The Schwartz Story AudienceKeeping the audience in mind when writing general fiction. | [Original Page Build: 2024-08-28 09:13:14] [Content Updated: 2024-08-28 09:13:20] |
When talking about being a writer, people sometimes say they wish they could write a book, but have no idea where to start. Today's blog, I explore my early writing years and how I evolved into the writer I am today. Along the way, I will dip into some of the suggestions I have seen from other writers and add my two cents (bonus points for figuring out how much that is in today's economy).Going way back, I remember the days of sitting on my Granny's lap or lying in bed and listening to stories being read to me. Somewhere in storage, I have a recording of my sister reading to me from one of the early reader books we owned. That was all long before I had ever even considered becoming a writer. That exposure to stories planted a seed I had no idea what it would grow into.
Travel forward in time to my early school days. I was not a model student. I was a solid C student throughout my school years. I excelled in subjects I enjoyed and didn't care at all about those I had no interest in. I struggled with spelling. I struggled with reading. But, I loved math and science. Why did I struggle? Was dyslexia? ADHD? I don't know. I just didn't care, and I struggled through school because of that indifference.
One of my earlier assignments to write a short story, I struggled with that, too. I had a decent imagination as a kid, but I had no idea what to write about. So, I retold a story I had seen on TV. That's when I learned about plagarism. The story was not my own, but the teacher gave me a chance to rewrite it. So, I picked a different stroy from TV, but changed a few details to make it more of my own story.
Let's pause there for my first suggestion...
Tell a Story in Your Own Words
One suggestion is to write about what you know. Yes, I plagarised two stories, but the second one is different, because I "borrowed" one idea and changed it into something more me. Want to start writing stories? Start with something like that. It's not for a grade. It's not for sale. It's for you. See how well you can retell a story or situation in your own words. You don't have to use big, fancy words. Just tell it like you are describing it to someone else.
Feel guilty about writing fiction? I have met some who think fiction is too much like lying. Fine. Retell a moment in your life, but in your own words. Once you get down the basics, treat it like a witness in court. Start asking for more details, and really bring out the life in that moment. Talk about how people felt. Explore the senses of that moment. Fantastic! If you get this far, you have taken some big first steps to growing into a better writer. Now, let's get back to little Dougie, the school boy...
Somewhere along the way, my interests flipped. Math and science began getting more complex, and thus less interesting (to me). I started exploring books, not just ones assigned by my teachers, but ones I was more interested in. I discovered books that did interest me a great deal. I have never been a strong, quick reader. I enjoy reading at my own pace. I preferred to buy books I could take my time reading instead of being on a deadline from a library checkout.
I know we just returned to School Boy Dougie, but let's pause there...
To Be a Writer, Read...A Lot!
I have friends who consume books at a rapid pace. They read anything and everything. Some of them can recall details from what they have read years later. I am not like that. I read and reread the books I love to read. I love to find new authors who write books similar to the ones I enjoy.
Why read a lot of books? School already taught the parts of speech and forced us to read and dissect their assigned books. I found books I enjoy. Do I really need to read more than I want to?
For a long time, I stuck more with what I enjoy, and did not branch out. It was not until I became a stronger writer that I began to explore a wider variety of books to build up other story elements. Why? Think of it like cloud watching. First, clouds may just look like white blobs. As you explore the world around you and discover all sorts of things and shapes of things, you can imagine better shapes in the clouds. Reading a lot, and more importantly, reading a variety, whether you realize it or not, your mind begins to pick up on patterns of sentence structures.
Reading a variety of genres and authors, you learn that different authors have different story focuses. Some are better with descriptions. Others better with characters. Some ramble. Others keep the action flowing so rapidly, you may need to take a breather.
As you read a lot, remember to have a balanced mindset. Yes, you can learn a lot from how different stories are constructed. It is also important to just read for fun and realize what it is you enjoy about reading certain books.
Going back to why it is important to read a lot, imagine wanting to write stories after only being exposed to earlier readers. Your story might look something like this...
There was a bear. The bear was brown. The bear said, "Grr."
See? The structure is very plain and the story is not as interesting. After being exposed to more elaborate styles of writing, your story might grow into something like this...
In the early spring, when the trees have begun to bud, a furry brown bear stood on all fours by the stream, hoping to catch a salmon. Sensing my approach, the bear growled deep and low, as if to issue a warning to come no further.
Both stories have similar elements, but the second one paints a richer picture.
Back to Dougie in his later school years...
In my senior year in high school, I had an English teacher (in today's terms, "Language Arts" teacher), who planted other seeds. Decades later, I still recall two important lessons from this teacher. One, he taught us the structure of a good essay, in which you set up what the essay will be about, provide the supporting details, and summarize at the end. Over time, I realized that is essentially the three stages of storytelling: present the conflict, learn about the conflict and how to overcome it, and detail the conclusion. Yes, there is a lot more to storytelling than that, but it is a simple framework for telling a simple story.
The other thing I remember him teaching us is the word "specificity". This is a word I sometimes forget, but should employ more when telling stories. Don't just tell the reader about a "sandwich". Be more specific! Go into greater detail about the ingredients of that sandwich and why that sandwich is important.
These two lessons touch on my next suggestion...
Learn to Talk About Writing with Other People
If you want to write for yourself, and choose not to share it with the world, that's perfectly fine. But! If you want to share your book with the world, you need to be more open with other people about writing. That means many things...
For one, the toughest thing a writer can do is share their work with others and build up their skills from feedback (as long as it is constructive). When you are open to feedback, you learn more about your writing strengths and weaknesses. As you learn where you might be weaker, you can learn more on how to improve these areas.
For another, since reading plays a role in writing, listen to other people talk about other people's stories. What did they like? What didn't they like? What changes would they suggest? Then, explore how you feel about these other opinions. Do they make sense? Where do your opinions differ and how would you do things differently? These kinds of conversations are similar to building up that variety of story elements, exposing yourself to how others perceive stories (not just your own).
Like the suggestions above, I have learned an enormous amount being part of different writing and reading groups. I have learned from beta readers, editors, reviewers. To become a better writer, I strive to be a better listener to absorb improvement suggestions from all sorts of sources.
Meanwhile...Back to Dougie's writing journey...It was around that time in late high school and into my early college years, I knew I wanted to write a book and had a vague idea for Checkered Scissors. I went through many, many rewrites and edits to find a better way to tell that story.
This touches on what will be the last suggestion...
To Be a Writer, Write...A Lot!
That is another suggestion often thrown around. It's true for anything. If you want to
do something better, then practice—a lot!
Not only did I write and rewrite many earlier versions of Checkered Scissors, I wrote a ton of other stuff. I journaled (still do), which helps me work through my feelings and struggles (which can help with better character development). I wrote short stories, which help me capture smaller segments of longer stories. I wrote poetry, which helps me explore word choice and descriptions. I have written standalone scenes, which help me work out actions sequences and descriptions. I have written scripts for plays and short videos, which helps me with writing character dialog. Writing, no matter what, can help with future writing projects. It may not all be good writing, but writing anything is always good practice.
Want to write a book? Start writing. Write anything. Eventually, you'll get there. Especially if you stick with it. If you find yourself struggling, know that it is okay to take a break and put it down. Maybe you start writing something else. Maybe you go back to it after a break. The most important thing about writing is to write.
Related Content:
Dougie's Writing Journey (blog)
Seeing the World, Eating Cookies (blog)
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