It's difficult to say which passion came first: the book or the film. As a young child, even before starting school I was already making regular trips to the library with my mom, checking out the maximum allowable materials. I also have amazingly distinct memories of the movie theater, the smells of the concession counter, the feel of the seats, the anticipation during the previews. So many landmark films seen at that theater: ET, Star Trek II, Return of the Jedi, Fantasia, Back To The Future, The Never Ending Story, Remo Williams : The Adventure Begins.
Okay, so maybe that last one wasn't quite as landmark as the others.
The point is that some of my earliest memories are entangled with my love for the narrative structure and the excitement of story telling. I still remember being in awe of the magic that I saw in the movie theater and I think to this day I still catch myself chasing that feeling. I still remember the simplicity of childhood, living inside as well as outside of books, measuring time by how long it would be before I could dive into the depths of my own sub-conscious and just swim.
I knew at a very young age that story telling was something that I wanted to do. I wanted to create that feeling in others that had fostered such a love in myself for the written word. If, through writing I can spark a fraction of the amount of time I spent living in my own imagination then I consider myself to have accomplished my goal. We live in a world so devoid of magic anymore with so many things explained, demystified and understood, it would be arrogant for me to claim to have the power to beat back that tidal wave of evolutionary transition.
But we can still dream, can't we?
Okay, so maybe that last one wasn't quite as landmark as the others.
The point is that some of my earliest memories are entangled with my love for the narrative structure and the excitement of story telling. I still remember being in awe of the magic that I saw in the movie theater and I think to this day I still catch myself chasing that feeling. I still remember the simplicity of childhood, living inside as well as outside of books, measuring time by how long it would be before I could dive into the depths of my own sub-conscious and just swim.
I knew at a very young age that story telling was something that I wanted to do. I wanted to create that feeling in others that had fostered such a love in myself for the written word. If, through writing I can spark a fraction of the amount of time I spent living in my own imagination then I consider myself to have accomplished my goal. We live in a world so devoid of magic anymore with so many things explained, demystified and understood, it would be arrogant for me to claim to have the power to beat back that tidal wave of evolutionary transition.
But we can still dream, can't we?
The following is an excerpt from a blog post I wrote about my writing process.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
That's a difficult question to answer, mostly because I think it depends a great deal on reader interpretation. I may think my writing is similar to one specific author and a reader might have a completely different opinion. I try to not think too much about what other writers in my genre are doing and I mostly try to write what feels natural and honest to me. If what I produce ends up being wildly original or muddled and derivative, at least I can genuinely say that they were my words and I gave it my all.
If I was forced to give a more substantive answer to the question, I guess this is what I would identify as being central to my "style" or writing. I try and put the voices of my characters at the forefront of the story. While many elements combine to form a big picture, I believe that the characters and their experiences and motivations are what drive the story and make it dramatic. I don't care how brilliant your prose is, you aren't going to get very far if the reader isn't relating to your characters so I always try and infuse the tone of the narrative with the voices of the characters. My sentences may be looser in their construction as a more strict editor would prefer but I feel like small touches like that are what puts that reader in that closer proximity to the characters that make reading so much fun.
Why do I write what I do?
I've always been partial to the belief that the writing chooses the writer as much as the other way around. While there are certain writers who are blessed with the ability to write pretty much whatever they want, I think that more often there are certain genres which we are "meant" to write. Just to name a few examples in my case, I'm not organized enough to ever be able to tackle the mystery genre. While I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, I can't manufacture the funny consistently enough to try and write comedy. I don't think I have the chops to make historical fiction feel authentic and real. As a writer you have a feel for what type of writing works for you and which ones you just need to stay away from.
Why do I lean towards science fiction and horror? Who's to say? It's possible, maybe even likely that I lean towards writing these genres because those are what I have read the most extensively throughout my life. I can't deny that my writing tends to be a little more bleak, a bit more dark than other writers and I don't really have a good answer for why this is, why my writing tends to be pulled in this direction. All I can say is that this is the writing that feels the most natural to me. I don't set out at the start to write something dark or horrific, it just seems to come out that way. In the end, I have to be honest with the words that my brain produces and not try and mold them into something that I think people might want to see. My love for the narrative structure in the abstract sometimes leads me in less comfortable directions but I think it is important to allow the words to lead the way.
How does your writing process work?
The most important point to my writing process is simple - WRITE EVERY DAY. If you have any expectation of making any kind of money as a writer, I think you need to be able to make it a regular part of your life. Like any other skill, the way you become good at it is by constantly working to refine your craft. And as you start to work into a regular routine, you will find that your brain gets faster at engaging whatever it is you are working on and you spend far less time fussing over your notebook wondering what to write. It is less romantic, but in a lot of ways, you have to approach writing on the same level as going to a job. When you wake up in the morning, you don't ask yourself whether or not you feel like going to work (at least I hope you don't). You go to work because it is a given. It's expected. Writing must be treated the same way. I know that we all like to get caught up in making sure we have just the right kind of notebook and the perfectly balenced pen in the favorite chair with that particular album playing while you write but calling yourself a writer means that you have the ability to write your way through a project, regardless of external influences. Being a writer means not just having the ability to create nice prose, but being able to do it consistently and on command.
It is also important to read every day. Read as much as possible and not just books in your genre. Seek out areas that are outside your comfort zone, try non-fiction, fiction, biographies, whatever you can get your hands on because the more writers you put into your head, the more conversant you will become in the different ways in which the language can be molded to deliver a message.
Now that I've said all of that, the good news is that you don't have to write or read a ton of material every day. For me, I hold myself to a minimum of 250 words to write every day. I usually write more, but 250 words is a good, low-stress number so if there is a lot going on I don't have to worry about finding time to write. 250 words is about a page, a few long paragraphs. And while this may seem like a small number, consider that even if you are writing as little as 250 words a day, after about eleven months you have yourself a full novel. In terms of reading, I generally try to read at least one chapter every day of whatever I happen to be reading.
The point of all this summed up into one pithy sentence is that if you aren't prepared to make writing and reading a part of your daily regimen, you will have a hard time being successful as a writer, in the same way that you can't expect to be a great chef if you aren't constantly cooking and eating great food yourself.
As to my specific process, it depends on what I'm writing. This blog which you are reading right now features weekly postings of original pieces of flash fiction. For these stories, I have a two week cycle for each story, starting with the rough draft, followed by a rewrite and finally polishing and posting. I allow two weeks so that my brain has time to shift to other things and is fresh when I come back to rewrite or edit.
As far as short stories and novels, I use outlines pretty extensively anymore. I used to be a discovery writer but I have found that the organization that an outline provides is a big help to getting me through the writing process faster. Usually, by the second draft I have gotten the story structurally to where I want it and at that point, I start polishing it and getting it out to beta readers for feedback.
Write, write, write and then write some more. The most important thing is to remember that there is always something out there for you to learn and there will always be someone you will need to teach it to you. In the meantime, respect your gift and give thanks every day you have the luxury to write and most importantly, when you do write, do so with humility, fear and gratitude.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
That's a difficult question to answer, mostly because I think it depends a great deal on reader interpretation. I may think my writing is similar to one specific author and a reader might have a completely different opinion. I try to not think too much about what other writers in my genre are doing and I mostly try to write what feels natural and honest to me. If what I produce ends up being wildly original or muddled and derivative, at least I can genuinely say that they were my words and I gave it my all.
If I was forced to give a more substantive answer to the question, I guess this is what I would identify as being central to my "style" or writing. I try and put the voices of my characters at the forefront of the story. While many elements combine to form a big picture, I believe that the characters and their experiences and motivations are what drive the story and make it dramatic. I don't care how brilliant your prose is, you aren't going to get very far if the reader isn't relating to your characters so I always try and infuse the tone of the narrative with the voices of the characters. My sentences may be looser in their construction as a more strict editor would prefer but I feel like small touches like that are what puts that reader in that closer proximity to the characters that make reading so much fun.
Why do I write what I do?
I've always been partial to the belief that the writing chooses the writer as much as the other way around. While there are certain writers who are blessed with the ability to write pretty much whatever they want, I think that more often there are certain genres which we are "meant" to write. Just to name a few examples in my case, I'm not organized enough to ever be able to tackle the mystery genre. While I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, I can't manufacture the funny consistently enough to try and write comedy. I don't think I have the chops to make historical fiction feel authentic and real. As a writer you have a feel for what type of writing works for you and which ones you just need to stay away from.
Why do I lean towards science fiction and horror? Who's to say? It's possible, maybe even likely that I lean towards writing these genres because those are what I have read the most extensively throughout my life. I can't deny that my writing tends to be a little more bleak, a bit more dark than other writers and I don't really have a good answer for why this is, why my writing tends to be pulled in this direction. All I can say is that this is the writing that feels the most natural to me. I don't set out at the start to write something dark or horrific, it just seems to come out that way. In the end, I have to be honest with the words that my brain produces and not try and mold them into something that I think people might want to see. My love for the narrative structure in the abstract sometimes leads me in less comfortable directions but I think it is important to allow the words to lead the way.
How does your writing process work?
The most important point to my writing process is simple - WRITE EVERY DAY. If you have any expectation of making any kind of money as a writer, I think you need to be able to make it a regular part of your life. Like any other skill, the way you become good at it is by constantly working to refine your craft. And as you start to work into a regular routine, you will find that your brain gets faster at engaging whatever it is you are working on and you spend far less time fussing over your notebook wondering what to write. It is less romantic, but in a lot of ways, you have to approach writing on the same level as going to a job. When you wake up in the morning, you don't ask yourself whether or not you feel like going to work (at least I hope you don't). You go to work because it is a given. It's expected. Writing must be treated the same way. I know that we all like to get caught up in making sure we have just the right kind of notebook and the perfectly balenced pen in the favorite chair with that particular album playing while you write but calling yourself a writer means that you have the ability to write your way through a project, regardless of external influences. Being a writer means not just having the ability to create nice prose, but being able to do it consistently and on command.
It is also important to read every day. Read as much as possible and not just books in your genre. Seek out areas that are outside your comfort zone, try non-fiction, fiction, biographies, whatever you can get your hands on because the more writers you put into your head, the more conversant you will become in the different ways in which the language can be molded to deliver a message.
Now that I've said all of that, the good news is that you don't have to write or read a ton of material every day. For me, I hold myself to a minimum of 250 words to write every day. I usually write more, but 250 words is a good, low-stress number so if there is a lot going on I don't have to worry about finding time to write. 250 words is about a page, a few long paragraphs. And while this may seem like a small number, consider that even if you are writing as little as 250 words a day, after about eleven months you have yourself a full novel. In terms of reading, I generally try to read at least one chapter every day of whatever I happen to be reading.
The point of all this summed up into one pithy sentence is that if you aren't prepared to make writing and reading a part of your daily regimen, you will have a hard time being successful as a writer, in the same way that you can't expect to be a great chef if you aren't constantly cooking and eating great food yourself.
As to my specific process, it depends on what I'm writing. This blog which you are reading right now features weekly postings of original pieces of flash fiction. For these stories, I have a two week cycle for each story, starting with the rough draft, followed by a rewrite and finally polishing and posting. I allow two weeks so that my brain has time to shift to other things and is fresh when I come back to rewrite or edit.
As far as short stories and novels, I use outlines pretty extensively anymore. I used to be a discovery writer but I have found that the organization that an outline provides is a big help to getting me through the writing process faster. Usually, by the second draft I have gotten the story structurally to where I want it and at that point, I start polishing it and getting it out to beta readers for feedback.
Write, write, write and then write some more. The most important thing is to remember that there is always something out there for you to learn and there will always be someone you will need to teach it to you. In the meantime, respect your gift and give thanks every day you have the luxury to write and most importantly, when you do write, do so with humility, fear and gratitude.
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