Writing is hard work, and like all hard work, one tries to avoid it if possible. Yet writers feel the urge to write, the need to write, and the inspiration to write, but these are not what produces. The writer must have a technique for writing.
Many writers use the approach of fantasizing. They imagine that their article, essay, short story, or novel will make them the great find of the literary world. They see themselves as being lionized by society with recognition and financial success, but that is not reality, and soon the incentive to write disappears so they produce little or nothing.
Others wait for inspiration, a vague, nebulous event which seldom happens. So they bide their time waiting for the muse to send them to the typewriter or keyboard. Sometimes Clio (the muse of history), Erato (the muse of lyric and amatory poetry), Euterpe (the muse of music), Terpsichore (the muse of choral song), or Thalia (the muse of comedy and bucolic poetry) do appear, but most often they do not, and again nothing is accomplished. Since the muse does not arrive, the would be writer does something else.
That something else takes the form of many other distraction. It can be meaningless chores about the office, the kitchen, the yard, any place but at the keyboard. It can be a telephone call, a visit to socialize with a friend, reading to pass the time , or studying the mail. Often the writer excuses this procrastination as necessary to mentally organize what is envisioned, but actually it is to avoid the disciplined task of authorship.
Only one technique is sure to bear fruit, that is to sit down at the typewriter or computer and to write. If at first nothing worthwhile issues, keeping at it will soon result in something acceptable. Usually when writing is difficult, upon review it is impossible to tell what was burdensome and what was effortless. The act of writing is a complex activity that is honed by practice, practice, and more practice, so sitting and writing is of utmost importance to any author.
Of all the techniques used, the most important is to sit down and write.
Charles O. Goulet has a BA in history and a BEd in English literature. He has written several historical novels that are available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca. Barnes and Noble, and many other bookstores.
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute,... Read More
If Ben Franklin were alive today, he would be...uh, very... Read More
We've all heard a politician on their soapbox, pushing for... Read More
I'm willing to bet that quite a number of you... Read More
You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More
In the words of Aristotle, "happiness is self contentedness helping... Read More
For any great novelist, defining your cast of intriguing characters... Read More
There are many ways you can generate ideas you can... Read More
Be careful when you write.Words you use, sentences you phrase... Read More
How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already... Read More
Suspense novels, unlike any other genre, need fast starts. Fans... Read More
Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important;... Read More
Creating written documents reveals so much about you and your... Read More
SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More
Bookcoaching clients come to me at different stages of writing... Read More
I???ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers... Read More
With the expansion and diversion of businesses, manufacturers, and even... Read More
Picture this scene.Your hero is sitting in a bar. He's... Read More
Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More
Have you ever started a creative writing project with great... Read More
So many clients come to me as a book or... Read More
So you've decided to crown yourself with a title that... Read More
Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business... Read More
When you get stuck for ideas, and the words won't... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More
ESSAYS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHY: NUMBER 1Preamble:Nearly seven years ago I wrote... Read More
More Tips For New Writers (Part I)Explain in your own... Read More
'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always... Read More
During the years that I've been teaching writing and participating... Read More
On the first day of a bright and shiny new... Read More
Any article, report or book which is bought or sold... Read More
If you think proofreading equals editing, then you're wrong! Editing... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
Over the past eight years or so, I have tutored... Read More
There's nothing that kills a scene like hackneyed dialogue. Just... Read More
When I asked new ezine subscribers, "What is your Number... Read More
Set your journal or diary where you will see it... Read More
We writers are a powerful lot. We control time. We... Read More
When you write for international audiences, mainly directly in English,... Read More
Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks.... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More
Dr. Phil's Life Strategies, #1 New York Times Bestseller catches... Read More
Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with... Read More
As in all endeavors, toil is necessary to succeed and... Read More
Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More
If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More
When one population in one century survived five wars, two... Read More
Writing |