When Inspiration Hits
Chronicling the learning process, I find that the first and most essential piece to writing your book is to be inspired to write. Writing for the sake of writing forces the story and would make the outcome as uncomfortable for the reader as it would be for the author to write.
I was inspired! I am fortunate in that I have an indoor space to walk when I need a break from my computer screen at my current day job. Walking and being alone in my thoughts has always allowed me to imagine possibilities and play out fantastic scenarios in my mind. A few months ago, while I was contemplating what I wanted my new "bliss" to be, a story began to unfold. It was one of those moments that can make your stomach momentarily feel like you are cresting the top of a roller coaster. Excitement bled into my realization that I wanted to share this story. I wanted to put this story out to the world and let them experience the events that swirled in my imagination. Each piece of the story was shaping as I continued to walk and wonder the "what ifs". I had found what I wanted my "bliss" to be. I truly loved this feeling and loved the thought that I could be in a career that gave me that sort of excitement.
For the first few weeks I poured my story out into my copy of Scrivener. I was so anxious to learn more about this craft that I subscribed to every writing podcast and absorbed them, when I should have been working. After some time, the story started to hit a place where I knew A and I knew D, but I didn't know exactly how B and C would play out to move the story along the plot. Character development was also starting to become more difficult. Just finding names for new characters and new places became so hard that I stepped away for some time. During this time, I absorbed more and more of what others offered for advice to new writers. Concepts like;
- "Show" don't "tell"
- adverbs are evil
- Get your platform started. Social media is a key to successfully publishing.
- Find an author and a style of writing you enjoy. Then use it to find your own voice.
- Sites like www.writersmarket.org and www.writerscafe.org provide great tools and advice from seasoned writers.
- Don't be afraid to let others read what you have. Take their criticisms as an opportunity to learn from them.
- And most importantly, "the first draft is just to tell yourself the story". Once you have the story, keep improving it until that story is ready for others.
- Learn about literary agents and what publishers are looking for.
These are just a few of the things I have learned and plan to share in the coming weeks.
P.S. This website was one of the pieces seasoned authors continually said was essential for potential readers to learn who you are and if you're the type of writer they want to invest their own time with.....
