Writing Tips: #1 Bottom-Line Basics

"Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer." -- Barbara Kingsolver

So, this is my first Writing Tip.  I do hope you enjoy it. ;)

While I do believe that grammar and spelling and sentence structure are all very important when writing, there is something that you must have first or all of those skills will amount to nothing.

You must have something to say.

Sound simple?  That's because it is, on the surface at least.  Look at this example:

There was a girl walking down the street.  She had long brown hair that was straight and pulled back half-way.  She wore a pheasant top that was olive green to match her eyes and a simple jean skirt.  Her leather boots came up to her mid-calf and were the same shade as her top and buckled three times down the side...

There are no grammar or spelling issues (that I am aware of) in that paragraph, but what does it say?  Has it affected you at all?  Will you remember it by the time you get to the end of this post?

The biggest mistake I find in stories is when authors get too caught up in setting up the scene, describing what the characters look like and what they are wearing, to actually go anywhere with the story. I, as the reader, would rather be left to picture everything myself as long as there was meaning in the writing.  Because I am particularly verbose, I can't really give an example here.  But think back on that paragraph.  Instead of going into so much detail about her appearance, tell me why she's walking down the street in the first place.  Maybe she's going to visit her dying mother in the hospital.  Maybe she's gotten caught up with a shady crowd and is meeting them to buy illegal drugs.  She could be going to a film festival or returning from the Laundromat.  It could be any of a thousand things, all of which have more meaning than the color of her shirt.

But go beyond where she is headed and where she came from.  Tell me how that place has affected her personally.  How have her beliefs been altered by that place?  Have they even changed? Maybe that place has solidified her opinion on something or someone.

Then, don't just tell me those things straight out.  Make me feel them too.  Make me form an opinion on the topic at hand, whether it's the same as the character's opinion, or the opposite, just make me feel something.  Touch me in some way.

The best way to do this is to first connect the reader with the character.  Make the character easy to relate to.  People are connected through flaws before they are connected through perfections, so find the things that are wrong rather than look for what is right.  I'll do a whole post on characterization, but you can also check out The Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Realistic OC.

Anyway, before you even begin writing, you have got to find that something inside of you--that idea or message or lesson--that is trying to get out.  It could be that you don't believe in true love, or that you think people should listen to their hearts instead of their heads, or that their are casualties in war and some people have to suffer. Whatever it is, once you figure it out, the rest will follow.

Don't write frivolously.  That is not to say that you shouldn't have description or humor--those things are important.  But you have to balance those things (or outweigh them) with something deeper.  If you are going to take the time to sit down and write something, make it mean something.  Don't waste your time or your words.  Both are precious.

And yes, if you do write the kinds of stories that are all detail and clothing design, you will get a lot of positive feedback--mostly from little girls who dream of being the characters themselves.  But would you rather write for people who lack imagination or people who appreciate your thoughts on the world?  This is your chance to say something and have your voice heard, so don't make your speech about a strapless dress and heels.

And think about it, truly.  What is it that you read for?  Do you get caught up in glitter or ruffles?  I hope not.  I hope that you get swept away by emotion and pain and truth and love and loyalty.  That's why we read.  Because a book says all the words that we're afraid to speak.  Maybe you will be judged for you ideas, maybe you'll get bad reviews and some people won't like your writing.  But at least you made them think.  That's what's at the heart of good writing.

So figure out your ideas and go from there.  As long as you have something worth saying, you will find a way to make it work.  If you believe in something, it's much easier for your characters to believe in it or disagree with it as well.

Dennis O'Neil says it best: "Here's what I'd like you to do for me: Make me laugh. Make me cry. Tell me my place in the world. Lift me out of my skin and place me in another. Show me places I have never visited and carry me to the ends of time and space. Give my demons names and help me to confront them. Demonstrate for me possibilities I've never thought of and present me with heroes who will give me courage and hope. Ease my sorrows and increase my joy. Teach me compassion. Entertain and enchant and enlighten me... Tell me a story."

I hope you've found this helpful.  Let me know what kinds of tips you would like to see next. (:

Love Always,

Kayla