Most people will tell you, you either have it or you don't. To me that's complete BS. If you stick at it, learn, read, write, everyday, then you're going to get good, simple as that. But the learning process isn't like a staircase. You don't slowly get better and better. You have peaks, valleys, you go forward, then you go backwards as you're trying new concepts out.
For me, I had to unwire a whole lot of stuff that was going on in my mind. I had been writing for years, pretty much since childhood, and I was only doing it for fun (and you get some pretty tight stuff coming out when you're writing for fun). I had no intention of getting better, or learning the craft, or becoming a pro writer. It was just something I did in my spare time. Now, as it started to dawn on me that I could in fact do it for a living, my first thoughts were, "dude, you been doing this for years, just write something, send it out, done." But there were many misconceptions about the craft rattling around my brain, so it didn't go so well.
I thought writing was about cool - vivid language, I thought it was just about writing cool passages that sounded rad. Sure, to me they did, and I enjoyed writing them, but without an engaging plot, a strong POV, and a dedication to the storyline, your sunk. People won't read on.
Basically now, I have learnt to turn off the vivid language and just stay dedicate to telling the story. If you don't need to say that sentence, then don't say the damn sentence! Stick only to the plot, if it further's the plot, then keep doing it, if it don't, throw it out yo!
Writing is a skill, you can learn it. I firmly believe it. Even in Stephen Kings book, "On Writing" he says you either have it or you don't. I disagree (respectfully of course), I think you can, because hell, we're human beings, the most intelligent organisms on this planet, yet, we can't learn how to write? One of the most fundamental and basic methods a human being has to communicate? Come onnnnnnn!
No real content in this post, it's really designed to motivate you. To put you in a good emotional place to inspire you.
Have a good day
Greg
For me, I had to unwire a whole lot of stuff that was going on in my mind. I had been writing for years, pretty much since childhood, and I was only doing it for fun (and you get some pretty tight stuff coming out when you're writing for fun). I had no intention of getting better, or learning the craft, or becoming a pro writer. It was just something I did in my spare time. Now, as it started to dawn on me that I could in fact do it for a living, my first thoughts were, "dude, you been doing this for years, just write something, send it out, done." But there were many misconceptions about the craft rattling around my brain, so it didn't go so well.
I thought writing was about cool - vivid language, I thought it was just about writing cool passages that sounded rad. Sure, to me they did, and I enjoyed writing them, but without an engaging plot, a strong POV, and a dedication to the storyline, your sunk. People won't read on.
Basically now, I have learnt to turn off the vivid language and just stay dedicate to telling the story. If you don't need to say that sentence, then don't say the damn sentence! Stick only to the plot, if it further's the plot, then keep doing it, if it don't, throw it out yo!
Writing is a skill, you can learn it. I firmly believe it. Even in Stephen Kings book, "On Writing" he says you either have it or you don't. I disagree (respectfully of course), I think you can, because hell, we're human beings, the most intelligent organisms on this planet, yet, we can't learn how to write? One of the most fundamental and basic methods a human being has to communicate? Come onnnnnnn!
No real content in this post, it's really designed to motivate you. To put you in a good emotional place to inspire you.
Have a good day
Greg
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