(More) Quotes To Inspire and Guide You
I've always loved collecting quotes. So ever since I started taking my writing life more seriously, I've amassed quite a collection of quotes on writing. Here are a few more of my favorites:
Practicing the art of "Butt in Chair."
I don’t know if the muse is going to show up on any given day, but by golly, I’m going to be at my desk every day from 8 to12 every morning in case she does.
-Flannery O’Conner
One of my favorite books on writing is Page After Page, by Heather Sellers. It’s a great book for beginners because it focuses on finding the courage and commitment to start writing and keep writing.
First Chapters: What To Include
Lately I’ve been learning a lot about how to begin your novel. Personally, I think this is the most important part of the book because it determines whether or not the reader will even give your story a try.
As a reader, how many times have picked up a book only to give up on it after reading the first few pages? When those pages didn’t grab you, you dumped the book and moved on to something else.
As a writer, you have to give your readers a reason to stick around right away.
Overcoming Self-doubt
Hello everyone! For my first day back I thought I would talk about something that I face on a daily basis. And if you’re a writer you’ve probably faced it too at some point. Self-doubt.
Self-doubt is the one thing that can end a writer’s career before it even starts. Self-doubt chips away at your confidence and suffocates you with feelings of inferiority and disgust.
How To Beat Writer's Block
I apologize for posting so late in the day. Today I was overwhelmed with the good news that I might be able to go back to college! I spent so much time thinking and talking about the possibility and how to make it happen that I completely forgot that today was a posting day.
But better late than never, right?
So here we go...
Helpful Quotes To Inspire And Guide You
Right now, we're all in different places on the same path. Some of us are learning about how to start. Some are learning about style and craft. While some of us are further along and just looking for a little motivation.
I can't know exactly what you need at this moment, but there is a little something for everyone in this post.
I decided to share some of the best quotes on writing that I could find, covering a wider range of topics than I can usually cover in one post. Hopefully, you can find something here to help you wherever you are on your writing journey.
The Different Types Of Point Of View
When you are just starting a new project, one of the first things you must decide is which point of view to use.
Last week we covered choosing the best point of view character for your story. This week, we're going to look at the various types of POV: first person, second person, third person, and omniscient.
Choosing the best point-of-view for your story
What is Point Of View (POV)?
In The Complete Handbook Of Novel Writing, Nancy Kress helps us define POV as: "who's eyes we see the action through, who's head we're inside of, and who's feelings we experience as that character feels them."
This is why this is why it's so important to choose the right POV character for your story. It will "determine what you tell, how you tell it and, often, even what the action means."
Why You Should Keep A Writing Journal
One of the most valuable tools I've found since I started taking my writing seriously is my writing journal. This notebook, is where I detail every idea I have. Some I end up using, some I don't, but the journal helps me sort them out and keep them organized.
I write out my fears, my worries, my dead ends, and all the difficulties I face trying to piece a story together from beginning to end.
Usually, as I am processing, solutions will come to me. I'll inevitably have a breakthough and I know that I wouldn't have come to it if I hadn't journaled my way there.
Explaining "Show, don't tell"...
While this blog is so new, I am trying to stick with the absolute basics. First, I covered the fear of starting. And then the difference between the passive and active voices.
Now, I want to cover one of fiction's first rules, "show, don't tell."
There's a great quote from Anton Chekhov that explains this concept perfectly.
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
You're ready now!
Don't put off starting!
You already know enough to start writing. You have what's in your head and you're heart. You have a lifetime of experiencing the world to inspire you.
You have a story inside you. It's time to tell it.
The Fear Of Writing
Writing is scary. Ever since I decided to start to take my writing seriously I feel like I live in a constant state of anxiety. But from what I've read, this is perfectly normal.
It really is scary just getting to the desk- we're talking now five hours. My mouth gets dry, my heart beats fast. I react psychologically the way other people react when a plane loses an engine.
-Fran Lebowitz
Blank pages inspire me with terror.
-Margartet Atwood
We all start out as beginners. We have to give ourselves time to practice. We can't expect perfection right away.
Successful writers stick with it. Over time, they learn. They aren't scared off by bad writing.
Author Lawrence Block said that the most understandable trap is to wait for fear to subside before starting. "But it doesn't, won't, and shouldn't. Too much good writing comes from writers on the edge."
"You need a certain amount of nerve to be a writer," said Margaret Atwood. "an almost physical nerve, the kind you need to walk along across a river."
Do you have the nerve to be a writer?
As beginning writers, we have to tackle the fear head on and refuse to let it stop us. Can you do it? I know I can.
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