Writing Advice Update: Closing the Gap
by
by CAPSLOCK
Brent has just put together a new update for his Writing Advice column (a bit delayed due to copyedits for The Blinding Knife and a short vacation).
April’s update is all about the gap between what a writer wants to do and what she can do, and how to close that gap. Check it out HERE.
I would love to thank Brent for this short and to the point description of trying how to write. Also – the link is awesome ^^
I, myself was starting when I was in my teens, then I figured out that no, the saga I was writing was too big for me at that time – too long, too many details, too wide.
Now I started to write a novel (I’m not really the one for short stories) that doesn’t have that many characters. It’s going to have ONE sequel (with different characters – 50 years later), and each of the characters have their own background story, but they are all connected in their fight through the main story. They’re friends and enemies, but I have every one of the figured out. I know the actions, I have it written down. And I found that my English still needs a lot of work. I am writing and rewriting and rewriting and rereading (I found that it is not that dis-concentrating as I first thought – again, thanks to your writing advices, Brent). I am learning and I found that more I write, less mistakes I have to correct in the rewriting part. ^^
I would like to thank you for such wonderful advices. Plus, I want to say I can really connect with your words, as you seem to be sort of a dork I am as well (random popup thoughts about other work and such).
This was very enlightening, thank you! I have been certain something is wrong with me, or that some sort of Imp resided in my head eating all the words on their way from my brain to paper…
I think perhaps I’ll just try some more.
Hmm. Funny how CAPSLOCK referred to the writer as ‘she’ (are you perhaps an aspiring writer? or just a liberated woman?) and Brent did the same with the reader (modelling ‘her’ after his wife?).
Anyway, I came here to tell Brent that I just finished reading “The Way of Shadows” and I totally loved it! But you shouldn’t make the suspense so long, it kept me up late in the night and I was falling asleep at work the next day… But I learned my lesson and I’m not starting the next one until Friday afternoon.
As Japanese say, Ganbatte Darakna! I hope you’ll finish your novel!
It’s very important to know that you can be stuck in this desert for years. In the desert there are mirages in the form of friends who read your work and tell you you’re amazing, but then you show it to someone who knows what they’re talking about and they tear it apart and just about destroy you. Drink from the cactus with humility and push onward!
Another important thing is to not postpone your life in hopes that your writing career will start. I do not count on any kind of writing money being there when I need it. I work at my job like it’s the only money I’ll get and approach the keyboard kowtowing. This isn’t me honing my artistic talent so as to enlighten the dazed masses. While my heart beats, this is me trying to shed a bit of the hope in my soul to the people here on the planet with me, and if the language and structure sucks the communication will break down and no one will get it. So let’s keep working.