On Writing

Writing takes courage.  It is not merely having the ability to craft words into sentences, and sentences into phrases.  The thought has to be there.  And the thought should flow in an organized manner.

When I started writing, I was in that state where I just let my fingers type on the keyboard.  Whenever I finish a short story, I would read them over and over and admire how the plot unraveled.  I became lost in my writing that I forgot to be objective about what I had written.  So I began to follow what authors usually say, which is, read a lot.  When not writing, read a book, a magazine, anything that could open the senses to different writing styles.  Writing does not have to be reinventing the wheel.  Learning comes from reading the masters' works.  So I grabbed a book and without actually realizing it, I had fallen into the habit of comparing how I would write a certain sentence given a specific scene, and how the author actually wrote the scene.

Writng takes conscious effort in skimming the lines, grazing the words, and identifying what works and what does not.

As a tip to new writers like me, the essentials, and I say this with affirmation to the literature I have read from the past, ones that could help grow the writing skill are below:

1.  Read daily.  A novel doesn't have to be read in one sitting, but a chapter or two in a day could increase vocabulary and style without your knowing it.

2.  Be your own critic.  Stop patronizing your work.  If someone says it sucks, stop defending your work.  Open your ears and listen to what the critic has to say.  If someone says your manuscript is good, it probably is.  Or, it still probably sucks.  But don't despair, just be open-minded because this state will allow you to traverse to that next level, from a beginner to a not-so-beginner.

3.  Imagine.  Don't be limited to what you see and hear everyday.  Go beyond the norm.  If it's a love story you're writing, add in a new twist.  For example, if your storyline runs like "A boy meets the girl of his dreams.  he courts her and wins her over.  but her parents don't approve of him, so he takes her away, marries her, and after a while, they go back to the in-laws.  They are accepted and blessed after they presented their kids, twins with blushing apple-cheeks."  Insert a twist.  Now, the question is, what could be the twist?  In a world where love abounds, what could drive their story differently?  It is hard to say, but whatever it is, inject that something.  Drive the readers crazy.  If the readers like your twist, they will remember you for the brilliant idea.  Otherwise, they will remember how it sucked.  And yet, the important thing is, they will still remember the story.

4.  Good title, good names.  A good title is important although I have to say that it is very subjective.  Hence, how can one define if it's a good title or not?  Similarly, names should be memorable enough.  If it's a romance novel you're writing, stick with common decent names.  Don't give names that are hard to pronounce.  Leave them to the fantasy novels.

5.  Write.  The beginning of writing is when you actually start to write.  It does not culminate in the dream to write.  The dream is a factor, mind you, but still only an ideology to support the actual writing process.