Over the past few weeks I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that I really not very good at writing. I think I’m getting better at blogging, but for someone that aspires to be a writer, I’m not good at it. I’ve had to take a step back and evaluate what I’ve been doing wrong.
If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.
Stephen King, On Writing, p. 147
I’ve been reading a lot and I’ve been getting lots of great ideas on what I want to do with my writing, from style, plots, metaphors. But when I go to write a novel, I really do lack the skills to get very far. I’ve decided I have to change my approach. I have to learn the art of writing. I can’t give up; I still have a burning desire to write.
The only reason for being a professional writer is that you just can’t help it.
Leo Rosten
So I’ve reached a decision to give up trying to write a novel for now. I need to practise my craft, and build up to attempting to do something like a full novel. I read an interview with Carlos Ruiz Zafón (who wrote the brilliant book The Shadow in the Wind) that he always had this book sitting in the back of his mind but he needed to gain the skills to attempt writing it. So Carlos Ruiz Zafón began his career writing books for young adults. While I don’t think I have the skills to write a full length novel, I think the idea of starting small and building up is a smart move.
A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.
Thomas Mann
So I’ve decided to set myself a new writing goal; to focus not on completing a full length novel, but to focus on honing my craft. To do this, I’ve decided to focus on writing short stories (not limiting myself to a word count); I’m hoping this will help develop the skills to write more complete and interesting stories. Currently I’m aiming at a short story a quarter, but I will see how I go.
I applaud your attitude. Athletes, dancers etc. spend years and years training before they become professionals. And even then, they certainly never stop showing up for practice. But for some reason, so many people think that all they have to do to create a novel is pick up a pen.
A writer needs to write, write, write, write, the same way a ballerina needs to do endless exercises at the barre.
p.s. I loved, “Shadow in the Wind”.
I know I should write, write, write; but I kept getting stuck while trying to write a novel. I’m hoping that short stories will help me practise.
I really loved too “Shadow in the Wind” highly recommend it
I’ve found that short story writing is a great way to develop your writing “skills”. Also, I’ve found it allows me to exorcise a lot of ideas that may not necessarily make for good novels but perhaps can be made into very compelling short stories.
I’m hoping it helps me 🙂
All writers need to learn to write. Ernest Hemingway said, “It’s nobody’s business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”
Short stories can be good, it forces you focus to create a beginning, middle and end in very few words. With a novel you can ramble and range around a bit. With a ss you really have to get to the heart of it.
And like Gypsy said: write, write, write!