Start Writing
45Start Writing
I read a piece of research somewhere that said a high percentage of New Year's resolutions were never fulfilled. So, I decided t begin before the New Year to improve our chances of succeeding in this experiment. And this is it.
So many writers out there don 't know where to begin. They have an exciting idea - but what next? Some of them are busy housewives, men and women in full-time work, with children and responsibilities - and oh-so-many gremlins telling them they it just can't be done.
Well I'm here to tell you it can. If you want to write and have an idea, the skills can be acquired. All you need is a VERY LARGE DOSE of determination.
I've named my hub Come Write With Me. And I mean it. Let me take your hand and guide you through your writing process. You won't always want to follow my advice but try to stick to it some of the time - try it out, see if it works for you. It's free. So here goes.
First of all, let's deal with the gremlin of time. How many times have you told yourself you just don't have the time to write a whole book? Well, let me tell you, everyone has time. A book, a story, a poem is not written in one day. It all begins with a single word. The famous writer Grahame Greene aimed to write 250 words a day. So let that particular fear go. This is how.
1. Keep a pen and paper with you at all times.
2. Every time you find a couple of idle moments - a bus ride, waiting for your kids to come out of school, on a platform - Start Writing.
3. Start by writing anything. You can describe your breakfast, retell a fairytale, jot down what you see around you.
4. Do this every time you find a spare moment.
5. At the end of the day, count up your words.
Happy writing - and make sure you let me know how it goes and how many words you manage.
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Comments
Thanks for the welcome, Isabella. A comment from a fellow writer is always pleasant. I'm setting up a new website for writers - maybe I can persuade you to contribute something to the 'erotic writing' edition in due course?
I think one of the great things about places like hubpages is that you can actually get paid for your writing - its probably not such a big deal for a published author but for us amateurs who have only ever written for academia or business reports is fantastic!
You know, Lissie, it's always nice to get paid for your efforts - doesn't matter how established we are, it's only the appreciation of others that keeps us there. Besides, I firmly believe, a writer is a writer, whether they're published, self-published or unpublished. Thanks very much for the comment.
My greatest dream was to be a published one, and that happened only this year! When we are paid for our efforts, that can keep us writing and if the compensation is adequate, we need not do anything else!
You're right, Kenny - but there was a surge which kept propelling you towards the dream. So glad you're published now. Congratulations. what's the title of your book and wheer can we get it.
For me 2008 is going to be a poetry year where I really focus on getting some of the work out of the warehouse and into print. I am very interested in print on demand and would welcome your views on retaining control of the entire process oneself.
Hi Drax - thanks for dropping by. Self-publishing has become very respectable lately. Specially since the cat's out of the bag about how poorly poets and most writers are paid. The important points to remember are these.
Get a professional editor to make sure your text is perfect. Lulu.com provide a template so your npage design shouldn't be a problem.
Also, unless you have the know-how yourself, appoint a designer to sort out your cover. Do some reserach on which poetry volumes have done well recently and study the way they look.
Have a marketing plan. Lulu.com will do some promotion but try to do some of your own, in addition.
There's a lot to be said for retaining control.
I'm currently editing an interview with Lea Woodward, who wrote and published her own book. will let you know when it's up on my blog. Maybe, my technophobia permitting, I'll be able to get it up here as well.
Happy writing.
Definatey great advice! I try to keep small notebooks and pens in my purse in case something pops up in my head.
I've been working off and on on the same story; at times I've about given up and others I can't stop writting on it. I just hope to pick it up again sometime soon. I find it useless to force myself to write.
I hope to write more this year. I'm starting a new creative writting thing. Where I pick, at random, a word and write one page on the word. The next day I can either choose a new word or continue the previous one. At the end of the week, randomly choose one of the words from the week and write a page (back and front), and at the end of the month pick one of the weekly words, and write 2 pages (back and front). My personal goal is to keep the characters the same throughout each topic.
I think it's going to be a great idea growing technique.
Sounds very interesting, Whitney - I look forward to hearing how it works out and if it develops into a longer piece on the same theme/story.
Isabella Snow says:
2 years ago
This is very good advice, great hub!