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| Nine books and counting... |
Believe
it or not, writing is one of the easiest things a person can learn to do.
Unfortunately, too often beginning writers only focus on the end result and
then are intimidated at the thought of completing a novel, an essay, a blog, or
even a short story.
Next
Saturday, March 18th, will be a great opportunity for anyone
contemplating or just curious about the writing life to come explore their many
writing options.
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| The Steeple Center | Rosemount, MN |
The FirstAnnual Rosemount Writers Festival and Book Fair is being held Saturday, March
18th at the Steeple Center in Rosemount, Minnesota. The hours are
from 9:30am to 5:00.
First Annual Rosemount Writers Festivaland Book Fair Website
Their
web site lists all the speakers and events planned for the day. I’ll have a
table for selling my books and I’ll be speaking at 2:00 that afternoon. The
title of my presentation is: ‘How do I begin?’
For
the uninitiated, there are a plethora of books, magazines, seminars, and websites
which all claim to have the magic elixir to becoming an accomplished writer.
Some will tell you that you can write an entire book in just one month. Others
will say that (for enough money) you can get someone else to do all the heavy
lifting for you. Experts can do your editing, book design, marketing and promotion.
All you have to do is write them a check.
This
smorgasbord of advice can be a distraction and excuse for not writing. Their
focus is on the procedures here and not the actual ‘doing.’ I believe all of
these approaches are wrong simply because they fail to address the most
important equation here which is you…the writer.
I
would summarize those skills needed to become a writer as discipline, being
able to focus and allocating your time wisely. Remember writing is a craft, a
skill and a discipline. Like anything else worth pursuing, it takes time and
effort. THERE IS NO SHORTCUT. As the old Chinese proverb goes, a long
journey begins with one small step.
The
first step to begin is deciding what type of writing you want to engage in. The
caveat to follow here should be: what is your passion, what drives you, what
topic would make you want to get up each morning and write. Remember, you are
not writing for anyone else but yourself.
The
second step is deciding on your subject matter. Where do you go to get ideas if
you have no idea what to write about? The list is unending. Newspaper and
magazine articles, conversations, people you know, your past experiences,
other’s experiences, and things you have witnessed, etc.
My
own experience with ‘Love in the A Shau’ began as a loose compilation of
information about the sixties and my own experiences in college and the
military back then. After fifty-five pages of notes my storyline was ready for
writing.
Writers
must have multiple personalities because they take on the personalities of
their characters. So make it a point to listen to dialogue around you. How do
people talk, what do they say and how do they say it. Readers love a good story
and interesting characters. It’s your job to provide both.
All
your ideas won’t mean a thing unless you can organize them. Begin by just
spilling ideas, phrases, dialogue, facts, etc. onto paper. Some folks use
post-it-notes, notepads, or just compose on the computer screen. Whatever works
best for you is the right way to go. Once you have enough information then
begin to organize your notes with a beginning, middle and end. I just dump
ideas, words, phrases and dialogue onto a computer screen. Then it goes to
paper and finally I begin to edit my material before dumping it back into the
computer.
Once
you have a treatment or an outline you are ready to begin writing your story,
article, etc. Begin by filling in what you have already written. Then add
whatever else seems appropriate and/or relevant. Once that’s done, let it cool
off. Walk away from your writing project for a period of time then go back to
it. ALL writing takes place in rewriting, not during the initial first pass.
You
need three things to become a writer:
Talent…you won’t know if you have it
unless you give it a try.
Desire…you won’t know if you have it
unless you give it a try.
Perseverance…you won’t know if you
have it unless you give it a try.
My one
hour presentation starts at 2:00pm at the Steeple Center. There will be a lot
of great speakers and books for sale. Check out their websites here at http://www.rosemountarts.com/ or
I hope
to see you there.
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