The Insecure Writer's Support Group is hosted by Alex J Cavanaugh and you can find the sign up list HERE. His co-hosts for January are Tyrean Martison and Jamie Gibbs (click on their names to get to their blogs).
So. It's a new year and we are all starting with high hopes and refreshed ideas. Right? Well, for some that may be true, but for others, they might be struggling with old passions that weren't realized in the past year. Know what I'm talking about? If you do, then I have a short story for you.
There once was a girl named Fanny, who started writing much too many stories all at once. They all seemed like good ideas, but she could never get past the first hurdle. Where could she make them go? Finally, she took all the stories and put them together into one big jumble and sent them off to the publisher. The publisher sent it back with more than just a form letter. He wrote her a note that went something like this:
Dear Fanny:
These characters are all interesting, but don't make any sense together. Divide them up and find their own stories.
Fanny was distraught. She couldn't think of what to do, so she took the main character from her story and began to write, again. This time, when she got to the inevitable first hurdle, she didn't stop and start a new character, but forced herself to write on. The story wasn't fantastic, but it was finished. So, she began again with the next character and wrote an entire story. This one was even better.
She began to see that with experience, her stories improved and would someday be ready to send back to the publisher. All she needed to do was keep writing! So she did. And someday, she'll have an exciting novel to share with the reading community.
Whatever you do... don't stop writing. The miles of experience you get will hone the axe and sharpen the blade. Happy New Year!
That's right, and all that experience adds up!
ReplyDeleteAlex: Amen! We all need experience.
DeleteHappy New Year to you, Karen!
ReplyDeleteRettakat: Thank you and Happy New Year to you!
DeleteHi, Karen. Great post. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteSusanne: Thanks! I hope the new year brings great things for you.
DeleteGreat post. Such simple advice, but probably the most important. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHeather: How very true. We are only as strong as our experience makes us.
DeleteI'm writing historical fiction right now and made fictitious family trees - mostly so I could keep everything straight. When I added birth and death dates for people that were side characters or who may not even end up in the novels I have planned, I had so much fun thinking about the circumstances of their births and deaths and marriages. I plan to write five novels from this family tree, but hopefully dozens of short stories. :)
ReplyDeleteTonja: It sounds like you really had fun doing that. Good luck with your novels. It sounds very interesting.
DeleteGreat advice for the next year. I have some characters needing their own story.
ReplyDeleteSusan: Some characters need their own story, but some are supporting characters. It's easy to develop new stories from old ones with those supporting characters.
DeleteExcellent advice! ^^ As they say, Practice makes perfect. :) Happy New Year’s Karen!!! ^^ :D
ReplyDeleteWell said. It is so important to keep writing.
ReplyDeleteSuch an encouraging post!
ReplyDeleteYes, every book we write, even if we don't try to get it published, has value. We learn so much simply by writing.
:-)