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The best way to learn to write is to practice every day. For more of my writing go to Asperia
On Passion, Talent and Control
Considering the cliché “to bridle ones passions,” I may not be the first to make this analogy, but
I see passion as a filly, young, wild, and headstrong. It is Passion that writes my first draft and then pushes me on despite
rejection and disappointment.
Talent is an old warhorse slow, methodical, and knowledgeable. It is Talent that does the rewrites the morning
after Passion has created havoc and strewn empty thoughts across my page. Talent bears the load, learning and growing with
each mistake. He gathers the disorganized opinions, fleshes them out, and gives them direction and character.
Control is the harness that connects Passion and Talent. Bound by control they pull together as a team. As Talent
labors over grammar rules, guidelines, and just the right word, Passion enters. When Talent would quit, she spurs him on.
She softens a thought here, and heightens her rage there. Confined by control’s straps, Passion brings emotion, excitement,
and zing to Talent’s masterpiece.
~Ceil De Young
The Reading Habit
“I’m not a
reader. I don’t have books,” I heard the lady in line ahead of me say.
No books?
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine not being a reader. Mentally I removed
the two tall; overstuffed bookshelves from my living room; and the three boxes of books crushing my clothes in the closet.
“Out with the stack of books on my bedside table, the overflowing basket of periodicals by the front
door and the bag of library books on the floor,” I mumbled.
Then I shouted. “Get
rid of my manuscripts, the phone book and the computer,” With a wave of my hand, I imagined them gone in a puff of smoke.
In my mind, I saw my tiny apartment uncluttered with reading material. I felt faint.
“May I help you? Uhh, are you all
right? ” A voice asked.
I opened my eyes. People were
staring at me. My hands trembled. My eyes twitched. Cold sweat ran down my back. “Books!
Gotta, read.” My words were slurred.
As I staggered away, I heard a whisper, “She must be on drugs.”
Ceil De Young
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Talk from Oct 18th Chapter Meeting
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing According
to Ceil
If you wanted to become a beekeeper
you would start by learning everything you could about bees and keeping them. You would probably get some books
on beekeeping from the Agriculture Extension Office or look in the library. If you noticed a class on the subject at your
local community college or on the inter-net you would sign up for it. Talking to other people who are experts in keeping
bees would also be an excellent source of knowledge. You might even join a Beekeepers Club
At some point you would invest in some
bees and bee equipment. After that you would begin to practice what you had learned. From time to time you would find yourself
reading more about bees and talking to the experts. In fact, you would never stop studying, talking to experts and practicing.
Writing is no different.
Study
- Classes, you probably had some before you left high school but there are classes of many descriptions available for
writers.
- Workshops
- Critique groups
- Read, read, read. This is probably the most important way to learn. Is
this book in your genre? Was it published recently? As you read notice what the writer did (or didn’t do) to capture
your attention and hold it. How long is the book in pages or words? Is what you’re writing too short, too long?
Equipment
Ideas: Where do you find ideas?
1.Your life experiences
2. Other people’s experiencesTV,
newspaper articles, things you hear (be careful not to make it too similar, but a phrase, a word, or incident may trigger
a story that goes an entirely different way.
3. Random words from a list somone else wrote,
words picked out of conversation, or words that start with a letter chosen at random.
- Desire: There is no substitute for the desire to write.
- Time: This the most important investment you will make if you are serious about writing. Schedule a time
to write and stick to it. Set goals of the number of words or pages you will write each day.
Practice
Writing makes perfect. I have heard several published writers
state that as they look back at the first book they wrote, it was not as well written as it should have been. What you want
to do is try to publish your second book or your third. It will be better than the first then you can go back and rewrite
that first book. That does not mean you won’t send out the first book (you might get lucky) but get start on your next
book right away. Practice includes a continuing of all the activities listed under study and equipment.
Keep writing and never, ever give up.
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