The reason I gave up on writing

Since I was a teenager, I wanted to tell fictional stories. I can’t help it, in my mind there is always a conversation between two imaginary characters. Other times I imagine myself  (or a character)  discovering new places or trying to escape form a dangerous (or weird) situations.

All I’m saying is that I like to write. So, when I turned 18 I decided to become a writer. It was very exciting. To be more specific, I was excited at the idea of being a writer. To create something unique. A character, a whole imaginary world for my character to live in.
Well, this excitement stopped the first time I stared on a blank Word screen. So white, so … empty. “Now, all I have to do is start writing, right?” I thought. And for the next 10 minutes I was staring the blank screen. And I stared, and I stared. “I’m missing something here. It can’t be that difficult. I mean, in my mind I have a whole book written. All I have to do Is to write it. Man I need coffee”.

Long story short I couldn’t write a single word. So, I decided to learn how to write a story the proper way. The art of storytelling. And I did, in my opinion I became really good at it. With my confidence restored I decided to finish a book. A WHOLE BOOK. Man it was difficult. I really admire those who can commit to this task. It doesn’t matter if it is a good book or a bad one. Or the next generation defining masterpiece the whole world waited for so long. It’s is your book. And that’s great. That’s the purpose of a writer.

Then reality hit me hard with a bat. Really really hard. I’m talking about brute force here. Apparently it doesn’t matter how well you write. Or if you are a good storyteller. No sir! If you want to be a writer you need to sell. You need a dedicated audience to support your effort. “Don’t worry, start a blog”.  They said. “It will be easy” they said. So, I started a blog. I’m from Greece and my English are a bit … how to put it correctly. Not good. If to write in your native language is difficult, then  in a different language is rather a tedious task. Especially if you want to express yourself in that way.

I started a blog. The Writers Bog (see what I did there?). My goal was to help other writers to learn about storytelling. Am not a master but I want to help, because I know how frustrating is to construct a story if you don’t have the knowledge and the right materials.  Free knowledge is a good thing, right? I did my best, and I loved it. I worked hard to make interesting posts because , in my opinion, if you want someone to his spend time reading your text,  then do your best.

Then reality returned with her favorite bat. “No no no If you want an agent to pay attention to your work then you need an audience you idiot. You. Need. To. Sell.” Find out what people like to read and write about it. I mean hot topics, the right keywords. You need to show a possible target group to an agent. I don’t blame them, it’s business. I wanted to make a living from writing. Not right away, but sometime.
The moment I started to care more about my ratings, or audience engagement than real connection, I stopped writing completely. I lost my purpose. The writer’s blog became o blog without a writer, because I wasn’t a writer anymore. I didn’t want to write, I gave up. My name is Thanos by the way. After 637 words in this text it was time to introduce myself properly.  Yeah I know, weird name. So weird that marvel named their main villain in their marvel cinematic universe Thanos.

Anyway, recently I realized this : I just want to write. I don’t want to impress, or become the next J. K. Rowling.  I love writing and, well, I just want to write. Is that simple. I really don’t know why I hadn’t realized this 2 years ago.
So … that was the reason I gave up on writing. I want to share my thoughts and my stories. All I’m asking is to help me become a better writer.

Show, Don’t tell.

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

― Anton Chekhov

Don’t tell, show. In my opinion this is the most vital and difficult technique for a writer to master.

First, let’s see the difference between telling and showing. We have this sentence: John is a good father. “Telling” just relies on information: John is a good father. “Showing” in the other hand, relies on mental images : John put the story book in the drawer.  He kissed his son goodnight and closed the light. See the difference?

Now, let’s examine  why “showing” is, usualy, better.

1. It creates mental pictures for the reader. It is a more “vivid,” or “cinematic”  way to describe a piece of prose.

2. It forces the reader to become involved in the story and bond with the characters. Although when writing we are using just words, there are five other senses that are involved. As a reader, I prefer not to just read information in a passive way but to see and feel what the character sees and interacts with.

At university, my teacher said to us: “do not throw information at the reader/viewer (for screenwriters), but show it to them. That is the key difference between a good book/movie and a bad one”. I can confirm that this is true.

I have an example from a fantasy book I ‘ve read recently. (I won’t tell the name of the book).

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What if?

Life is full of “what ifs”. Choices that define who we are. I believe that in every difficult situation, I always make the wrong choice. It’s like the right one is hidden in a corner and laughing at me. The most common mistake that I‘ve made was that, when I was at a crossroads, I didn’t make any choices. I was a mere viewer of the events that I should participate in. I have chickened out more times than I can remember. One day I decided to man up, make my own decisions and face the consequences. Yesterday, while I was making my coffee, I considered the choices that I’ve made. A big WHAT IF took form in my mind and it is still there.

What if I had been braver and talked to that girl?

What If I had made that trip I always wanted to make?

What if I had learned how to play the guitar or another instrument?

What if I were closer to my parents?

What if I hadn’t given up on writing three years ago?

What if I had more friends?

What if I had asked her all the questions I wanted to ask before we broke up?

What if I had made the right decision then?

What if I had known how to make a right decision?

With my characters, I make the choices that I wanted to have made and I create different versions of those situations I‘ve been in.  After some thought, it seems that there is no right or wrong decision. I’m not complaining, I have learned valuable lessons that shaped my personality. My characters haven’t learned anything yet and this is the reason I am so mean to them. They have to learn the hard way, just as I did. What do you believe? Is life a big WHAT IF?

The reason I prefer unedited, sloppy even, first drafts.

“Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist. It’s perfect in its existence. The only way it could be imperfect would be to NOT exist.”
― Jane Smiley

I admit it, I love my first drafts. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that editing is crucial for a book’s success. As a reader I want to read an edited and proofread book, not a sloppy draft. In other words, I want to read a complete book. As a writer, though, I prefer drafts. The draft is the purest form of the story. You can see where the writer struggled the most, where he was overwhelmed by his thoughts and his feelings were unfiltered from grammar rules, the plot or his editor. First drafts are like a rough diamond. Ugly but also pure. In the editing you change pretty much the whole book. Although I believe that an edited book is better than the draft and more shiny, some of its magic is lost. When you write a draft you get your hands dirty in order to put your thoughts down on paper.

As Jennifer Egan said: The bottom line is that I like my first drafts to be blind, unconscious, messy efforts; that’s what gets me the best material.

It’s a messy but also  fun process. The writer is eager to move his story forwards and I want to read and feel his impatience.  If I could describe the process of writing and editing a book, it would be like that: a writer writes a book with his heart and edits it with his mind. What do you believe?

10 inspirational writing tips from famous writers.

Personally, I believe that the most important trait of every good writer is hard work. Writing is like riding a bike. If you’re not pedaling, eventually you will fall. It’s like a marathon, you have to keep going until you reach your goal. You may never make it, but at least you will know that you tried. These are inspirational and motivating tips that keep me writing.

Here you can technical tips that can help you become a better writer.

1. “Don’t forget – no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories you have to tell.” -Charles de lint

This reminds me that I am unique. The only one who can tell the stories I to have to tell is me.

2.“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” – Jack London

3. “You write your first draft with your heart and you re-write with your head. The first key to writing is to write, not to think.”
-Sean Connery

4. “All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.”  – Albert Camus

This reminds me not to give up from the first effort nor to dismiss an idea that, at the beginning, sounds silly.

5.“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.”
-Anne Lamott

This means that it is perfectly normal to, well, suck at the beginning. It makes me feel good.

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How does a fictional character feel about writers?

This is an interview with a fictional character. It may be a satirical text but if you consider it, the heroes in our stories always have to handle very difficult situations that most us will never face in our everyday lives.  After all, characters have a will of their own.

As Stephen King said: “I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.”

If fictional characters were real this whould be the most realistic opinion about their writers. Or I will rephraze: if I was a character in a book, this would be my opinion about writers. With a small dose of humor of course…

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Host: “Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Today we have a special guest. He’s a character from a book that’s coming out these days. It’s a fascinating mystery called It’s raining bullets. Isn’t that so?” he asked the guest.

Guest: “Yes. It’s an amazing book. It’s… I can’t find the words to describe it.”

Host: “The name of this evening’s guest is -” The host leaned towards him and whispered:  “What’s your name?”

Guest: “I don’t have one.”

Host: “How should I call you?”

Guest: “Call me whatever you like.”

Host:  He squirmed in his seat. “His name’s Bob.”

Guest: “But I’m a woman .”

Host: “Really? You look like a man.”

Guest: “How flattering?”

Host: “Her name’s Lorie then. ” He cleared his throat. “Lorie, why are you dressed and wear your hair like a man?”

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The Art of Simple Writing.

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”

― Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

The purpose of every book is to be read. Yes, of every book. If you leave it on the shelf to collect dust, then it’s pretty much dead. A story is alive when there is someone to read it, so if we want to keep our book alive, we should keep the reader hooked to our story, thirsty to learn what happens next. There is a tendency for authors to use pompous expressions and ornate words to display their knowledge. This shows incompetence on the part of the author in being concise and expressing his thoughts in the best possible way.

Feelings usually do not require elaborate words and complex metaphors to be expressed. Love, sorrow, hatred, joy: with four words the writer can perfectly describe the emotional state of a character. It’s not the actual words that touch the reader’s heart, but rather the meaning of them. The right words are simple, they are those that sneak inside you and gradually unfold their meaning as you progress in the story. Do not fool yourself. It is much harder to get a complex meaning across with simple words and few paragraphs than to spread yourself thin in trying to write reams of pages of ornate, complicated language.

Hans Hofman said.  “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”

What would you prefer? To put your knowledge on display through complicated expressions and redundant details and force your reader to skip whole pages because they don’t understand what you’re writing, or to use simple words that together form a complex but understandable meaning? And the best part is that the readers will forge a bond with the character exactly because they can understand him. Simple is beautiful and, as a writer and reader, I try to keep it simple. The words, that is, not the meanings.

Do your characters have a will of their own?

Imagine the following situation. Today you have the day off and you have plans to go on a trip. It’s 2 o’ clock and any minute now your kid will come back from school. You have been packing, just the essentials, and then the phone rings. With a shirt draped over your shoulder, you pick up the phone. It’s your wife and she tells you that she wants a divorce. In the blink of an eye, your whole life changes. Your wife will leave you and you will see your kid only on weekends. What would you do?

For starters, let’s define free will as: the apparent human ability to make choices that are not externally determined[1].

I will give the character above a name and a personality. His name is Jim. He is easy-going, not very brave, he loves his wife and kid and he is shy. Pretty much your average Joe. Based on his personality, what would he have done in the situation above? My story needs a brave hero who will eventually win back his wife. Can I force him to do that? I don’t want another character, I love Jim just the way he is. Through the course of the story he will change –it’s inevitable– but he will still be the same person: Jim. What do I do if my story needs a brave man and not … you know, Jim?

This is a very common problem for a writer. Plot VS. Character. We will talk about this conflict in another post.

Let’s put Jim through a test. We are halfway in the book and a month after Jim’s divorce: He sits in a bar, a bit drunk. His feelings for his wife are still strong and he’s lost his kid too. A woman approaches. They talk and, eventually, she suggests going to her place.

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Is there a story inside you?

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

If you are a writer, consider this for a moment. Why am I a writer? What do I want to achieve? Fame? Money? Do I want to entertain people or to just earn enough money for the rent? All these reasons are acceptable but they are not the real ones .

I will speak only for myself. Simply put, it is the urge to tell a story. When a thousand thoughts consume me and I’m bursting at the seams with ideas, I sit in front of my computer and write. I want to express my thoughts, my feelings and my troubles through a story. I want to see through the eyes of another person, one who lives in another world, who does different things but, at the end of the day, we are still one and the same . We share the same emotions, the same troubles and we see the world from the same perspective. Eventually, I get attached to this character and my only reason to write is to tell his (or her)  story.

It doesn’t matter if you are a writer or a reader. The question is the same: why do you write or read a story? Maybe there is something untold deep inside you that you need to explore. Possibly, there is a story that needs to be told, by you or someone else.

10 simple but very effective steps to become a better writer (Part 1).

So, you want to be a better writer. My friend, you are in the right place. I will publish soon the second part of this guide but until then be patient and follow the next steps. Let’s get started.

1: Empower your imagination.

Imagination is the most valuable tool in your toolbox. Contrary to what people may say, you are not born with a certain capacity for imagination. It needs work to flourish. This was my teacher’s first and most valuable advice. If you want to be creative, you have to empower your imagination. There are many ways to do that.

Nothing is normal for a writer. You will write about different worlds, complex characters, unexpected situations etc. A door mustn’t be just a door for you. No one wants to read about a door. The things that are happening behind that door are important. If you open it, what would you see? Another world? An intruder? Something even more interesting? This is up to you. There are no limits to your imagination.

Think of a tree. Is it just a tree? Maybe it is a home, or a portal to a different dimension. Maybe this sounds silly to you, but when your character is in need of a solution, this method will be your savior. So, create many short stories based on that method. You will need those stories to pop up to your mind when you’re writing your book. This way, you can be original and keep your story interesting. Your goal for now must be to do this exercise for the next two weeks. Breathe life into the things around you, see the world through the eyes of your imagination. Oh, and you don’t need drugs to do that! Isn’t that cool?.

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2: Be patient, you are not ready yet. Keep writing your ideas.

Try to be patient. You have a lot to do before you start writing your book. I know, I know all you want to do is grab a piece of paper and go bananas. We will get there soon. But first you need a good story. Write down every idea that springs to mind. Don’t forget. Everything that goes through your mind is a possible candidate for your next story. Work, work, work.

Example: A man is bitten by a spider and gains superpowers. This is all you need to write Spiderman

 

Bonus tip: If you want to be good at writing you need motivation. Well, if you want to be good at anything you need motivation. You must exercise every day to harness your writing skills and that is not an easy thing to do. So I want to motivate you with the following image.

Do you feel motivated? It says motivation in big blue letters. Good, isn’t it? No? Maybe we need bigger letters.

What about now? BIIIG letters! And they’re blue. What do you think? It says motivation. No? Well, at least I tried. Oh, wait.  I know, I know. Wait a minute…. Where did I put it? Where did I-  Aha, found it!

What about now? Keep writing or you will be eaten by a bloodthirsty dinosaur. We’re talking true inspiration here. But let’s get back to business.

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