Check out this post
at HUFFPOST HEALTHY LIVING BY MeiMei Fox titled "The Best Writing AdviceYou'll Ever Get."
I
don't agree with every word, but there is definitely some very solid,
thought-provoking material to consider.
For
example, I was struck by a small paragraph (only four sentences) near the
center of the article that stated:
"Consume writing voraciously, and you will absorb writing skills by osmosis. You will come to appreciate an unexpected word or turn of phrase. You'll intuitively develop awareness of what makes a story arc engaging or a character tantalizing. Above all, you'll cultivate your capacity to dream and imagine."
"Consume writing voraciously, and you will absorb writing skills by osmosis. You will come to appreciate an unexpected word or turn of phrase. You'll intuitively develop awareness of what makes a story arc engaging or a character tantalizing. Above all, you'll cultivate your capacity to dream and imagine."
I'm not sure that writing skills are acquired by osmosis,
but I sincerely agree that being a voracious reader will help you develop an
ear for prose and an appreciation for the many ways in which words and
sentences are strung together to achieve a variety of voices and tones that can
make prose lyrical, powerful, sinister or beautiful. Likewise, while you may
very well be intuitively drawn to tantalizing characters and those engaging moments
in a story arc, it may take some deliberate study to actually identify why the
story arc works or the character is so enticing.
As
with any advice -- pull out the suggestions that ring true for you and your
particular writing situation and don't worry if there are bits that don't seem to
apply. You never know -- a week, a month
or a year from now you may find yourself revisiting those suggestions you
passed on because your journey as a writer has led you to a new place where
those bits you left behind have suddenly become relevant.
No comments:
Post a Comment