Rebecca Graf's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Venturing Out as a Writer
Taking those first steps to be a writer can be scary. This is especially true if you never were encouraged in the past to expand your horizons and write.
That is what happened to me. I always assumed a writer was born and the perfect words of a perfect best selling novel just flowed right out without any training. It took years, in fact decades, to learn the truth. Writing can be developed when encouraged and the imagination is let free to roam.
I have had such fun developing my writing and having good people around me supporting me.The results? Three years of writing online. A children's religious book completed, A Gift for a Mouse. I am currently working on the sequel to the mouse book and two adult books.
What will I be doing on this blog? Exploring my writing, the process, and what new is happening. I'll be linking you to my work on the web and having a little fun while we're doing it. Don't just sit back and enjoy the ride. Have some fun and be part of the ride.
That is what happened to me. I always assumed a writer was born and the perfect words of a perfect best selling novel just flowed right out without any training. It took years, in fact decades, to learn the truth. Writing can be developed when encouraged and the imagination is let free to roam.
I have had such fun developing my writing and having good people around me supporting me.The results? Three years of writing online. A children's religious book completed, A Gift for a Mouse. I am currently working on the sequel to the mouse book and two adult books.
What will I be doing on this blog? Exploring my writing, the process, and what new is happening. I'll be linking you to my work on the web and having a little fun while we're doing it. Don't just sit back and enjoy the ride. Have some fun and be part of the ride.
The Fear of Others Reading Your Work
Writing doesn't scare me. Editing doesn't scare me. Having someone else read my work terrifies me, but I still want to know what they think. Sick, isn't it?
I am one that always worries what others think of her. It has been a problem I have had since I was born. This is not good for a writer because not everyone is going to like your work.
What do I do about it? First I have those that love me read it. I know that they will be honest but not nasty. If something needs to be changed, they will let me know if a manner that is encouraging and not depressing. I have my husband and my two best friends read it. I value their opinions and know if something really stinks.
If you want to try writing, don't let what others think hold you back. Give it a whirl and then let those you trust read it. You don't want a naysayer. You want someone who is honest yet constructive.
I didn't give it a try and wasted 30 years that I could have been doing this. Don't be like me.
I am one that always worries what others think of her. It has been a problem I have had since I was born. This is not good for a writer because not everyone is going to like your work.
What do I do about it? First I have those that love me read it. I know that they will be honest but not nasty. If something needs to be changed, they will let me know if a manner that is encouraging and not depressing. I have my husband and my two best friends read it. I value their opinions and know if something really stinks.
If you want to try writing, don't let what others think hold you back. Give it a whirl and then let those you trust read it. You don't want a naysayer. You want someone who is honest yet constructive.
I didn't give it a try and wasted 30 years that I could have been doing this. Don't be like me.
Getting an Idea on Paper
Sometimes you just have to get a story idea out of your head. It drives you crazy until you can't think of anything else including the writing projects in front of you that need to get done. What do you do? You put it on paper.
My editor/friend told me to stop and just begin writing. I didn't want to. I like to have things orderly and the creative mind doesn't work like that. So, I stopped writing the book I am far into and turned to another topic. I wrote and wrote. Seventeen pages later I was exhausted. Nothing came to me. I couldn't go any further. No more thoughts came to me. The next day I rattled out a couple of more pages but it seemed to solve the problem.
Now, I have the beginnings of another book waiting for the right moment for creativity to strike again. I'm back to the other books I'm working on.
My editor/friend told me to stop and just begin writing. I didn't want to. I like to have things orderly and the creative mind doesn't work like that. So, I stopped writing the book I am far into and turned to another topic. I wrote and wrote. Seventeen pages later I was exhausted. Nothing came to me. I couldn't go any further. No more thoughts came to me. The next day I rattled out a couple of more pages but it seemed to solve the problem.
Now, I have the beginnings of another book waiting for the right moment for creativity to strike again. I'm back to the other books I'm working on.
Learning to Change Gears
You have the right idea. You get started writing. Not far into it, you realize that it is not going where you wanted it to. It's not getting better. It's getting worse. That is when as an author you step back and either start over or take an entirely different path.
That's where I found myself this week. I had started a satire on our public school systems. It started off good. Not great, but good. But it took a serious and dark turn. I kept pushing forward to only find it getting worse. I stopped. This is not what I wanted. I wanted people to laugh while seeing the sadness of it all. What did I do? I stopped and took a few days to redirect myself. The result? I'm starting over. I'm going to do it right this time. I'm changing the POV and the style. I'm making it what it should have been in the first place.
As a writer, you don't always have things happen as you want. Even as you write a wonderful piece, you find that a character has developed more than you had originally intended or that a different situation would work better than the one originally thought of.
This is when you realize that your book is more than thoughts and words. It is coming alive and you are just there for the ride.
That's where I found myself this week. I had started a satire on our public school systems. It started off good. Not great, but good. But it took a serious and dark turn. I kept pushing forward to only find it getting worse. I stopped. This is not what I wanted. I wanted people to laugh while seeing the sadness of it all. What did I do? I stopped and took a few days to redirect myself. The result? I'm starting over. I'm going to do it right this time. I'm changing the POV and the style. I'm making it what it should have been in the first place.
As a writer, you don't always have things happen as you want. Even as you write a wonderful piece, you find that a character has developed more than you had originally intended or that a different situation would work better than the one originally thought of.
This is when you realize that your book is more than thoughts and words. It is coming alive and you are just there for the ride.
A Good Writer is a Good Reader
Want to know how to be a good writer? Be a good reader. When you read, you are taking in so much that you don't even realize. You're actually studying other authors.
As you read, you know when your heart starts racing. What did the author do to make you do that? Was it a turn of a phrase or the build up? Take that and put it into your own work. (not the scene but the method) Do you like how an author develops a character? How did they do it?
The more you read, the more you learn. Then when you write apply what you learned. Remember how a scene worked in one book and see if you can do the same thing with your own unique scene. It can be so much fun.
Want to be a good writer? Keep reading!
As you read, you know when your heart starts racing. What did the author do to make you do that? Was it a turn of a phrase or the build up? Take that and put it into your own work. (not the scene but the method) Do you like how an author develops a character? How did they do it?
The more you read, the more you learn. Then when you write apply what you learned. Remember how a scene worked in one book and see if you can do the same thing with your own unique scene. It can be so much fun.
Want to be a good writer? Keep reading!
The Power of the Creative Mind
Have you found the creative gene in you yet? When you do, be forewarned. It can be a very dangerous thing. It can disrupt your entire life, steal your sleep, and drive you nights. Such is the power of the creative mind.
Don't expect to lay out plans and for them to follow through.Your creative mind has taken over your life. You are a slave to it. It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing. It will win each and every time.
You'll be in the middle of a party and the urge to write will consume you. You might not need a computer to write an entire chapter or scene, but you will need something to jot notes down. Something someone said or did triggered your creative mind. The solution to a scene appeared. Another possibility in a dangerous chapter opened up. The possibilities are endless.
I was at a wedding reception when the scene on the dance floor triggered a scene in a book idea I was tossing around. I wanted to jot it down right then but there was nothing there for me. I was going crazy because it was a really good idea. I couldn't enjoy the next hour for obsessing on this scene.
I had a dream on night and woke up from it feeling possessed. I had to write it down. It has turned into a 20,000 word rough draft of what I hope is an excellent story.
I've learned to keep something to write with and on with me at all times. I mean all times. It could be in the car, in church, watching a movie, or studying for school. When the creative mind is awakened, you belong to it.
Don't expect to lay out plans and for them to follow through.Your creative mind has taken over your life. You are a slave to it. It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing. It will win each and every time.
You'll be in the middle of a party and the urge to write will consume you. You might not need a computer to write an entire chapter or scene, but you will need something to jot notes down. Something someone said or did triggered your creative mind. The solution to a scene appeared. Another possibility in a dangerous chapter opened up. The possibilities are endless.
I was at a wedding reception when the scene on the dance floor triggered a scene in a book idea I was tossing around. I wanted to jot it down right then but there was nothing there for me. I was going crazy because it was a really good idea. I couldn't enjoy the next hour for obsessing on this scene.
I had a dream on night and woke up from it feeling possessed. I had to write it down. It has turned into a 20,000 word rough draft of what I hope is an excellent story.
I've learned to keep something to write with and on with me at all times. I mean all times. It could be in the car, in church, watching a movie, or studying for school. When the creative mind is awakened, you belong to it.
The Life of an Author
I'm finding out how the life of an author can be so exciting. I've posted once before how the creative mind can take over your life. It makes writing such a ride.
Currently, I'm writing three novels at one time. The first few chapters of each can be found at A Book Lover's Library under serial books. As I write a chapter, I think I know how it will go. I've found how the characters correct me on that. I've had to rewrite a few chapters here and there because the story was calling out for more. It was frustrating at first, but I'm enjoying it now.
Just this morning I was thinking of the story I am working on this called Deep Connections. The bad guy had developed but I wanted to really show his evil heart in a sequel. He told me the readers needed to see more of him. I wrote a whole new chapter and rearranged a few scenes to make it fit. Now, the book has taken a more sinister tone. It is nothing like I started with on this book and I'm loving every minute.
This story has become a fun trip for me. Characters are developing where before I thought they would be minor characters that would show up once or twice. They are now major players in the unfolding story. I'm loving it.
Check it out and read about a woman who feelings an attraction to a friend while some crazy man is after her. She has no idea what each moment holds for her, but she is about to get the adventure of a lifetime.
Currently, I'm writing three novels at one time. The first few chapters of each can be found at A Book Lover's Library under serial books. As I write a chapter, I think I know how it will go. I've found how the characters correct me on that. I've had to rewrite a few chapters here and there because the story was calling out for more. It was frustrating at first, but I'm enjoying it now.
Just this morning I was thinking of the story I am working on this called Deep Connections. The bad guy had developed but I wanted to really show his evil heart in a sequel. He told me the readers needed to see more of him. I wrote a whole new chapter and rearranged a few scenes to make it fit. Now, the book has taken a more sinister tone. It is nothing like I started with on this book and I'm loving every minute.
This story has become a fun trip for me. Characters are developing where before I thought they would be minor characters that would show up once or twice. They are now major players in the unfolding story. I'm loving it.
Check it out and read about a woman who feelings an attraction to a friend while some crazy man is after her. She has no idea what each moment holds for her, but she is about to get the adventure of a lifetime.
Editing Can Be Fun
I've discovered that editing my book can be fun. Really, it can be. It's like watching a picture appear as you hack away at all the excess debris.
See, I just sit down and write a chapter. The dialogue is just the core. Descriptions that accompany the dialogue is almost non existence. Descriptions of setting is only there if it is vital. I'm just getting down the gist of things and the plot.
I keep going to the next chapter. I only go back if something vital comes up that I need to note and then I go to the first of the chapter and type in (Note - change location to porch instead of living room). I go until I'm done with it all.
Then I go back and just work on one chapter at a time. I make changes on the plot and direction if needed and add descriptions and dialogue where needed.
When I've gone through the chapters, I start all over again. This time I read out loud and pretend to be characters to see if I'm really wording it the way they would talk.
Then I might hand it over to my editor. After she goes through it, I go through it again. She does ones last look and then hopefully, we're done.
I watch it develop from a weak draft to something more substantial and alive. I can't help but smile when someone who has read every draft comments on how much more mature and full it becomes. When they experience the feelings I want to invoke, I jump for joy.
Look at editing your own work as fun and not a chore. You're a creator of something special.
See, I just sit down and write a chapter. The dialogue is just the core. Descriptions that accompany the dialogue is almost non existence. Descriptions of setting is only there if it is vital. I'm just getting down the gist of things and the plot.
I keep going to the next chapter. I only go back if something vital comes up that I need to note and then I go to the first of the chapter and type in (Note - change location to porch instead of living room). I go until I'm done with it all.
Then I go back and just work on one chapter at a time. I make changes on the plot and direction if needed and add descriptions and dialogue where needed.
When I've gone through the chapters, I start all over again. This time I read out loud and pretend to be characters to see if I'm really wording it the way they would talk.
Then I might hand it over to my editor. After she goes through it, I go through it again. She does ones last look and then hopefully, we're done.
I watch it develop from a weak draft to something more substantial and alive. I can't help but smile when someone who has read every draft comments on how much more mature and full it becomes. When they experience the feelings I want to invoke, I jump for joy.
Look at editing your own work as fun and not a chore. You're a creator of something special.
How My Edits are Like a Main Meal
When I write my stories, I find that I do numerous edits. I deliberately start off with the bare bones. By that, I mean I am writing the basic plot and setting and dialogue. There are few descriptions in the dialogue or of the setting. I'm just getting the basics down. Then I go back and work on it some more. A few days later I look again. It takes many passes before I send it to my editor.
I have a dear friend that told me how she saw my writing as she reads the basic first draft all the way up to the final.
"To be honest I like reading the rough drafts a lot because it's like the meat portion of a meal and then I can think about what kind of veggies should go with it and how you should make the potatoes then when I get the next version I can see where our ideas match and where you may need to change the seasoning"
Loved this description. That is how my editing is. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I have a dear friend that told me how she saw my writing as she reads the basic first draft all the way up to the final.
"To be honest I like reading the rough drafts a lot because it's like the meat portion of a meal and then I can think about what kind of veggies should go with it and how you should make the potatoes then when I get the next version I can see where our ideas match and where you may need to change the seasoning"
Loved this description. That is how my editing is. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Back to Reading Again
I'm so excited to get back to reading again. I was so long without reading for pleasure. All I did was read for school. Though I learned a lot, something is missing when you can't get a good book and curl up to lose yourself in the pages.
I'm back to reading a book a day. I love it. Okay, maybe not always a book a day, but pretty darn close. I'm gobbling them up again. I love it. I'll be able to continue doing this until September when I begin taking 2 classes again and then add a third on halfway through in October. Then I'm studying all the time until next spring.
This is also the time to get my writing done. I'm writing more and loving. I'll be giving my editor a lot of work :)
I'm back to reading a book a day. I love it. Okay, maybe not always a book a day, but pretty darn close. I'm gobbling them up again. I love it. I'll be able to continue doing this until September when I begin taking 2 classes again and then add a third on halfway through in October. Then I'm studying all the time until next spring.
This is also the time to get my writing done. I'm writing more and loving. I'll be giving my editor a lot of work :)
