Let's Talk Writing

Chapter 1

To Write

The first thing that I want to clear up is that this book is not a self-help book. There are many books out there, about craft and success, that will give you what you are searching for. This book here, this is about all the things bugging me as an aspiring author and young writer.

Though later chapters do read self-helpy so help yourself. *face palm*

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So, what is writing?

According to the Merriam-Webster, writing is:

"the act or process of one who writes: such as

a: the act or art of forming visible letters or characters

specifically: {HANDWRITING}

b: the act or practice of literary or musical composition"

Now when I speak about writing I mean words on the page in the formation of a story. Whether its a novel, poetry, short story, etc.

Now, why do I write?

My passion for writing began in the fourth grade when my teacher made the class do the, "what did you do over the weekend" projects. Because I had never done anything I considered "appealing" to a classroom setting, I lied.

Thus my love for fiction writing was born. Essentially I write stories about people who don't exist doing things based on real life. Or what my little brain perceives as "real life." Make it as believable or unbelievable as I want and get "paid" for it.

Now, I have already mentioned I am an aspiring author so that "paid" part. That's iffy.

I have always dreamed of having a bookshelf full of books I wrote. That somewhere out in the world someone would also have a bookshelf that donned my work. It has always been a dream of mine. I have no intention of giving up on.

I have no back-up plan. Writing isn't only just a passion anymore, it's a lifestyle. To put that much pressure on something I won't know works. It is daunting.

But I digress.

Craft

Writing is an art. That much I know, but what is writing. How do you do it?

Well, let's talk about the basics. From what I know there are two types of writers, and then the rest of us.

Plotters and Pantser's

The Plotters do what their name suggests. They plot and outline their novel. It may not be the whole thing, or it may be every word that will hit the page. But they know something about something, before they begin.

Then there are the Pantsers. They essentially "fly by the seat of their pants" as it has been described to me.

I think of pantsing as "You know how to put on pants and you can do it half asleep, but you run the risk of putting it on inside out."

Then there are the hybrids. Which I normally classify as a Pantser but I have recently been using different outlining methods to see if I care for them. So hybrid it is!

Spoiler: I don't!

As nice as, "Save the cat writes a novel" may be. I don't find outlining to be worth the melting of my brain cells. I only have but so many!

So, I do a balance of both. If I am going to be outlining, then I am writing a series. If I am pantsing than I am probably writing a stand-alone, or something short.

But there are many types of writers.

"Fast Drafters." "Slow drafters." "Underwriters." "Overwriters." So on and so forth.

To truly discover what you are, you would just have to write. Me? I am a writer. Because as most writers can, I can apply to all of these. It depends on the project, and the circumstances surrounding it.

More time on my hands? Faster Draft.

A single book about 30,000 words? Pants it. A trilogy? Plot like a madwoman, then stray from the plot like it doesn't exist.

What I am trying to say is, to write. You need the essentials.

Some kind of brain.

An idea.

And the will to drive everyone you know and love away for four fricken seconds of solitude!

Again, I digress.

Writing is supposed to be fun, if you're not enjoying it something is very wrong. You should write what you love, and what inspires you to continue writing. The stories you want to tell. What makes you want to say:

Who cares about the market?! Who needs sleep?! What deadline?! (Maybe not if you do traditional publishing but still.)

When you write, or even when you read, I wish you God's speed. See you in the next part.