When
a fiction writer sits down to pen a new novel, a lot of things have already
been taken into account, such as the best time of the day to write, considering
the season, a time when it is quieter – if you are near a main road – and when
there is little noise or traffic – even the weeks and months when he will not
be able to write. This is the first thing to decide; how many weeks or months
to devote to the project, and how to divide up that time so that you get the
writing and other duties done. On a personal note, this writer has taken off
almost a year for a breather after her tenth novel, Joonie, and this is a
prelude before starting the eleventh novel. A fiction writer is an artist, a
word colorist, a challenger.
Understanding
the writing mind
Writers
have peculiar habits in that they have learned to cope with hours on the
keyboard by smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, going for a quick walk to
unclog the brain, or whatever other habit they have arrived at for maximum euphoria.
There is joy at just the sheer arrangement of words. Still, the writing process
is not easy. It is a solitary job; it is only you and the page in front of you.
You are the judge, the jury, and the eliminator. You will cut a sentence or
even a paragraph if it doesn’t resonate. When a writer is busy working it is
almost a cruel to interrupt. Good writing takes time, patience, endurance, and
the ability to make cuts – just like a director in a movie – if it serves the
plot.
Good
habits to employ
·
Do
you like the beach or the boardwalk a better place to write than at your desk?
Laptops make things easy for a writer today, and you can easily write where it
is most comfortable for you, even from the back seat of your car.
·
Try
and write at the same time every day. Spend at least an hour or more if you can
afford the time.
·
Don’t
write if you are not feeling well; you will in all likelihood scrap what you
have written. Take a nap and come back to it the following day. If you are like
me, you will feel guilty for not utilizing that time. Definitely don’t write if
you have a headache.
·
Don’t
force your writing. If the words have temporarily dried up, take a break. Water
the lawn or go for a walk.
·
Whatever
you do, do not tell us what the story is about; let us see it unfold.
·
Write
about what you know as you will write with passion and also have more to write
about.
·
When
editing your piece, cut out all those little gems – darlings they call it in
the industry – you think are so great.
·
Writing
is about reading and rewriting, and reading other people’s work can be very
inspirational.
Read my other posts
