There is a ton of advice available to beginning writers. We've all heard it before...show don't tell, keep active rather than passive and on and on. There's really no end to the pearls of wisdom to be had when it comes to writing. But you know, I think there may be too much advice given. Really, I do.
Why not simply write from the heart, without paying overmuch attention to the mechanics of it all? Oh, I can hear teeth gnashing, hands wringing and gasps of outrage at the thought! Writing might be much more satisfying without worries about correlating advice tidbit #16 with # 64, meshing items 32, 96 and 113 with #s 44, 28 and ... you get the idea.
My advice? Just let it happen. The rest will fall into place eventually.
When I began writing for publication I was in high school, and taking advice was the furthest thing from my mind. I wanted to write, period. So I did. Unconsciously, though, I took in what may have been the most important piece of writing advice I have ever gotten. It's one that everyone has been given.
Write what you know.
Simple, isn't it? At first, most people think But I don't know anything anyone would be interested in reading. But that's not true. We're all fascinated by other people's lives, thoughts, ideas, experiences. And most people know more than they think they do!
I write mysteries because I love to solve puzzles. I write romance because that's a subject I know first hand, thanks to my wonderful husband. My curiousity about history leads me to write historical romance. My characters often have interests that I have. They garden, watch old films, spend time on the water and at the beach. They talk about seashells, in other languages and opera. See? They know some neat stuff just because I write what I know.
What do you know? I bet it's more than enough to feed a writing bug!
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5 comments:
I'm so not surprised you found your own way. :^) Good job, my friend.
-Caroline
I write what's in my heart, too. If I had to write a particular genre because it was popular I wouldn't be able to write past the first page!
Caroline, thanks for stopping by! So glad to see you here.
Debbie, your writing style is so wonderfully sincere. I'm glad you, too, found your own way because your words go straight to your reader's heart. :)
I was like that also, Sarita, I would think "write about what you know" but I don't know anything. What I do know no one would be interested in.
Ah, but it does not mean that exactly, as you have discovered. You write about what you have learned. That can be research for historicals.
And as you have said - write from the heart - if you don't do that, who will believe you?
Lovely blog, Sarita.
Margaret.
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