Posted by Laura Louise
on 7/3/2008, 11:38 am, in reply to "Oooo - it's Monday..."
71.111.179.27
Okay, Kate. Because this is a semi-private board (not much traffic! I know; I see the counter!), I'll tell you the secret to getting started as a writer.
Read poorly-written fiction.
Seriously. Just do it.
Fan fiction is particularly motivating because you already know and love Jane's characters. And when a fanfic writer portrays them poorly (with little depth and no understanding of Jane Austen's world view), it gets under your skin. You mutter, "Um, I don't think so."
And then you say this, softly at first and then out loud: "Crud, I could do better than this!"
Sometime later, in fear and trembling, you step out and try. You push the "post" button (with baited breath and a hammering heart), and die several times over as you wait for responses. And then, wonder of wonders, you discover that your story is entertaining! People actually like what you've created! They ask for more! This is tremendously motivating and will spur you on.
Having Susan Kaye as a friend was instrumental for me. And all of Jane's "white spaces" in Persuasion gave us plenty of material for Love Suffers Long. What fun we had talking out the plotting possibilities! Do you have a friend who will chat with you about story ideas?
Then there's the time element. When I first began writing, I had a part time job. Transitioning to full-time teaching was the death-knell to weekly posts of Mercy's Embrace during the school year. And if I didn't have the summer breaks, I probably wouldn't write at all.
The thing is, would you like to write? I mean, deep down, in your wildest dreams kind of thing? Big clue: Do you have stories running through your head? Can you recognize good writing? (In other words, do you have a bit of a superiority complex?) And, most importantly, is writing hard for you to do? (Are you a perfectionist?)
All of these are the signs of a writer, Kate. Do any of these resonate with you?
Thing is, I don't always "feel like" producing an installment. There are plenty of Mondays when I sit down at the computer and think, "Oh no! I have nothing to give my readers!" But because of the deadline, and because I know I'll come up with something as I write, I begin typing words.
Remember this, too: Good writing is rewriting. Your first draft will look like something a third grader produced. You will writhe as you read what you've written. (I hate my first drafts! Loathe them!) But then, you go back and smooth it out. New ideas come. Clever bits of dialog pop into your mind. Bit by bit, it gets better. And then you sit back and say, "Hey, not bad!"
Why not give writing a shot, Kate? What have you got to lose? Look at it this way: Writing is cheap therapy!
And know this: If I didn't write, I'd have to, like, clean my kitchen! I spent all of yesterday editing. And my house looks like it!
Laura
Message Thread:
« Back to thread