I've been saying my work is never done as a variant on the one adage for years. But it turns out to be true. My publisher tells me they want to review Book 2 now. I just sent them Book 1 for edits and such. And they want to see Book 2.
I really have to get moving then because it can't go the way it is; it's too messy. And since it is over 100,000 words it will take me a bit of time to wade through it. So much for a relaxing summer.
On the other hand, I really need the feedback on Book 2, but not so soon. Guess, I'll stop tinkering with my web site and focus more on writing. But my revision process can't be rushed. It requires time so I can think about the scenes I'm revising.
I'm hoping they'll accept a partial submission. I should have about the first twenty chapters revised soon. If not, then they'll have to wait a bit because I really can't let the book out without one more revision on my part.
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Double Life
Most writers live a double life: their "normal" life that lets them pay the bills and get on in this world and the other life -- the one that lets them write. If you are lucky these are the same, but for most that's not true. The writer has to find time to write and sacrifice relationships, experiences, and other things he or she would normally do.
I find this a very sad state of affairs. In an age where anyone can be recognized and be granted fame or fortune (or perhaps both) courtesy of the Internet and a viral video or blog post, I have to say isn't time we drop the charade? Let writer write.
I know that's not likely or even possible for a lot of economical and financial reasons but I'm tired of all the charades and gaming playing I do in my life and just want a simpler way.
Maybe I'm just lazy. Maybe. I can feel myself wanting to slow down and not work as hard, at least on most things besides my writing. And I suppose if I wrote every day I might feel differently. But that's the double life at work. All the intrusions from that life prevent me from writing daily. And since I identify with my writing life as the real one, it feels like I'm only half alive.
And that's not likely to change any time soon, I don't think. A pity. I much prefer my writing life to my other one.
I find this a very sad state of affairs. In an age where anyone can be recognized and be granted fame or fortune (or perhaps both) courtesy of the Internet and a viral video or blog post, I have to say isn't time we drop the charade? Let writer write.
I know that's not likely or even possible for a lot of economical and financial reasons but I'm tired of all the charades and gaming playing I do in my life and just want a simpler way.
Maybe I'm just lazy. Maybe. I can feel myself wanting to slow down and not work as hard, at least on most things besides my writing. And I suppose if I wrote every day I might feel differently. But that's the double life at work. All the intrusions from that life prevent me from writing daily. And since I identify with my writing life as the real one, it feels like I'm only half alive.
And that's not likely to change any time soon, I don't think. A pity. I much prefer my writing life to my other one.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Writing is a Lonely Business
A few years back, when I decided I would finally focus on what first drew me to writing -- writing fiction, I had to make a lot of changes in my life. At the time, I had a small web site consultant business. I had to close it down because web site development is very labor intensive and requires a lot of mental focus.
That wasn't a hardship really because the business was not very active. But one of the people I worked with came to me last year looking for help on a site. I had to turn her away. I didn't want to but I didn't want work on my novel to be interrupted either. I set the priorities and I abided by them.
The same is true elsewhere in my life. I've not seen friends for months because often I am busy, alone, typing at this keyboard trying to find the words I want. Funny thing about that, however, none of my friends have come looking for me. Well, one did. But the rest have not. I would have thought otherwise after months and months of isolation, someone would've noticed and reached out to me to get together.
That never happens.
And that makes me angry. And it hurts.
I've never been someone with lots of friends. Nor have I been very popular. But I had thought someone would have made an effort to contact me to say hi.
Oh sure, there are lots of reasons why people don't. They live far away. They are busy with their own lives. They have been meaning too but keep forgetting. The list goes on and on.
And sure I could initiate the contact. But I always do that. And I'm tried of being the one to send the email or text, or place the call and make the arrangements. I'm a natural organizer you see. But right now, the only thing I want to organize is my writing.
So I guess I'm going to be lonely for a lot longer. Good thing I'm well practiced at it.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Voice and Tone
I was reading a call for submission to anthology the other day. I do this from the small presses that I watch to see if:
a. The call for submission will spark an idea in my head for a story (I don't know why I do that; I'm busy enough, thank you)
b. I can, then, write something for their need.
This almost never works but when it does I usually hit on something good.
This last time got to write a short little piece that is very different from my usual stuff because it was written in the first person. I almost never write fantasy stories in the first person. But more importantly, the story relies heavily on the voice and tone of the narration.
The use of voice and tone is not an unfamiliar one to me. I first learned about it while writing poetry. My Last Duchess, by Robert Browning, is a perfect example. And I have some poems that rely on voice and that work well. But I've not used that technique in fiction, except perhaps, when written dialogue.
And as I think about it, first person stories work best when the voice and tone of the narrator matches the character that is speaking. That means you've really got to know that person well so you can write the narration the way he or she would. It requires close attention to the words used and the way thoughts are expressed.
For example, in my story, the narrator hates humans. He hates their smell and their taste and says so. I focus on these two senses because for the narrator these senses are the most important. To that end, the story opens with the narrator describing the joy she feels in the smell of her cave. The rich aroma of stone and gold mingling. And the cool air which she prefers to the hot wind driven by the sun outside.
So if you are writing in the first person spend some time with your narrator first. It will pay off in the end.
a. The call for submission will spark an idea in my head for a story (I don't know why I do that; I'm busy enough, thank you)
b. I can, then, write something for their need.
This almost never works but when it does I usually hit on something good.
This last time got to write a short little piece that is very different from my usual stuff because it was written in the first person. I almost never write fantasy stories in the first person. But more importantly, the story relies heavily on the voice and tone of the narration.
The use of voice and tone is not an unfamiliar one to me. I first learned about it while writing poetry. My Last Duchess, by Robert Browning, is a perfect example. And I have some poems that rely on voice and that work well. But I've not used that technique in fiction, except perhaps, when written dialogue.
And as I think about it, first person stories work best when the voice and tone of the narrator matches the character that is speaking. That means you've really got to know that person well so you can write the narration the way he or she would. It requires close attention to the words used and the way thoughts are expressed.
For example, in my story, the narrator hates humans. He hates their smell and their taste and says so. I focus on these two senses because for the narrator these senses are the most important. To that end, the story opens with the narrator describing the joy she feels in the smell of her cave. The rich aroma of stone and gold mingling. And the cool air which she prefers to the hot wind driven by the sun outside.
So if you are writing in the first person spend some time with your narrator first. It will pay off in the end.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Show and Tell
Ironic that the craft of storytelling has nothing to do with telling you anything anymore. These days, as I'm sure you know, fiction writing is all about showing you what happens not telling you. I was reminded of this the other day when I got a look at an old draft of the novel I'm writing. The draft goes out of its way to describe the town that the main characters are visiting. None of this adds to the story; it is all background information and reads like a travel log which tells you which parts of town to visit to enjoy your stay.
Ick. All of that is useless text and will not be in the new draft. But it got me thinking how far my writing has come since I wrote that old draft. I now write small scenes, as if the story was a play or a movie and then string them together. That seems to work. The benefit of that approach is I can focus on small bits at a time and when they are ready put them together and polish them into something larger. Often I need to read the scenes together and do some editing to make them all fit as a unified whole but that's okay because by the time I get to that stage, my focus is bigger and broader.
The other benefit of writing scenes is it is harder to lapse into telling the reader anything. Oh, sure, I can tell you how a character feels, or what he looks like -- how else are you going to know if I don't -- but I only resort to describing feelings when a character is alone. If there is another character around, then this information is perfect for some dialogue and a scene all by itself. That way, I tell you less and show you more.
Is it dull and melodramatic? I don't know. Usually my characters aren't revealing deep personal feelings, but rather feelings about things connected to the plot. (Oh sorry, I forgot, some of you think plot is a four-letter curse word, so let's say that characters are revealing feelings about events that have transpired since the story began). Example: the main characters meet a woman on the road, Nancy. She is being attacked by some bandits. They rush to help her (they are heroes, after all) and the bandits flee.
Nancy does not trust them because this attack is the second one she's suffered through in the last few days. In the first days, she lost her traveling companions. But the main characters convince Nancy to come with them since they are all traveling in the same direction.
Later, the main characters begin to learn are few things about Nancy that are odd and makes them not trust her. They discuss these feelings privately. I do this to build tension about Nancy. Eventually the truth comes out but not until much later.
All this being said, it is still easy to fall into the trap of telling. I've done this where suddenly a memory is triggered and you are telling the reader about this. A better technique is to show the memory. That, of course, takes longer and is harder and is generally why I don't do it. In fact in just about all cases, when I lapse into telling, it is because I've gotten lazy. So if you find a section where you are telling, rip it out and rewrite it by showing the same thing. Your readers will thank you for it later.
Ick. All of that is useless text and will not be in the new draft. But it got me thinking how far my writing has come since I wrote that old draft. I now write small scenes, as if the story was a play or a movie and then string them together. That seems to work. The benefit of that approach is I can focus on small bits at a time and when they are ready put them together and polish them into something larger. Often I need to read the scenes together and do some editing to make them all fit as a unified whole but that's okay because by the time I get to that stage, my focus is bigger and broader.
The other benefit of writing scenes is it is harder to lapse into telling the reader anything. Oh, sure, I can tell you how a character feels, or what he looks like -- how else are you going to know if I don't -- but I only resort to describing feelings when a character is alone. If there is another character around, then this information is perfect for some dialogue and a scene all by itself. That way, I tell you less and show you more.
Is it dull and melodramatic? I don't know. Usually my characters aren't revealing deep personal feelings, but rather feelings about things connected to the plot. (Oh sorry, I forgot, some of you think plot is a four-letter curse word, so let's say that characters are revealing feelings about events that have transpired since the story began). Example: the main characters meet a woman on the road, Nancy. She is being attacked by some bandits. They rush to help her (they are heroes, after all) and the bandits flee.
Nancy does not trust them because this attack is the second one she's suffered through in the last few days. In the first days, she lost her traveling companions. But the main characters convince Nancy to come with them since they are all traveling in the same direction.
Later, the main characters begin to learn are few things about Nancy that are odd and makes them not trust her. They discuss these feelings privately. I do this to build tension about Nancy. Eventually the truth comes out but not until much later.
All this being said, it is still easy to fall into the trap of telling. I've done this where suddenly a memory is triggered and you are telling the reader about this. A better technique is to show the memory. That, of course, takes longer and is harder and is generally why I don't do it. In fact in just about all cases, when I lapse into telling, it is because I've gotten lazy. So if you find a section where you are telling, rip it out and rewrite it by showing the same thing. Your readers will thank you for it later.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Age Your Stories
I have three books in play at the moment: the first one, Aure, the Topaz, now has a publisher ready to buy it and that is going to require some of my time to review proofs, discuss changes, work on promotions, revise my web site, etc.
The third one, Telep, the Diamond, is being written. This is where a bulk of my effort is going now because I need to have as many books as I can drafted. Without even a draft of a book, nothing will be going out and everything grinds to a halt.
And so the second one, Vorn, the Onyx languishes, mostly because I have no time to focus on it. But I am not concerned about that. The story needs to age. Or more accurately, I need time away from it so that when I return to it, I will see it with fresh eyes. I call this aging the story because like aging wine or cheese, aging a story let is gain a fullness, a maturity that the first draft will not have.
I've read about Stephen King's suggestion that story drafts should be put away for about six months. That seems like a long time to me. So I don't know if I will wait that long. But I will wait a little while because I'm trying to figure out if Vorn works as a story. I suppose the only way to know that is to let it out and get feedback, but I need to make sure I've done everything I can to make the story a good one first and I've not done that. Not yet.
I recently found two of my short stories had aged over a year so I cleaned them up and released them on Smashwords because I'm pretty sure they are ready. Please are downloading them so there is some interest.
But Vorn will sit while I work on Telep and see what the publisher wants me to do for Aure.
The third one, Telep, the Diamond, is being written. This is where a bulk of my effort is going now because I need to have as many books as I can drafted. Without even a draft of a book, nothing will be going out and everything grinds to a halt.
And so the second one, Vorn, the Onyx languishes, mostly because I have no time to focus on it. But I am not concerned about that. The story needs to age. Or more accurately, I need time away from it so that when I return to it, I will see it with fresh eyes. I call this aging the story because like aging wine or cheese, aging a story let is gain a fullness, a maturity that the first draft will not have.
I've read about Stephen King's suggestion that story drafts should be put away for about six months. That seems like a long time to me. So I don't know if I will wait that long. But I will wait a little while because I'm trying to figure out if Vorn works as a story. I suppose the only way to know that is to let it out and get feedback, but I need to make sure I've done everything I can to make the story a good one first and I've not done that. Not yet.
I recently found two of my short stories had aged over a year so I cleaned them up and released them on Smashwords because I'm pretty sure they are ready. Please are downloading them so there is some interest.
But Vorn will sit while I work on Telep and see what the publisher wants me to do for Aure.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sometimes I Get Lost
There's a line from the Shelley poem, "The world is too much with us." by which the speaker of the poem laments that far to often we forget to stop and appreciate the things around us.
I've have frequently felt that; it is easy to get caught up in the world and all the things that come at you. I frequently lose sight of what is truly important to me and get caught up in the crisis of the moment instead of standing back and taking stock of what's going on.
But that's life. My task is to stay on the course I've set for myself while the storms of life battered me and threaten to out me off course into some rocks or shoals or coral reef. And that's not easy. It requires I remember my plan and a steady hand on the tiller. It requires strength. Not physical strength, but strength of character and resolve. The ability to see something through to the end.
I don't know that I am that strong; I suspect I'm more persistent (a good trait in a writer) and too stupid to know when to quit. But the effect is the same. I reach my goal but not after getting lost in unfamiliar territory.
The best advice on this is a line from Hamlet, "To thy own self be true." Know your mind and stay the course. Ignore the siren song of intrusions, personal disasters, and emotional upsets. The writer, in this way, is part Jedi knight, mastering fear, anger, and hatred, and part scientist, seeking to reveal the truth through his or her writing.
That's probably a bit over romanticized but still true, I think.
So hang in there and do the best you can. After all, each of us is only human. We will falter and stumble and fail. And when we do, we need to get up, dust ourselves off and start all over again.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Writing is a Long Slow Process
I'm finding just about everything associated with writing a long and slow process. This is certainly true of the drafts I'm writing. Of course, I'm writing novels consisting of thousands of words. I would expect that. But the revision process is a slow process too. Revising my first novel took about two months and revising the second novel will not win any awards for speed either.
Publishing and releasing the novels also takes time as well. Oh uploading the files is easy and fast, sure. But getting all the files so they come out right is a huge time sink. I thought I'd have everything in place to self-publish by the end of August or September but here in November, I'm still fussing with the artwork of the hard cover version of Aure, the Topaz.
Getting responses back from publishers has always been (and continues to be) a process measured in weeks and months. I don't think that will ever change and I'm not suggesting that publishers rush their evaluations of submitted work. I'm just noting that here again, there is a long process associated with writing.
Hearing back from readers and reviewers is always time-intensive. too. It usually takes months (or ever) to hear anything. Maybe I'm dealing with slow readers or infrequent readers and others don't have this problem, but this is my experience.
And to be clear, I'm not complaining about any of this. I do, however, find it ironic that in an age of instant messages, tweets, and information overload that the writing process, while it has speed up from the days of typing out drafts on paper, is still comparatively slow. And I have to wonder why? Is this one reason why it took so long for e-book readers to catch on? Is there an inherent lethargy with books and writing?
I don't have the answers to these questions but based on empirical evidence I would say yes. Which then begs the question, what does that say about us? That art should not be rushed? I would argue that the creation process cannot be rushed. But I think that since we have such a glut of things to read the time it takes to go to market does not matter. Also, I'm finding that what's important is not the time to market but the promotion afterwards that makes all the difference.
Publishing and releasing the novels also takes time as well. Oh uploading the files is easy and fast, sure. But getting all the files so they come out right is a huge time sink. I thought I'd have everything in place to self-publish by the end of August or September but here in November, I'm still fussing with the artwork of the hard cover version of Aure, the Topaz.
Getting responses back from publishers has always been (and continues to be) a process measured in weeks and months. I don't think that will ever change and I'm not suggesting that publishers rush their evaluations of submitted work. I'm just noting that here again, there is a long process associated with writing.
Hearing back from readers and reviewers is always time-intensive. too. It usually takes months (or ever) to hear anything. Maybe I'm dealing with slow readers or infrequent readers and others don't have this problem, but this is my experience.
And to be clear, I'm not complaining about any of this. I do, however, find it ironic that in an age of instant messages, tweets, and information overload that the writing process, while it has speed up from the days of typing out drafts on paper, is still comparatively slow. And I have to wonder why? Is this one reason why it took so long for e-book readers to catch on? Is there an inherent lethargy with books and writing?
I don't have the answers to these questions but based on empirical evidence I would say yes. Which then begs the question, what does that say about us? That art should not be rushed? I would argue that the creation process cannot be rushed. But I think that since we have such a glut of things to read the time it takes to go to market does not matter. Also, I'm finding that what's important is not the time to market but the promotion afterwards that makes all the difference.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Why Writing Good Fantasy Novels are Difficult
I had an important realization while reading Stephen King's On Writing. His novels work well because many of them are set in the modern world. The benefit of this is his knows how his characters should react and he can add real elements from the modern world to give the story a sense of reality if he needs to. That's easy because the real world provides so many possibilities to draw from.
For example, he tells of how he had an idea for a story in which the driver of a car pulls into a gas station. After refueling, the driver uses the restroom and on the way out the door he decides to walk around a little since he has been driving north up an interstate highway for hours. He sees a pile of snow melting and all manner of odd things partially buried in the snow. He slips on some snow and falls down an incline. The driver is injured and must wait to be rescued. How this happens depends on several factors: How long before the gas station attendant notices that the driver's car is still parked by a gas pump? If the driver is alone, how long before he misses an appointment with someone in his life? I'm sure you can come up with similar questions. Eventually the state police would be notified and a search conducted. But how long would that take? And what happens to the driver in the meantime?
However, that same situation in a fantasy world is a lot different and it those differences that make writing a good novel much harder. To start, the driver in this example, has to be changed since there are no cars. He can certainly be a traveler on horseback who rides into a small town to rest and who disappears. He might have slipped on snow and ends up hidden in a ditch but if it's the situation you want to keep, then here's a better summary:
A traveler is ambushed by some brigands on the open road. In the fight, the traveler is injured and presumed dead so they roll him into a nearby ditch and take his horse.
Now what happens? There are no agencies to report the missing person as there are in the modern world. In fact there is almost no way for the traveler to be found unless I add lots of details to the world. These details must come from my imagination and must be explained correctly and non-intrusively so the reader understands them and still enjoys the story.
And that's the challenge in fantasy novels. The reader still wants the richness available in the real world but that means knowing thousands of details before you even put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). That's what I've done and with luck, I've done a good job too.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Pacing
The pace of a story is the speed with which it moves. The right pace for a story depends on the story most of the time; however, there are exceptions. One of my main criticism of the Time of Wheel series is that it drags. Robert Jordan extends scene well past the point I think he needs to. I'm not sure why. A simple example of this is in the first book. Towards the end of the novel, Rand keeps trudging down the road to his destination and every chapter is a new town. I was left with the impression that either this is a very long road or a densely populated area since Rand is on foot and can't go very far in a day.
Ultimately, the book concludes with a battle and Rand never reaches his destination. This is very unsatisfying. If the point was that Rand was never suppose to reach his destination why slog the reader through all those other towns?
I often have the reverse problem. I am too brief (at least in the first draft) and I never almost always go back and add details and information. What I try to do is not bore the reader too much. It can be difficult. If the reader is looking for action and your scene is one of interrogation that's a problem. Of course if the questioning reveals important information for the reader, that's another thing all together.
I allow myself bits of both because in a fantasy novel I often have a lot of information to convene to the reader. He or she does not know the world. So if they are traveling to Ravenhurst, I need at least a scene or two where the characters discuss the town's history and what to do their and things like that. But not too much. I also need to keep them in the moment and keep the reader awake, say with a band of goblins who are out scouting for food.
But interweaving both elements I can (hopefully) keep the story moving and pass along good information to the reader.
Of course, I've got other things to tell the reader too. There's character development in there somewhere and with six main characters, I have no shortage of feelings, thoughts, and dialogue.
What's the right pace for your story? I have no idea. I've not read your story. But you can find out by letting others read it and but looking for scenes and paragraph where the story bogs down. Most people like a quick pace or even a modest pace. Say what you have to say and move on. Don't linger on a scene needlessly. And above all, don't bore the reader.
Ultimately, the book concludes with a battle and Rand never reaches his destination. This is very unsatisfying. If the point was that Rand was never suppose to reach his destination why slog the reader through all those other towns?
I often have the reverse problem. I am too brief (at least in the first draft) and I never almost always go back and add details and information. What I try to do is not bore the reader too much. It can be difficult. If the reader is looking for action and your scene is one of interrogation that's a problem. Of course if the questioning reveals important information for the reader, that's another thing all together.
I allow myself bits of both because in a fantasy novel I often have a lot of information to convene to the reader. He or she does not know the world. So if they are traveling to Ravenhurst, I need at least a scene or two where the characters discuss the town's history and what to do their and things like that. But not too much. I also need to keep them in the moment and keep the reader awake, say with a band of goblins who are out scouting for food.
But interweaving both elements I can (hopefully) keep the story moving and pass along good information to the reader.
Of course, I've got other things to tell the reader too. There's character development in there somewhere and with six main characters, I have no shortage of feelings, thoughts, and dialogue.
What's the right pace for your story? I have no idea. I've not read your story. But you can find out by letting others read it and but looking for scenes and paragraph where the story bogs down. Most people like a quick pace or even a modest pace. Say what you have to say and move on. Don't linger on a scene needlessly. And above all, don't bore the reader.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Symbols
Back in college, I took a course in Romantic literature. The focused on the six main romantic English poets from the late 1700's until about 1825 or so. I don't remember why I took the course exactly except I don't think there were any writing courses being offered.
It was in this course I was introduced to the poetry of William Blake. For those unfamiliar with Blake's poetry let me say, that's unfortunate. On the other hand, he is an acquired taste I think because much of his poetry revolves around the use of symbols, most so than other poets I think.
But I got the message and years later I have found symbols in my own work. For example, Evan Pierce, the main character in my first novel, as a priest, functions as the moral center of the story. Later, in Book 3 Evan has been written out of the story and the moral center is far more vague. I replaced Evan with Sir Ahlan, a knight from Evan's own order. While Ahlan is a great character he has a harder edge and the moral center takes on a more Old Testament feel.
Using symbols in writing is just one of many techniques available to the writer. But like a master chef cooking with a rare ingredient, you had best know what you are doing when you attempt to use a symbol or you'll ruin the story. Heavy-handedness with symbols is like playing a delicate musical phrase blaring and loud.
My recommendation is that you don't try to use symbols. Let them come to you. I never intended Evan to be the moral center of anything, but as I wrote my novels and got to know Evan, it suddenly occurred to me that he was a very honest and moral person; in fact, he was a good deal more ethnical than many others in his religious order. That sudden shock of realization happened in while writing Book 2 as I was writing about several of the priests. And when I realized that Evan was the more moral I used that knowledge in a subsequent revision of Book 1 to adjust Evan a little.
My other recommendation is to re-read your own work and look for any symbols you might already be using. Since the world is full of symbols, I'd be surprised if a few of them hadn't spilled over into your work. But if you can't find any, don't worry. They aren't required. They're just a nice surprise when they are there.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Theme
To my knowledge none of my novels or short stories have a theme ... unless it is the general one of good over evil. That one sort of comes with the fantasy genre in which I write. But I doubt there is any other theme -- at least I don't think there is.
I am told that there probably is a theme but I'm too close to see it. I'm not so sure of that. Because as I look at the entire series and I see how it unfolds, I notice a few patterns. I have three characters who are orphans from a young age. Is there a theme there? I don't know. If you count the magic gems as a character, that's four characters (I'd rather not count each gem individually because they all act the same way and are intended to be a unit).
I also have two characters that have estranged relations with one of their parents. Theme? No, other than it happens.
I suppose one theme of the series if you work hard you succeed, but that's not always true and I know it.
I do touch on and show racial tensions (between humans and elves, humans and goblins, and elves with elves; they are a divided race), refugees from war, and abducted children, but in the fantasy settings they look very different and are handled in a different way. Plus I don't know that I say anything about them other than these things are in the world. Be careful.
In one draft of the series I did make the point that humans are mostly driven by fear; I think I'm likely to make that point again if it works in the revise, but point comes later in the cycle, book 6 I think and I'm nowhere near ready to even think about that yet.
I suppose this all begs the question: is a theme required or necessary? No, not in fantasy novels and frankly I'm not trying for one, nor would I know how to construct and reinforce a theme even if the wind blew one into my story like a lost dandelion. On the other hand, if you can find themes in your work great; water them. Nurture them. But for me I've got a black thumb not a green one. Themes entering my domain are like Frodo in Mordor, I'm afraid.
I am told that there probably is a theme but I'm too close to see it. I'm not so sure of that. Because as I look at the entire series and I see how it unfolds, I notice a few patterns. I have three characters who are orphans from a young age. Is there a theme there? I don't know. If you count the magic gems as a character, that's four characters (I'd rather not count each gem individually because they all act the same way and are intended to be a unit).
I also have two characters that have estranged relations with one of their parents. Theme? No, other than it happens.
I suppose one theme of the series if you work hard you succeed, but that's not always true and I know it.
I do touch on and show racial tensions (between humans and elves, humans and goblins, and elves with elves; they are a divided race), refugees from war, and abducted children, but in the fantasy settings they look very different and are handled in a different way. Plus I don't know that I say anything about them other than these things are in the world. Be careful.
In one draft of the series I did make the point that humans are mostly driven by fear; I think I'm likely to make that point again if it works in the revise, but point comes later in the cycle, book 6 I think and I'm nowhere near ready to even think about that yet.
I suppose this all begs the question: is a theme required or necessary? No, not in fantasy novels and frankly I'm not trying for one, nor would I know how to construct and reinforce a theme even if the wind blew one into my story like a lost dandelion. On the other hand, if you can find themes in your work great; water them. Nurture them. But for me I've got a black thumb not a green one. Themes entering my domain are like Frodo in Mordor, I'm afraid.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Drama Kills Writing
Remember the rock-paper-scissors game you played as a kid? I've got a new one and it involves reading, writing, and life. Reading trumps writing because in order to write you must read regularly. Writing trumps life because when writing, you have no other life. But life and the drama that goes with it kills both reading and writing because you can't focus on reading or writing if you mind is focused on something else.
I suddenly realized this the other day because I've been trying to keep up my focus on my third novel but can't because so much else is going on in my life. It is a huge distraction from my writing and so the work is stalled. The only good part is that it has given me a little time to think about what I have written and let me identify new scenes to add. But without time to add them, it's a little frustrating.
I'm sure this is only a brief up tick for me, like increased sun spot activity. And I'm hoping other areas of my life will quiet down so I can resume my writing. If not, I'll have to make some changes because now is my time for writing. I've already shifted priorities in my life to focus more on my writing. Shifting a few more won't matter if that's what I need to do.
Part of me wishes I could just jettison the things that are distracting. But that's the equivalent of running away from them. I really need to deal with the situations that are distracting and hope they do not become an issue in the future.
One never knows about such things. Life is predictable in that way and it seems that the more books I try to write the harder it becomes to keep going. I'm not sure why that is but I do seem to have more things to deal with that I did before I started Book 1. That might be my imagination, and a faulty memory but I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I resumed writing initially as a hobby, to fill my spare time. But it has become a passion because, if truth be told, it is the one thing I want to do more than anything else.
But I need quiet time to write and lately I've not had that and I need to find some soon because as this point, I cannot stop writing any more than I can stop breathing or sleeping. Time for the old thinking cap and brainstorming some ways back to writing.
I suddenly realized this the other day because I've been trying to keep up my focus on my third novel but can't because so much else is going on in my life. It is a huge distraction from my writing and so the work is stalled. The only good part is that it has given me a little time to think about what I have written and let me identify new scenes to add. But without time to add them, it's a little frustrating.
I'm sure this is only a brief up tick for me, like increased sun spot activity. And I'm hoping other areas of my life will quiet down so I can resume my writing. If not, I'll have to make some changes because now is my time for writing. I've already shifted priorities in my life to focus more on my writing. Shifting a few more won't matter if that's what I need to do.
Part of me wishes I could just jettison the things that are distracting. But that's the equivalent of running away from them. I really need to deal with the situations that are distracting and hope they do not become an issue in the future.
One never knows about such things. Life is predictable in that way and it seems that the more books I try to write the harder it becomes to keep going. I'm not sure why that is but I do seem to have more things to deal with that I did before I started Book 1. That might be my imagination, and a faulty memory but I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I resumed writing initially as a hobby, to fill my spare time. But it has become a passion because, if truth be told, it is the one thing I want to do more than anything else.
But I need quiet time to write and lately I've not had that and I need to find some soon because as this point, I cannot stop writing any more than I can stop breathing or sleeping. Time for the old thinking cap and brainstorming some ways back to writing.
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Climb isn't just Uphill, it's Steep too.
Readers of this blog may recognize this theme. I've written about this before: namely how hard it is to write and publish a novel. But I think this bears repeating. Plus I keep finding new potholes in the road.
First, you have to have a good idea. That's hard enough. It doesn't need to be an idea for a story. It can be an idea for a character.
Next you have to develop the idea into a story. The story must be well written and must be satisfying to the reader. Some people have told me it must be exceptional, but this is subjective.
Then you have to sell the story to a publisher or publish it yourself. If you publish it yourself, you must be sure the production value is top-notch and that it is priced properly. Electronic distribution makes this easier but I don't think you can distribute exclusive in electronic formats. You need a paper form too and getting that right can be a huge time sink. The paper version will also be more costly.
Marketing the story is also an issue. You'll need to spend the word yourself and that's a lot of work, making hard to find time to write another book. But you must continue to write. One book from one person is like a lightning strike. It's a fluke. But if you can write two or three or more books than readers (and publishers too) will know you have the right stuff.
This is why many famous and well-known modern writers started by writing short stories and then graduated to novels. They proved they could do it. But short story writing and novel writing are different and I have no interest in writing short stories, at least not at the moment.
What this means is this even if you have a good story that is well-written, it may go nowhere because you have not marketed correctly or you've priced it too high. Or maybe your sample is not interesting enough. In my case, I know my sample, before I revised the novel this year, was misleading. It gave the wrong impression of the story. The new sample from the revised novel should work better, but it has not helped from what I can tell.
So I am forced to conclude that the marketing of the novel is insufficient or poor in some way since I know the story is good (from the reviews I've had) and it has been professionally edited. Maybe I need a thicker skin. Maybe I shouldn't let this concern me. Maybe. But it does.
I think I need to attract the right audience. And I need to find a way to do that. I have some ideas on that score which I've not enacted. Perhaps it is time I get off my ass and do something. And perhaps I will once I am ready to announce and relaunch my first novel.
First, you have to have a good idea. That's hard enough. It doesn't need to be an idea for a story. It can be an idea for a character.
Next you have to develop the idea into a story. The story must be well written and must be satisfying to the reader. Some people have told me it must be exceptional, but this is subjective.
Then you have to sell the story to a publisher or publish it yourself. If you publish it yourself, you must be sure the production value is top-notch and that it is priced properly. Electronic distribution makes this easier but I don't think you can distribute exclusive in electronic formats. You need a paper form too and getting that right can be a huge time sink. The paper version will also be more costly.
Marketing the story is also an issue. You'll need to spend the word yourself and that's a lot of work, making hard to find time to write another book. But you must continue to write. One book from one person is like a lightning strike. It's a fluke. But if you can write two or three or more books than readers (and publishers too) will know you have the right stuff.
This is why many famous and well-known modern writers started by writing short stories and then graduated to novels. They proved they could do it. But short story writing and novel writing are different and I have no interest in writing short stories, at least not at the moment.
What this means is this even if you have a good story that is well-written, it may go nowhere because you have not marketed correctly or you've priced it too high. Or maybe your sample is not interesting enough. In my case, I know my sample, before I revised the novel this year, was misleading. It gave the wrong impression of the story. The new sample from the revised novel should work better, but it has not helped from what I can tell.
So I am forced to conclude that the marketing of the novel is insufficient or poor in some way since I know the story is good (from the reviews I've had) and it has been professionally edited. Maybe I need a thicker skin. Maybe I shouldn't let this concern me. Maybe. But it does.
I think I need to attract the right audience. And I need to find a way to do that. I have some ideas on that score which I've not enacted. Perhaps it is time I get off my ass and do something. And perhaps I will once I am ready to announce and relaunch my first novel.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Editing with an iPad
As I mentioned in my last post, I tried to work a new revision process, one that let me edit away from my computer. I wanted this because I find I edit better when reading in a more relaxed venue. For example, I've lots of errors in text when reading from my Kindle. I wanted to replicate that for myself during the writing/revision process.
I could have converted my draft to the Kindle, of course, but I'd have no way to edit the text directly. The Kindle only lets you leave notes so that's like adding comments to a Word or PDF file. That was not what I was looking for.
I decided I needed a tablet with an app that let me edit my text and the iPad seemed like the logical choice since I work on a Macintosh computer regularly. The trouble I had was find an app to do the job. Ultimately, after discarding the notion I would save my story in RTF format, I settled on QuickOffice.
I chose that app because I had used it before on my old PDA and had experience with it. I also chose it because it could save text in Word format and after discard RTF as my preferred format to work in, Word is the next logical format to use.
Using QuickOffice is easy and editing the text is straightforward but clunky. This is not because of the app. This is because of the iPad. I am so used to having fine control for cursor placement with my mouse, that on the iPad, I really don't. This is why I think all touch interfaces should use a pen or stylus like my old PDA.
The other odd thing is the auto complete feature is very strange. Sometimes it works and sometimes it is a place in the ass, introducing errors. I introduce enough errors of my own when I type, I don't need the machine adding to it when I get it right the first time.
Typing at the keyboard is different too. A hard press on the keys isn't needed creating more typos than normal. I also find I can't always type with two hands because certain keystrokes are being missed. That has everything to do with how I hold my hands and pressure I use.
So it is a different model and the shift it like the one we went through when mice and GUIs were introduced to the computing world in the 1980s. Still, I think tables may replace laptops because content creation apps are available and more will be coming. And since tablets are smaller and easier to carry, why use a laptop? All the tablets need is a port so I can plug in a real keyboard. Of course if they do that, I can probably go back to using a mouse since most keyboards provide a port for a mouse.
Regardless, I think tablets are another tool in the writer's arsenal and should be used to their fullest advantage.
I could have converted my draft to the Kindle, of course, but I'd have no way to edit the text directly. The Kindle only lets you leave notes so that's like adding comments to a Word or PDF file. That was not what I was looking for.
I decided I needed a tablet with an app that let me edit my text and the iPad seemed like the logical choice since I work on a Macintosh computer regularly. The trouble I had was find an app to do the job. Ultimately, after discarding the notion I would save my story in RTF format, I settled on QuickOffice.
I chose that app because I had used it before on my old PDA and had experience with it. I also chose it because it could save text in Word format and after discard RTF as my preferred format to work in, Word is the next logical format to use.
Using QuickOffice is easy and editing the text is straightforward but clunky. This is not because of the app. This is because of the iPad. I am so used to having fine control for cursor placement with my mouse, that on the iPad, I really don't. This is why I think all touch interfaces should use a pen or stylus like my old PDA.
The other odd thing is the auto complete feature is very strange. Sometimes it works and sometimes it is a place in the ass, introducing errors. I introduce enough errors of my own when I type, I don't need the machine adding to it when I get it right the first time.
Typing at the keyboard is different too. A hard press on the keys isn't needed creating more typos than normal. I also find I can't always type with two hands because certain keystrokes are being missed. That has everything to do with how I hold my hands and pressure I use.
So it is a different model and the shift it like the one we went through when mice and GUIs were introduced to the computing world in the 1980s. Still, I think tables may replace laptops because content creation apps are available and more will be coming. And since tablets are smaller and easier to carry, why use a laptop? All the tablets need is a port so I can plug in a real keyboard. Of course if they do that, I can probably go back to using a mouse since most keyboards provide a port for a mouse.
Regardless, I think tablets are another tool in the writer's arsenal and should be used to their fullest advantage.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Showing Backstory
I've been diving deep into my characters and plot for Book 2 and turning up all kinds of interesting things. I'm doing this up front because it was one of the things I didn't do for Book 1 until very late because I didn't know any better. As I work, I'm seeing what I can do to round out the characters and the story.
This has led to some interesting questions that I had to answer. For example, the tension in the story starts when the main characters prevent a little orphan girl from being abducted by a local witch.
The witch gets away but the girl, Amanda, is safe. This poses the question why did the witch want Amanda in the first place? Was it convenience or is there something about the girl that is special. I had already decided that Amanda was the fifth of five girls the witch wanted for a sacrifice to a demon. In this way, the witch hoped to acquire knowledge and power to cement her hold on the town.
Ultimately, I decided that there had to be something about Amanda, something special because if there wasn't then the witch would find a different girl and perform her ritual after not abducting Amanda. Not a lot of tension there. But by making Amanda special in some way, I create more tension. Now the five girls are selected for a reason and the fact that the heroes of the story have one of the girls sets up a reason for the witch to attack them.
But the real problem I had was, what was special about Amanda? My first thought, that she had the ability to learn and use magic seem too easy, too pat. I wanted something else. Something we wouldn't think twice about that the heroes of the story would. And then it all fell into place. It was Amanda's astrological sign. And then it hit me; what the witch needs was four girls for the four basic elements, water, air, fire, earth, and a fifth girl to represent magic. That was perfect; it explained why the witch needed five girls and why those five girls. It let me nail down the signs of the zodiac for my fantasy world (which I'm sure I'll use again) and tied those signs to the system of magic I developed for the first book.
All very nice and neat. And the most the reader will learn about all this is that if the witch is planning to sacrifice the girls she had abducted they need to have the right astrological sign. The story's demon hunter, Evan, who knows all this does not elaborate because the other characters understand what he means. To ensure the reader does too, I have them discuss it a bit.
And this is perfect example of the amount of backstory that is often required to make the story work. Often I can't show more than the very tip of it. And this is also the issue I have with showing the characters as completely as some people want. I can't (or I won't) do it at the expense of the story. It has to fit in with the story I'm telling. In Book 1, there weren't many subplots or side stories. In Book 2, each main character has one, specifically to address the comments I received on Aure, the Topaz.
And I've planted seeds in Book 2 that I will pick up in Book 3. And in this way, the story, the characters, and the readers all grow together as the series progresses.
I only hope Book 2 is well received.
This has led to some interesting questions that I had to answer. For example, the tension in the story starts when the main characters prevent a little orphan girl from being abducted by a local witch.
The witch gets away but the girl, Amanda, is safe. This poses the question why did the witch want Amanda in the first place? Was it convenience or is there something about the girl that is special. I had already decided that Amanda was the fifth of five girls the witch wanted for a sacrifice to a demon. In this way, the witch hoped to acquire knowledge and power to cement her hold on the town.
Ultimately, I decided that there had to be something about Amanda, something special because if there wasn't then the witch would find a different girl and perform her ritual after not abducting Amanda. Not a lot of tension there. But by making Amanda special in some way, I create more tension. Now the five girls are selected for a reason and the fact that the heroes of the story have one of the girls sets up a reason for the witch to attack them.
But the real problem I had was, what was special about Amanda? My first thought, that she had the ability to learn and use magic seem too easy, too pat. I wanted something else. Something we wouldn't think twice about that the heroes of the story would. And then it all fell into place. It was Amanda's astrological sign. And then it hit me; what the witch needs was four girls for the four basic elements, water, air, fire, earth, and a fifth girl to represent magic. That was perfect; it explained why the witch needed five girls and why those five girls. It let me nail down the signs of the zodiac for my fantasy world (which I'm sure I'll use again) and tied those signs to the system of magic I developed for the first book.
All very nice and neat. And the most the reader will learn about all this is that if the witch is planning to sacrifice the girls she had abducted they need to have the right astrological sign. The story's demon hunter, Evan, who knows all this does not elaborate because the other characters understand what he means. To ensure the reader does too, I have them discuss it a bit.
And this is perfect example of the amount of backstory that is often required to make the story work. Often I can't show more than the very tip of it. And this is also the issue I have with showing the characters as completely as some people want. I can't (or I won't) do it at the expense of the story. It has to fit in with the story I'm telling. In Book 1, there weren't many subplots or side stories. In Book 2, each main character has one, specifically to address the comments I received on Aure, the Topaz.
And I've planted seeds in Book 2 that I will pick up in Book 3. And in this way, the story, the characters, and the readers all grow together as the series progresses.
I only hope Book 2 is well received.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Holistic Writing
Recently, I've been reading blog posts about holistic writing. The views expressed generally state that all parts of a story need to work together, that the story is an organic whole. and that characters need to fit the plot and the plot needs to fit the characters.
Well, Duh?
Where have these people been? All writing must be holistic or it fails. It does not matter if it is an essay, a work of fiction, instructions for assembling the next big thing, or a letter to Mom, the writing must be conceived in its entirety and executed as a whole. This means different things for different forms of writing. In fiction, it means the characters and the plot are a unified whole. The whole character vs plot discussion (about which is more important) has always struck me as pointless because all writing needs to be holistic. You need both characters and plot and they have to work together or the story fails.
Example: If Romeo is from a different family, not the mortal enemy of her family, does it matter whether he falls in love with Juliette? No, of course not. In fact, the story is not nearly as interesting because it transforms the tale into a simple love story, not a tragedy of star-crossed lovers. But because the characters and the plot are tied together, the entire story is transformed from a simple love story to a major tragedy.
What this means is you need to select characters that fit the story and have a story that fits the characters.
Example: In my first novel, I spend time introducing the main characters. Daniel, an orphan, is looking for members of his family. He was rescued by elves and raised by them. He knows his last name but little else. Daniel is also a master of elven martial arts and revered by most elves. When Iriel, an elf in town, meets Daniel, she offers to help him because to her he is almost a religious figure. James, Iriel's lover, is also sucked into this plot, not because James wants to help but because Iriel wants him to and asked him to help.
I spent time setting this up so that when the magic gem in the novel communicates with Daniel and asks for his help, it starts a process that affects all three characters. Here, plot and characters are partners each pulling their own weight to move the story along.
Now some may say, "But that's contrived."
Yes, of course it is. All art (and writing) is contrived. I've purposely selected details to tell the story I want to tell. If I don't do that, you get a lot of irrelevant details and you don't have art, you have... reality TV or something equally noxious.
So if you are oohing and aahing about holistic writing, I think it is time to go back to basics and remember what makes fiction work, what the elements of fiction are, and get over any sense of novelty. Holistic principles aren't new; they are as old as writing itself.
Well, Duh?
Where have these people been? All writing must be holistic or it fails. It does not matter if it is an essay, a work of fiction, instructions for assembling the next big thing, or a letter to Mom, the writing must be conceived in its entirety and executed as a whole. This means different things for different forms of writing. In fiction, it means the characters and the plot are a unified whole. The whole character vs plot discussion (about which is more important) has always struck me as pointless because all writing needs to be holistic. You need both characters and plot and they have to work together or the story fails.
Example: If Romeo is from a different family, not the mortal enemy of her family, does it matter whether he falls in love with Juliette? No, of course not. In fact, the story is not nearly as interesting because it transforms the tale into a simple love story, not a tragedy of star-crossed lovers. But because the characters and the plot are tied together, the entire story is transformed from a simple love story to a major tragedy.
What this means is you need to select characters that fit the story and have a story that fits the characters.
Example: In my first novel, I spend time introducing the main characters. Daniel, an orphan, is looking for members of his family. He was rescued by elves and raised by them. He knows his last name but little else. Daniel is also a master of elven martial arts and revered by most elves. When Iriel, an elf in town, meets Daniel, she offers to help him because to her he is almost a religious figure. James, Iriel's lover, is also sucked into this plot, not because James wants to help but because Iriel wants him to and asked him to help.
I spent time setting this up so that when the magic gem in the novel communicates with Daniel and asks for his help, it starts a process that affects all three characters. Here, plot and characters are partners each pulling their own weight to move the story along.
Now some may say, "But that's contrived."
Yes, of course it is. All art (and writing) is contrived. I've purposely selected details to tell the story I want to tell. If I don't do that, you get a lot of irrelevant details and you don't have art, you have... reality TV or something equally noxious.
So if you are oohing and aahing about holistic writing, I think it is time to go back to basics and remember what makes fiction work, what the elements of fiction are, and get over any sense of novelty. Holistic principles aren't new; they are as old as writing itself.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Writing is Becoming a Lost Art
I saw a report on Frontline that looked at how all our computer technology is changing people. Twenty-somethings and teens function in very different ways than the generations that preceded them. This was not news to me. It is well-known that the 15 to 25 set don't interact face-to-face as much as they do online.
The fact that struck me was how it has begun to affect the writing of this age young. Apparently they can write well-structured individual paragraphs. But they cannot hold a thought or develop an idea from one paragraph to the next to create an essay or support a thesis. That got me thinking if they could even a story and I'm guessing the answer is no.
Kinda a shame. What will ultimately happen to the written word if people cannot spend time to write a story or sit still to experience a three-act play? Will poetry have a resurgence? Or will all forms of writing suffer and die out? Will the literature of the 21 century be all blogs and wall posts?
Worse still, these same people have no interest in reading books because they are so busy multi-tasking. A long novel is an anathema to them; instead they prefer Cliff Notes. How can any aspiring novelist even hope to make a dent in this age group if they aren't even willing to crack the book?
I don't have any answers here. But it is something to think about.
The fact that struck me was how it has begun to affect the writing of this age young. Apparently they can write well-structured individual paragraphs. But they cannot hold a thought or develop an idea from one paragraph to the next to create an essay or support a thesis. That got me thinking if they could even a story and I'm guessing the answer is no.
Kinda a shame. What will ultimately happen to the written word if people cannot spend time to write a story or sit still to experience a three-act play? Will poetry have a resurgence? Or will all forms of writing suffer and die out? Will the literature of the 21 century be all blogs and wall posts?
Worse still, these same people have no interest in reading books because they are so busy multi-tasking. A long novel is an anathema to them; instead they prefer Cliff Notes. How can any aspiring novelist even hope to make a dent in this age group if they aren't even willing to crack the book?
I don't have any answers here. But it is something to think about.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Writing Advice
Every so often, people I know -- friends, family, co-workers -- give me suggestions for what I should write about. This is usually hysterical because most of them have no idea what it takes to write -- or sell -- fiction. These people suffer from the illusion that writing is easy. That I snap my fingers and my stories appear well-written, edited, and formatted ready for the publisher.
Please.
The last idea I received was to write about the zany adventures of my dogs. Now this isn't a bad idea and if I had nothing else to do I might even attempt something about them. But the fact is I'm in the middle of writing my fantasy series. By my estimate the entire series will be something like 2500 to 3000 pages and take years to write. I really don't need additional work just now.
Of course, these people mean well and I know that. I appreciate the fact that they shared their ideas with me. But this is a case of 'thank you, but no thank you.' I'll just keep doing what I'm doing until I'm done and then consider my next project.
That's pretty much all I can do.
Please.
The last idea I received was to write about the zany adventures of my dogs. Now this isn't a bad idea and if I had nothing else to do I might even attempt something about them. But the fact is I'm in the middle of writing my fantasy series. By my estimate the entire series will be something like 2500 to 3000 pages and take years to write. I really don't need additional work just now.
Of course, these people mean well and I know that. I appreciate the fact that they shared their ideas with me. But this is a case of 'thank you, but no thank you.' I'll just keep doing what I'm doing until I'm done and then consider my next project.
That's pretty much all I can do.
Friday, December 17, 2010
I Have a Hammer, Does that Make me a Carpenter?
One comment I received on my last blog post is: 'Why is a non-writer writing a book?' This person went on to observe that just because one has a camera that does not make you a photographer.
The point is well-taking. Writing is a skill after all and even the most skilled in the craft can have difficulty expressing himself upon occasion. And I do know people who think they can write fiction because they can string words together in an email.
Well here's a news flash. Writing fiction is a lot more complex than writing an email. There's plot, description, and dialogue to consider. And let's not forget character development and interaction. Scenes have to flow from one to the next. And some people I know don't even pay attention to small items like spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Of course, I've not said any of this to anyone who wants to try and write fiction because most of them can't find the time to do it and you also have to be dedicated to the task of writing to get anywhere. If I didn't spend copious amount of time on my writing I'd still be working on my first novel.
And that's a threat too. Life is constantly thrusting diversions in my face. It takes all my concentration to remain focused on my writing even when I don't feel like it and I am uninspired. In some ways I begin to feel like I'm chasing a windmill.
But that's where my love of writing sustains me. Writing is hard. And if I didn't love the work, I wouldn't do it. I'm sure many of my non-writer friends don't love it which is why they give up on it or don't pursue it after they realize how hard it is.
The point is well-taking. Writing is a skill after all and even the most skilled in the craft can have difficulty expressing himself upon occasion. And I do know people who think they can write fiction because they can string words together in an email.
Well here's a news flash. Writing fiction is a lot more complex than writing an email. There's plot, description, and dialogue to consider. And let's not forget character development and interaction. Scenes have to flow from one to the next. And some people I know don't even pay attention to small items like spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Of course, I've not said any of this to anyone who wants to try and write fiction because most of them can't find the time to do it and you also have to be dedicated to the task of writing to get anywhere. If I didn't spend copious amount of time on my writing I'd still be working on my first novel.
And that's a threat too. Life is constantly thrusting diversions in my face. It takes all my concentration to remain focused on my writing even when I don't feel like it and I am uninspired. In some ways I begin to feel like I'm chasing a windmill.
But that's where my love of writing sustains me. Writing is hard. And if I didn't love the work, I wouldn't do it. I'm sure many of my non-writer friends don't love it which is why they give up on it or don't pursue it after they realize how hard it is.
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