I have noticed that other writing blogs like to tell people how to write. This is not a bad thing but I do have a small problem with it. Let me give you some personal information about me. My undergraduate degree in English and Creative Writing, so I have done and am doing a lot of writing, both on the technical level for my MLIS that I am working on and for four years as an undergrad. So I guess I do know something about writing. The secret to being a writer is this- Write. Do it. Ray Bradbury say to write at least one thousand words a day. He is right. Also the more you do something the more you can do it. In writing that means the more you make yourself sit down and push through the 'I can't's and the 'I just don't know if I can do this' or whatever the voice in your head says the better you get at doing what you do think that you can.
As far as write what you know, I have not listened to that for years. This reason is if you look at my plots there is no way for me to 'really' know what I am writing about. I write high fantasy, hard science fiction, and I have a steampunk story just banging around in there. There is no way for me to know about any of those places in reality. I had people in my life when I was much younger and just starting to write for more than just school work, who in an mistaken attempt to help me, discouraged me from writing about what I saw/see in my head. They said to write what I know. Well I was 8 I really did not know much. But I did, and hopefully still do, know people. So instead of writing about being a unhappy 8 year old I wrote about people that I would like to meet. I wrote/write about people that I would like to meet. Heroes, villains, spaceship pilots, and brave people who overcame their bad pasts to become so much then anyone believed that they could be. So in hand I do write about what I know because I write about the people who live in my head and on the other no I can never write about my plots like I know them.
In the end it really does not matter. Write about what you love, write about what is in your heart, write about the people you would love to met and you will write true. True writing is great writing, just think about your favorite book. Why is it your favorite? Because there is some truth in there that you see and you love the product, the book, because it is the way to the truth. See you next week.
I tried leaving a comment before but it didn't seem to post. So, if this shows up more than once, I'm sorry. A great post. I'm trying to work through my doubts but it's tough going. When I'm not writing, I want to write. When I'm facing the blank screen for the first time that day, I don't want to write. When I'm psyched and the scene is flowing, I don't want to stop writing.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right - to keep writing is the key. I have heard so many times that writers are like sharks - we have to keep moving to survive!! And in terms of writing what you know - I completely agree with you. In fact, this was something I was thinking about only the other day. I only ever write fantasy, and I definitely do not live in a land full of dragons and knights (no matter how hard I wish I did). When I was 7 I wrote a story about a mouse that lived in a teapot. I have never owned a mouse or lived in a teapot. But it was a great story.
ReplyDeleteI am also now following you :) Yay :)