On Writing: Part One

Halfway through January I began "The Art of War for Writers: fiction writing strategies, tactics, and exercises" by James Scott Bell and it has been a fantastic read thus far (I'm about half way through it). I have had a passion for writing since high school and that was more than 20 years ago; however, I have had such a hard time getting myself to read books on writing to better my craft. I decided to change that this year and I'm so glad I did.

Because I have marked up this book so much (with sticky notes), I know this will take several sessions to work through as I want to also reflect and see how I can apply these techniques to my own life and writing. Let us begin.

"Anything that helps me become a better writer, I want to find." (Bell, 2)

That was the entire premise of purchasing this book. If you're into writing at all or studying the craft, you also know that there's also a ton of unhelpful crap out there on writing too. I've found that finding the right resources to be most difficult. I don't want to waste my time or money on garbage. That being said, maybe I need to sift through the trash to find the gems. The question is, how bad do I want to be a better writer? If I'm not learning and improving, then I'm failing. As long as I keep growing, that is a win.

"If you can take just one aspect of your writing to that storied 'next level,' it will be quite evident to an agent or editor." (Bell, 4)
I used to be an avid computer gamer and the concept of leveling up is wildly familiar to me. If I can take something that is normally mundane and turn it into a game, I am all in for it. I love creating mini challenges and rewards. I can totally picture myself taking a scene that is good and figuring out how to elevate it. I specifically love making things more emotionally charged. On numerous occasions I will make myself cry as I'm writing something devastating allowing my own words to affect me as if I were the character directly. That is just one way I could elevate it. I am looking forward to exploring the different options in the very near future.

"Simply put, you must be devoted to quantity." (Bell, 5)

This has been my biggest hindrance. When I get focused on an idea, I get single-minded about it and stop thinking about generating other story ideas. This is something that I want to change this month. Sure, I don't want to write more than one novel at a time, but I also need to be recording my ideas as they come up instead of pushing them away because I am already focused on something. It doesn't take long to write an idea down. I could have a spiral notebook or even just a word document on my laptop. It's a simple fix that I think could have long term sustaining rewards.

"Publishers are not interested in publishing a novel. They want to publish novelists, writers who can build readerships and make money for the company over the long term." (Bell, 10)

These two statements were a game change for me (see, there I go again with gaming references). This also ties in about being devoted to quantity (quality will continue to improve with time and more practice and exceptional editors and guidance from Beta readers and your team). Your value is not just a single book to the publisher but the potential of not just what is, but what is to come. I want to be the novelist, not just the stand alone novel. I admit that I don't know enough about the publishing industry; however, I know people in it, I know how to google, and I know how to ask questions and research.

All of the above is just a tiny portion that I gleaned from the first chapter of this book. I love going back over this because not only is it allowing me to dig deeper into what I've read, but it keeps it fresh in my mind. Some say we can only thing about one thing at a time. Well, it's a good thing my focus is on my writing. I have so much hope for the future, and I will fight for it every single second of the journey.