FAQ
What does it take to become a good writer?
Becoming a good writer takes time and practice, the same as developing any talent. In my opinion, the most effective ways to improve your skills at writing are to do the following:
First, read well-written books in a variety of genres. Reading excellent literature trains your mind to recognize excellent writing. It also helps develop a sense for story structure, descriptive writing, and how to capture and keep a reader's attention. Start a writing journal for making notes about things that stand out as you read. Use these notes to improve your own writing.
Second, purchase a grammar book and study it. Review the rules of grammar often by reading one or two pages now and then as a refresher course. After learning the rules of proper grammar and punctuation, be sure to use them.
Third, and most importantly, write a little everyday. Write stories, poetry, letters, journal entries, song lyrics, essays, observations....anything! Write without worrying about the quality of the work. Once you finish, take time to read it over and edit your work. Set it aside for a few days and then read and edit the work again. A piece of writing should undergo multiple edits before it is finished. If you compare the first draft to the final written work, it should be obvious why editing is so important.
I hope this helps. No single, perfect path exists that leads to becoming a good writer. The real magic in writing is to love what you write, and to write what you love.
First, read well-written books in a variety of genres. Reading excellent literature trains your mind to recognize excellent writing. It also helps develop a sense for story structure, descriptive writing, and how to capture and keep a reader's attention. Start a writing journal for making notes about things that stand out as you read. Use these notes to improve your own writing.
Second, purchase a grammar book and study it. Review the rules of grammar often by reading one or two pages now and then as a refresher course. After learning the rules of proper grammar and punctuation, be sure to use them.
Third, and most importantly, write a little everyday. Write stories, poetry, letters, journal entries, song lyrics, essays, observations....anything! Write without worrying about the quality of the work. Once you finish, take time to read it over and edit your work. Set it aside for a few days and then read and edit the work again. A piece of writing should undergo multiple edits before it is finished. If you compare the first draft to the final written work, it should be obvious why editing is so important.
I hope this helps. No single, perfect path exists that leads to becoming a good writer. The real magic in writing is to love what you write, and to write what you love.
How do you get inspired to write?
I am inspired to write in a number of ways.
First, I surround myself with pictures and objects that remind me of stories I'm working on, things like dragons, pirates, model sailing ships, glittering butterflies, and my favorite statue of two fairies embracing.
Second, I keep a notebook of ideas, names, scenes, and other things that spark my interest at any time. These notes help inspire my writing.
Third, I make use of the best inspirational tool for me: simply daydreaming. I allow my mind the freedom to wander at will and take a story in many different directions. I imagine "what-ifs" and continue down that mental road if it interests me. If I come to a dead end or find my attention waning, I take a few steps back and follow a different mental road. Daydreaming is an effective excercise for my imagination. Soon enough, I find myself reaching for pen and paper to take notes about a dreamed adventure I want to draft into a book.
How do you organize your notes and compile them in your books?
Inspiration for a book or a chapter or just a profound sentence pops into my head at odd times, and it seems to come randomly. I may get a great idea for a beginning chapter and then one for the ending. And then come a few perfect thoughts to include... somewhere in the middle. The ideas add up. To keep them organized during the months (sometimes years) it takes to complete a written work can be a challenge. Here's what I do to keep organized.
1) I carry a pocket-sized notebook with me for jotting down those "brilliant" ideas when they hit. Truthfully, I have a notebook for each work in progress with character names, dialogue, important points, and other stuff. (I'm looking at thirteen little notebooks on my desk right now.) If I fail to write out a moment of inspiration, it inevitably vanishes. And writing it out thoroughly, rather than jotting down a word or phrase, helps keep the essence and origin from being lost.
2.) I use sticky notes like mad. When I sit down to write a book, I scribble out my ideas on sticky notes and then arrange them in the order I anticipate they'll be used within the book. Sometimes I plaster the side of my computer tower with these colorful Post its; sometimes they are fanned around my laptop screen. The fun part is peeling off a yellow square and tossing it out after the idea has been composed and saved. (Actually, I don't toss out any of my notes. I keep them in envelopes marked with the title of the book. Silly, sentimental scraps, I guess)
3.) I write ahead when inspiration hits, usually because the perfect scene just played through my head. This happens a lot, especially when I've come to a road block in a particular chapter. So, if I just cannot figure out how to end chapter three, but I have a super idea for chapter six~ish, I scroll down and type it out. Often I end up with a dozen or more scenes typed at the bottom of a developing manuscript. When (and if) I choose to insert one as the book progresses, it's a simple matter of cut/paste/edit.
So, there you have it! My organizational tools. They work well for me, maybe not so well for others.
1) I carry a pocket-sized notebook with me for jotting down those "brilliant" ideas when they hit. Truthfully, I have a notebook for each work in progress with character names, dialogue, important points, and other stuff. (I'm looking at thirteen little notebooks on my desk right now.) If I fail to write out a moment of inspiration, it inevitably vanishes. And writing it out thoroughly, rather than jotting down a word or phrase, helps keep the essence and origin from being lost.
2.) I use sticky notes like mad. When I sit down to write a book, I scribble out my ideas on sticky notes and then arrange them in the order I anticipate they'll be used within the book. Sometimes I plaster the side of my computer tower with these colorful Post its; sometimes they are fanned around my laptop screen. The fun part is peeling off a yellow square and tossing it out after the idea has been composed and saved. (Actually, I don't toss out any of my notes. I keep them in envelopes marked with the title of the book. Silly, sentimental scraps, I guess)
3.) I write ahead when inspiration hits, usually because the perfect scene just played through my head. This happens a lot, especially when I've come to a road block in a particular chapter. So, if I just cannot figure out how to end chapter three, but I have a super idea for chapter six~ish, I scroll down and type it out. Often I end up with a dozen or more scenes typed at the bottom of a developing manuscript. When (and if) I choose to insert one as the book progresses, it's a simple matter of cut/paste/edit.
So, there you have it! My organizational tools. They work well for me, maybe not so well for others.