spill the ink
I started "writing" in my head (and with my mouth) when I was 4 years old. I started writing a bit legibly on paper when I was five. But I started really writing creatively when I turned 15. Four years later, I took the What Type of Writer Should You Be? quiz, and here's what I got:
That actually took me by surprise, as I never saw myself as a real writer, much less a poet. Then, to my surprise even more, a lot of people agreed to my blog entry about the result, even people whom I didn't know were reading my blog. Around the same time, my stories in Fictionpress began to get good reviews. Some of my readers even began asking me advice on how to write!
I've read sometime in the past that "if you've got talent to write, then you've got talent to write. Go write."
Riiiiiiiight. I've got something to add to that. "Even if you think you don't have talent to write, go write!"
When I was a kid, nobody told me that I had the makings of a poetic writer, and I don't recall reading anything along the lines of "How To Be A Totally Awesome Creative Writer!!!" So how did I get here?
I'm not really sure, but here are the things that might have helped. Read on and maybe they'll help you, too.
1.) Read, read, and read some more.
I think what affected my writing most is -- tada! -- the books I read. A wide vocabulary has always been a vital part of being an effective writer. We all learned to read before we learned how to write, after all.
Learn from the masters. Go back to the classics. Read up on the new bestsellers. You don't have to use flowery words; you have to use the right words. There are many ways to express a thought, and it would be so much fun if you got to use the right word to say the right thing. You can't use the right word if you don't know it, so go grab a book, and make sure that a dictionary or thesaurus is beside you.
2.) Get organized
One of the things I usually do when writing a story, or even a blog entry, is an outline. When I was a kid, I hated making outlines for reviewing exams, but when it comes to writing, I found that it's very helpful. It helps me see the big picture, and ensures that what I'm writing is going somewhere.
When making an outline, go from general to specific. Start with the theme: what do you want your story to be about? Next, determine the plot. Write down how you want the story to begin, the major conflicts in the middle, and how you want it to end. Then under beginning, list down the foundations you would like to lay. In the middle, list what developments you want to make. Then at the end, list the resolutions you want to happen. From there, build how you'll go about each foundation, development, and resolution.
You get my drift, yeah?
3.) Be flexible
Okay, so you have everything planned out. But, as time goes by, different things will influence you. New ideas may arise, and some planned things might not seem so good after a while. Sometimes, as we write, the flow doesn't go as outlined.
You know what? That's perfectly fine. Make sure that you leave room for changes. Just because you've got an outline it doesn't mean that you have to stick to it rigidly. The outline is merely a guide, and you have to let your creativity flow through it.
4.) Activate your inner mind's theater
One of my readers told me once that I was very good at describing things. She was particularly talking about this fight scene that I wrote with martial arts moves and stuff. She said that when she was reading that part of my story, she felt like she was watching a movie. Like, wow. That was one of the best moments of my life as a writer.
When she asked me how she could write a scene like that, I told her to (1) go and watch martial arts films or animation, and (2) picture the scene in your head first. Writing a scene, martial arts or no, can either be so freakin' easy, or too freakin' hard. But whether or not it comes easily, I've found that picturing it in your mind before typing away helps big time. It lets you see all the details, upon which you can build developments on later. And it lets you keep track of the details, and make sure that you don't miss any. Repeating the scene over and over in your head lets you develop it before you write it down. I've found that my scenes get better and better the more I repeat them in my imagination.
5.) Fight writer's block
Let me share a memorable day in my penmanship class in first grade. Our task that day was to write a paragraph of 100 words, just so she could see the uniformity of our handwriting. After about five minutes, she noticed that I wasn't writing anything. When she asked me why, I said, "I can't think of anything to write."
Ahahaha. Precisely the words of a writer in a writer's block. Around the middle of a piece, I usually get stuck staring at my screen or notebook, waiting for inspiration to come. I bet it happens to a lot of people, too. And when I do, I remember what my penmanship teacher said to me that day so many years ago:
"Write away."
She told me that it didn't matter what I wrote, as long as I wrote something. She told me that the words I wanted will come later. And they did.
The first line that I wrote then was "My name is Sarah, and I can't think of anything to write." I then went on to write about the class, the room, and the sound of my classmates' pencils on their papers as I wrote. At the end of the day, my penmanship teacher showed my piece to my English teacher. My English teacher had me enter an essay-writing contest.
I won.
And so, if you want to be a writer, or you want to write just for the heck of it, I hope the stuff I learned helps you. Go spill the ink. Let your fingers fly through the keyboard. Who knows, maybe you've got a great writer hidden somewhere in there.
------------------------
-"Spill the Ink". Originally posted on March 4, 2001 in one of my discontinued blogs.
That actually took me by surprise, as I never saw myself as a real writer, much less a poet. Then, to my surprise even more, a lot of people agreed to my blog entry about the result, even people whom I didn't know were reading my blog. Around the same time, my stories in Fictionpress began to get good reviews. Some of my readers even began asking me advice on how to write!
I've read sometime in the past that "if you've got talent to write, then you've got talent to write. Go write."
Riiiiiiiight. I've got something to add to that. "Even if you think you don't have talent to write, go write!"
When I was a kid, nobody told me that I had the makings of a poetic writer, and I don't recall reading anything along the lines of "How To Be A Totally Awesome Creative Writer!!!" So how did I get here?
I'm not really sure, but here are the things that might have helped. Read on and maybe they'll help you, too.
1.) Read, read, and read some more.
I think what affected my writing most is -- tada! -- the books I read. A wide vocabulary has always been a vital part of being an effective writer. We all learned to read before we learned how to write, after all.
Learn from the masters. Go back to the classics. Read up on the new bestsellers. You don't have to use flowery words; you have to use the right words. There are many ways to express a thought, and it would be so much fun if you got to use the right word to say the right thing. You can't use the right word if you don't know it, so go grab a book, and make sure that a dictionary or thesaurus is beside you.
2.) Get organized
One of the things I usually do when writing a story, or even a blog entry, is an outline. When I was a kid, I hated making outlines for reviewing exams, but when it comes to writing, I found that it's very helpful. It helps me see the big picture, and ensures that what I'm writing is going somewhere.
When making an outline, go from general to specific. Start with the theme: what do you want your story to be about? Next, determine the plot. Write down how you want the story to begin, the major conflicts in the middle, and how you want it to end. Then under beginning, list down the foundations you would like to lay. In the middle, list what developments you want to make. Then at the end, list the resolutions you want to happen. From there, build how you'll go about each foundation, development, and resolution.
You get my drift, yeah?
3.) Be flexible
Okay, so you have everything planned out. But, as time goes by, different things will influence you. New ideas may arise, and some planned things might not seem so good after a while. Sometimes, as we write, the flow doesn't go as outlined.
You know what? That's perfectly fine. Make sure that you leave room for changes. Just because you've got an outline it doesn't mean that you have to stick to it rigidly. The outline is merely a guide, and you have to let your creativity flow through it.
4.) Activate your inner mind's theater
One of my readers told me once that I was very good at describing things. She was particularly talking about this fight scene that I wrote with martial arts moves and stuff. She said that when she was reading that part of my story, she felt like she was watching a movie. Like, wow. That was one of the best moments of my life as a writer.
When she asked me how she could write a scene like that, I told her to (1) go and watch martial arts films or animation, and (2) picture the scene in your head first. Writing a scene, martial arts or no, can either be so freakin' easy, or too freakin' hard. But whether or not it comes easily, I've found that picturing it in your mind before typing away helps big time. It lets you see all the details, upon which you can build developments on later. And it lets you keep track of the details, and make sure that you don't miss any. Repeating the scene over and over in your head lets you develop it before you write it down. I've found that my scenes get better and better the more I repeat them in my imagination.
5.) Fight writer's block
Let me share a memorable day in my penmanship class in first grade. Our task that day was to write a paragraph of 100 words, just so she could see the uniformity of our handwriting. After about five minutes, she noticed that I wasn't writing anything. When she asked me why, I said, "I can't think of anything to write."
Ahahaha. Precisely the words of a writer in a writer's block. Around the middle of a piece, I usually get stuck staring at my screen or notebook, waiting for inspiration to come. I bet it happens to a lot of people, too. And when I do, I remember what my penmanship teacher said to me that day so many years ago:
"Write away."
She told me that it didn't matter what I wrote, as long as I wrote something. She told me that the words I wanted will come later. And they did.
The first line that I wrote then was "My name is Sarah, and I can't think of anything to write." I then went on to write about the class, the room, and the sound of my classmates' pencils on their papers as I wrote. At the end of the day, my penmanship teacher showed my piece to my English teacher. My English teacher had me enter an essay-writing contest.
I won.
And so, if you want to be a writer, or you want to write just for the heck of it, I hope the stuff I learned helps you. Go spill the ink. Let your fingers fly through the keyboard. Who knows, maybe you've got a great writer hidden somewhere in there.
------------------------
-"Spill the Ink". Originally posted on March 4, 2001 in one of my discontinued blogs.
Labels: writing
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Blue. Stars. Sky. Jazz. Choklit. Pasta. Sashimi. Green tea Frapp. Aroma of coffee. Books. Movies. Fanfics. PC. Google. Mobile phone. Mp3 player. Sleep.
Cockroaches. Shopping. Humidity. Migraines.
WE're the same!
Oh, for outlining, there's this nice program i use.
Freemind. it's an .. outlining program. x_x
DOWNLOAD IT!
Posted by
Mi
Hello,
I am Jerome Herrera. I am the owner of Pinoy Penster Community, a website for Amateur and Professional Filipino Writers. I was wondering if we could exchange links. This will give your blog/website a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to our hundreds of visitors everyday. If you are interested, please email me at jeromeherrera2006@gmail.com. Pinoy Penster Community is located at http://penster.fyi.ph
Posted by
Jerome C. Herrera