t worry about the rejections from editors. It happens to all writers especially at the beginning. It’s all part of the learning process. Ask for advice from other writers but continue to develop your own style of writing. Don’t settle for average or mediocrity, be the best writer you can be at all times. You don’t want to be just like any other writer; you are your own voice. Nobody can take that away from you.
