Thinking about writing
Today I read a very helpful article about writing. It was in a newsletter that I receive by email. The author once met an unusual lady at a writers’ conference. This lady was planning to spend the next few years studying about how to be a writer and the techniques of writing. She had never written anything but planned to do so in two or three years. She said she was in the “thinking about writing stage”.
Candy Arrington, the writer relating this incident, was amazed. The best way to learn how to write is simply to start writing. Sure, study books on technique, attend conferences and workshops, attend writers’ seminars as they are all useful in the process of honing skills, especially workshops.
Candy then goes on to give five reasons why some writers wait – I’d call it procrastination.
Fear: Many would-be writers fear criticism, rejection and failure. (Note to self: guilty as charged!)
Perfectionism: Many writers edit and re-edit and polish their work endlessly and never get around to actually finishing anything. Sure, aim to submit writing that exudes excellence – perfection may take a little longer, like a lifetime – or even longer. (Note to self: dangerously close to committing this crime too!)
Much Ado: Candy goes on to say that some writers show a lot of busyness and activity without ever getting anywhere. They research endlessly or “spend a fortune acquiring, although not always reading, how-to books about writing. Others become professional writer conference junkies.” (Note to self: guilty of acquiring books about writing BUT in my defence – I have read most of them!)
Failure to envision the end result: Imagining the finished product and set a firm goal to accomplish that goal. (Note to self: Not Guilty – but can do better.)
Lack of discipline: There is no boss hovering over one motivating one to write so a lack of discipline can be a real trap (though being accountable to my long-suffering wife can be motivational in a way). Candy mentions that the internet can be a real threat to self-discipline and gives a good hint on overcoming this problem. (Note to self: Guilty as charged, though some improvement is evident in recent months.)
Overall – this is a short but useful article. Her final summary is very good advice:
In the final analysis, it is those who believe, risk, write, and submit who are published. So don’t wait. Just do it. Write.
Read the whole article “Why Wait? Just Write” by Candy Arrington here.
Read any Good Books Lately?
I am a great fan of author Ashleigh Brilliant – yes, that’s his real name. He has made a career out of writing and publishing one-liners, which he has called “Brilliant Thoughts” or “Pot-Shots.” He wrote the wonderful sentence: “Appreciate me now and avoid the rush.” This also the title of one of his books.
His books can be hard to get in Australia and I keep on checking in all the bookshops for his works. In desperation I even managed to buy two through bookshops selling on E-Bay. Dangerous place, E-Bay, if you’re a bookaholic. Or any kind of collecting maniac.
I’m Not Perfect
The one I am reading at present… actually, you don’t “read” Brilliant’s brilliant writing – you dip into it all over the place. Trying to read his works cover to cover misses the point. Dip into them, taste a page or two, read three or four pages then leave it. Come back to it often and it will catch you by surprise every time. He has a funny way of tapping into some human foible and seeing the funny side of life. Back to what I was saying, his book I am reading at present is called: “I May Not Be Perfect, but parts of Me are Excellent.”
Book Recommendation
All this has been a roundabout way of asking if you’ve read any good books lately. This question came from a quote from the above book.
“I’ll never see all the places, or read all the books, but fortunately, they’re not all recommended.”
One book I have read recently that was totally absorbing and brilliantly written, not to mention inspiring, was Lance Armstrong’s autobiography “It’s Not about the Bike.” This book documents the early part of his life, his struggles to become established in the cycling world and his devastation at discovering he had testicular cancer. He was so close to death and given no hope of recovery, let alone survival.
He graphically describes his fears, the pain, the struggles and the horrors of his treatment. That he lived to tell the tale is amazing. To then go on and win the Tour de France seven consecutive times shows the grit and determination of the man. From this book I learned a great deal about commitment, perseverance and the importance of having a never give up attitude.
My Own Journey of Discovery
Lance Armstrong’s life, as portrayed in this book, is a journey of discovery. He discovered deep within himself a fierce determination to survive against all odds. We all go through seasons of despair, illness, trials or horrible tragedies. I am coming out of a long period of depression and two factors have helped my recovery. Reading this book came immediately after I had successfully achieved a very demanding trek in the Himalayas just this last January. For me it was a great journey of discovery; I was able to physically and mentally push myself way, way beyond what I thought I was capable of achieving.
I encourage you to read of my adventures in my travel blog by going to Trevor’s Travels here.
And what about you? Have you read any good books lately? Share your thoughts with my readers by leaving a comment.
How to Write a Novel
- I have read quite a number of interesting books and magazine articles about writing. Some of them have dealt with writing for children, some have dealt with writing short stories and articles and others are about writing novels.
- There is a growing flood of articles on the Internet about how to write. I just did a quick Google search. I typed in “How to write a novel”. The result was staggering. Over 76 million references!There is no shortage of writers wanting to write about how to write. Or sell you software to do it. One even promised that it was “the ultimate bookwriting tool. Start writing your bestseller today.”
- The Truth about Publishing
- Many people want to write a novel or a book one day.
- Very few even start.
- Of those that start, very few ever finish.
- Of those that finish, very few actually send the manuscript to a publisher
- And of those that send their manuscript to a publisher, less than one percent ever get to see their work in print.
- Of those that do get their writing published only a handful ever become bestsellers.
- Many of these books and articles list methods or rules for successful writing. Follow these and you, too, will be successful, they claim. The authors of these how to books and articles ignore the three rules of Somerset Maugham:
- “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”
- Postscript:
- Yes – I’ve always wanted to write a book.
- Yes – I have finished twelve books.
- Yes – I have sent them to publishers.
- Yes – I have had six books published (plus many poems and stories)
- Yes – it is possible – but very hard work, lots of persistence and a never give up attitude.
Children’s Book Awards
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has recently announced the short list of books that are in the running for this year’s Book of the Year Awards. This list is eagerly awaited by authors, publishers, booksellers and librarians. Many schools and libraries puchase the books on the short list and promote them in the lead up to the announcement of the winners.
Book Week
The eventual winners are announced at the commencement of Children’s Book Week. This year Book Week is from 19th to 25th of August. Each year the CBCA chooses a different theme. This year the Children’s Book Week theme is Book Now!
My Dream
My dream for many years is to one day see one of my books listed on the shortlist – and later appear as the winner of the award! Dare I dream even bigger and want several of my books listed as winners?
For a compete list of books on the shortlist and more details of the CBCA, click here.
Hans Christian Andersen Award
Every two years the winners of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards are announced. These awards, one for an author and another for an illustrator, are given out by IBBY (International Board for Books for Young people). They are considered by some to be the children’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
2006 Winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award
This year’s recently announced winner is New Zealand writer Margaret Mahy. She is acknowledged worldwide as a significant writer of children’s books and poetry. Her many titles have become children’s favourites the world over. Margaret has written many award winning books over the last several decades. This award duly recognises her standing in the world of children’s literature.
To visit her web site click here.
To find out more information about her click here.
To find out about IBBY click here.
To see a list of previous winners click here.