I don’t like wondering on facebook a lot, but I follow a few pages that sometimes give links to nice articles. To be honest what I usually do is look at the pictures because I don’t bother to read them all!
Now I have a couple of articles I found that attracted my attention.
According to this article every writer has his or her element. I don’t usually read this kind of tests, at least regarding my writing, but, as I use elements as one of the main point of my fantasy world, I was attracted.
So quoting the article my way of writing can be summarised in this way: I’m fire!
“Fire acts
If you plot a story around ‘something’ that happens that makes the world a dangerous place, this is your element. Your book begins when a threat is perceived; it moves into a journey and builds up to a battle. The story ends when a new order takes over, an old order is restored or when anarchy descends. The plot here is the quest. All fantasy and science fiction uses this ‘happening’ for a story premise. The hero here has to find something or someone who can save the world. Sometimes, the hero is the saviour.
Examples: The Hunger Games, Star Wars, Dune, Macbeth, Lord of the Rings, Mad Max, Harry Potter, Twilight, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, The Count of Monte Christo, The Stand, Artemis Fowl, The Godfather
The best way to tell this story? Do not make the mistake of using a narrator. The viewpoint character experiences the story. He guides us with what he knows and understands. We only care about this type of story when we care about him.”
I thought till now that my books were moved by the characters, but after reading these words I have to say that the one mentioned above might be more appropriate to my way of writing. And to be honest if the example list includes The Hunger Games and The Count of Monte Cristo which are my favourite along with the Genji Monogatari (which isn’t on this list but it would be I think, if the writer had read it!) and Harry Potter which is a series I’ve read at least 4 times, I’m happy with it and to be honest I’m quite hopeful that one day I’ll be lucky enough to be published.
I might say I recognise something from other elements in my style but still we won’t be artist if we didn’t have bits and pieces from all over, but I love fire, it’s a powerful element.
The second article is about tips to be a writer.
Now, I know that I’m obsessed with this kind of articles. Likewise I’m obsessed with workshops. You can’t aspect me to share each and every one of them; otherwise you’d kill me after a while.
My problem is I don’t feel confident enough and I need to read something like that in order to give myself the motivation to go on.
Anyway this one was way too funny and I have to give you the link. The title is “33 unusual tips to become a writer”
I won’t tell much about that, I’ll just quote here my favourites and I just hope you would have a look at that!
Take a huge bowel movement every day. And you won’t see that on any other list on how to be a better writer. If your body doesn’t flow then your brain won’t flow. Eat more fruit if you have to.
Bleed in the first line. We’re all human. A computer can win Jeopardy but can’t write a novel. If you want people to relate to you, then you have to be human. Penelope Trunk started a post a few weeks ago: “I smashed a lamp over my head. There was blood everywhere. And glass. And I took a picture.” That’s real bleeding. My wife recently put up a post where the first line was so painful she had to take it down. Too many people were crying.
Don’t ask for permission. In other words, never say “in my opinion” (or worse “IMHO”). We know it’s your opinion. You’re writing it.
Coffee. I go through three cups at least before I even begin to write. No coffee, no creativity.
Write every day. This is a must. Writing is spiritual practice. You are diving inside of yourself and cleaning out the toxins. If you don’t do it every day, you lose the ability. If you do it every day, then slowly you find out where all the toxins are. And the cleaning can begin.
Write with the same voice you talk in. You’ve spent your whole life learning how to communicate with that voice. Why change it when you communicate with text?
Paint. Or draw. Keep exercising other creative muscles.
Let it sleep. Whatever you are working on, sleep on it. Then wake up, stretch, drink coffee, read, and look again. Rewrite. Take out every other sentence.
Ok, I’ll stop here otherwise I’ll have to paste and copy the whole lot! I suppose that a different kind of perspective is more useful! Also it means that you might see more than one doodle on this blog!
Are you happy?
And what do you think about the two articles above? And which element are you?!
Dr.Franny and Mrs.Myself 