Character:
I’m not talking about those characters in your head either who breathe to life somewhere between your fingers and the page. Character is first defined at dictionary as “the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.” It is also “the account of the qualities or peculiarities of a person or thing.” What does this mean to a writer? For me, it means adapting those traits that make you a good writer. Don’t always try to write like your favorite author, and certainly don’t borrow on their ideas. Find the unique characteristics that make you an individual, that make your writing stand out from the rest. A good example is the recent vampire phenomenon that’s run its course over the past few years and still going strong. It’s fun to see what vampiric traits they have in common, which they borrowed from Stoker’s Dracula, and the new traits that make each of the stories unique in their own way. And let’s not forget the stories that have piggybacked on the Harry Potter franchise. It’s fine to capitalize on what everyone is reading at the time if you have a good story to tell and you can sell it. Just be unique about it and give your story those interesting characteristics that make it different, and better, than the rest! Fun: What can I say? If you want to be a writer, you’ve got to have fun doing it. If your lead character is a professional sky diver, then get out there and try sky diving for yourself. If your story is told from the point of view of an old lady, then sit down with Grandma and ask her to tell you stories about her growing up. Take notes but also record her actions and facial expressions. If you are writing a story about an artist, take an art class. Heck, take a creative writing class too while you are at it. Make the research just as fun as the writing, but the important part is to have fun in every aspect of what you are doing. Have fun! I still get excited when I sit down to write something. My heart still races when I’ve finished a chapter. I cry and laugh with my characters as if I knew them. I do know them! Just like time and patience, if you aren’t having fun doing it, then don’t. Or if it stops being fun, then stop doing it. And go read something, or just go do something for a while that is fun…like looking up those words in the dictionary you should have learned in high school.
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Criticism:
Ahh, the elephant in the room that no writer wants to look in the face. The 3 star (or 1) review that came when you were hoping for at least 4 or 5. We seek praise from our friends and colleagues, and instead we get slapped with criticism. Writers (and authors) are the first to come to the defense of their work, even when it’s bad. And that’s fine. I think you should stand up for what you’ve written, for what you believe in. And you should believe in your work. That’s great. But you should also be open to hearing what other’s have to say about your work. Never, never, never be afraid of criticism. You are not always right. There’s always another writer, a friend, an agent, or an editor, just another person damn it!, who you should be listening to because maybe, just maybe, their opinion is for once better than yours. Remember, the word Listen is on this list too. Know how to criticize constructively but know how to take criticism too! Time: I hear it a lot. “I don’t have the time or patience to write.” My answer is always the same. “Then don’t.” Writing definitely takes time and writers often seek out every ounce of it they can whether that be on a laptop in a cafe or on a notepad in a doctor’s waiting room. I always carry a notepad with me everywhere I go and have been known to quickly jot down a thought at a redlight. And I am always looking for methods how to write my essay easily. If you are like me, you’ve probably plotted out entire scenes or conversations in your head on the way to work. I also find that I’m more creative in the morning fresh out of bed with coffee in hand. Through the week, I have a 45 minute window to myself before I have to get ready for work. If I got up earlier, I’d have more time. But my last book was written over 3 months within this 45 minute space of time and on the weekends. Like any hobby, if you want to write, you have to find the time to do it. Plain and simple. Part 2 of that saying leads us to our next word… In a previous post, I talked about words and how powerful of an art form they can be.
Houghton Mifflin publishes a popular book called 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know. While perusing the list, there are numerous words I’d have to ask someone to use in a sentence for me because I know I don’t use them in everyday language and I have no idea what they mean. There are exquisite words like gerrymander, lugubrious, obsequious, quotidian, and usurp. You can read the entire list for yourself by clicking on the title above, but if you love words like I do then be sure to grab your dictionary first! Senior editor Steven Kleinedler states, “If you are able to use these words correctly, you are likely to have a superior command of the language.” Just the words “command of the language” makes me chuckle and brings back an odd memory concerning an old boss of mine from when I worked in a bookstore. She’d say “pacific” instead of saying “specific.” I cringed every time like nails on a chalkboard when that came out of her mouth. “You’re not being pacific enough!” she’d yell at our weekly manager meetings. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just too Gulf of Mexico,” I’d reply to myself, holding back my laughter and hoping she didn’t see the grin on my face. My (ex) boss knew what she meant and so did we, but she just used the wrong word or was mispronouncing it. Writers can definitely relate to such arguments when it comes to words like “their” and “there” or “you’re” and “your,” but at least those words sound the same and no one would know the difference when you are speaking them out loud. But as soon as you write them down, the wrong word will reveal all. So, the 100 words I should have known got me to thinking about words all writers should know. Like any 21st Century writer would probably do, I Googled it. Just the words “writers should know” brought back a plethora (another good word) of information about publishing, plagiarism, copyright, and the like. All of those lists were “Things Writers Should Know About ___.” But I wanted to get right down to the physical words themselves and what they mean to writers. So, I grabbed my notepad and started my own list. |
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