By Mihran Kalaydjian, CHA
Consultant, Strategist, and Writer
Everyone has a story to tell, a dream to share, a life history to pass along. Writing is the perfect vehicle for your drive through your mind and soul. Whether it’s in the privacy of a journal or a published book, the skills to put words down on paper are within all of us. All we have to do is use them.
Here are ten ways to start down the path towards a polished, finished product.
1. SELF. One benefit of a structured curriculum is the discipline it forces upon you. Whether in school or in private, research needs to be done, homework needs to be completed, papers need to be written. Don’t be afraid to set aside time to do the same. Sometimes it’s impossible to escape and find a private part of your home during the busy hours of the day (and night) to write, but make an effort to find one. Learn to tune out the distractions, letting only the ones you need filter through. Writers need to try to schedule a time and place for isolated, uninterrupted writing. Try writing when the kids do homework, when the family is watching football, or in the morning before everyone wakes up. You will be surprised at how much you can get done in a short period of time.
2. WRITE. Don’t feel you have to write the Great American Novel your first try. Short stories, poems and journal entries are all worthwhile endeavors. The most important thing to do is WRITE. Get the pen, the pencil, the keyboard flowing with ideas, images, and feelings. Once you get the words and images out of your head and into this third dimension, the floodgates will open and you will find all sorts of things to write about. Don’t think that unless your final goal is publication your words aren’t worth much. Everything you write means something. Writing clears the mind and the soul — it’s great therapy. Start writing today.
3. GRAMMAR. Beware of common grammatical errors. You don’t have to be an English major to know the difference between where and wear or write and right. Every dictionary has some sort of Handbook of Style in the back; don’t be afraid to use it. If you can, invest in one good grammar and stylebook. Know what a word means before you use it. Know when to use actual numbers and when to spell them out. Be aware of overusing words like and, very, really, seems, usually, and, yes, like – words that add little or nothing to the text. Focus your visits to the Internet to online dictionaries and thesauruses. All libraries carry style-books and many have subscriptions to popular and helpful writers magazines and journals. Check them out. Read them. Take notes.
4. RESEARCH. This is a tool that should be a part of every writer’s regimen. If there is a point that you want to make in your story, a reference you want to include, don’t be afraid to stop writing and do some research. There is nothing more embarrassing than saying something happened that didn’t. Check names, places and dates. Take notes. Fill notebooks if you have to. Once you know the facts, you can dance around them if need be, but first make sure you know what the facts are. Again, libraries and the Internet should top your list of places to visit for facts. One little tidbit can make or break your story if it sounds out of place.
5. NETWORK. Networking is not just a corporate business term anymore. Networking can be as simple as sharing ideas with another writer, a chat group or a local writer’s group. Local and statewide writer’s groups are a great value for the money. Both are full of enthusiastic writers working to improve their craft just like you. State groups also sponsor reasonably priced one- or two-day conferences that offer you a chance to meet and mingle with writers of every level. Don’t be afraid to seek out others that can help you make contacts and refine your writing skills. Make yourself business cards so that others have a way to contact you. Start to interact with those who understand your dreams and goals.
5. WRRWRR. What is that? Write, Read, Rest. Write, Read, Rest. Get all of your ideas out onto paper: write the story, the poem, the novel. Reread and proofread it, then let it rest. Come back to it days, weeks or even months later, and do the same thing again. You will be surprised the number of inaccuracies you will find. Letting it rest for a spell helps you tighten the story, catch repetitious words, and change the direction of the story if need be. Few writers plunk out their masterpieces first run. It takes determination and dedication to continuously fine tune something worth publishing. Write and write until it feels right.
6. FAMILIARITY. Write what you know to publish, write what you want for practice. Many of the articles I have seen written by publishers, editors and agents say they can tell when the writer knows their subject and when they are stretching it. No matter what your life experiences, there are a lot of things that you know or are interested in. If you want to get published, write about those things. Do your research, fill in the gaps of your experiences, and write from your own point of view. On the other hand, do not be afraid to experiment writing in venues that are foreign to you. A fantasy writer? Try writing a mystery. A romantic poet? Try a feature article. No one else needs to see your writing, but it forces you to think out of your comfortable box.
7. EDUCATION. Budget money to take a class, seminar or conference to advance your craft. Sign up through reputable organizations, schools and companies. Consider taking a class for a controlled environment. If you have access to the Internet, there are organizations that offer classes for little or no fee. Ask around. There are bookstores that offer free writing classes online. Also check your local communities for adult education and creative writing classes. Take time and educate yourself step by step. Formal education is worth the effort at any age.
8. READ. This activity cannot be emphasized enough. To write well you have to read well. Second hand stores are gold mines for old and used books. The possibilities are endless: the classics, plays, poetry, “how-to”, romantic fiction. All generations have something unique to offer. Read books in the same genre as yours; see what is being published, what is being written. Check out the latest best sellers and the dated ones. Through reading you will find your style. Keep the books you enjoyed, and re-donate the others to Goodwill or your local library book sales. Give others the chance to discover the written word as you did.
9. PRESENTATION. Stephen King and Ernest Hemingway may have written some of their most memorable books by hand, but you won’t be as lucky. You don’t need a computer to write, but you do need access to one to submit. In this day of computers and the Internet, editors, publishers and agents do not have the time to decipher even the neatest handwriting. Query letters, contest submissions, letters to the editor, anything you want to be taken seriously needs to be submitted in a professional manner. There are tons of sample letters on the Internet that are free for the surfing; there are books in the library and notes in the back of dictionaries that help you fine-tune your style.
10. SUBMIT. If you want to see your name in print, submit, submit, submit. Know your audience, know your genre. Know your limits and grow within them. Are you more of an article writer? Short stories? Poems? There is a market for everyone. Local newspapers, quarterly reviews, specialized publications all will be willing to take a look at your work. Know where it fits. And don’t waste too much time feeling bad when you are rejected. You can’t get published if you don’t submit your work. The writing world is full of disappointment, but it’s these momentary sour grapes that make us grow as writers.
Believe in yourself as a writer. Know that one doesn’t always need a bachelor’s or master’s degree to be literate. Times and choices vary for everyone; the dreams of those who have only a high school degree are no different than those with a Ph.D. It is what one does with those dreams that matter in the long run. Do you want to write your life’s history so that you can pass it down to your children and grandchildren? Have you always had poetry running through your head but have been afraid that someone would laugh at it? Take it to the next step. Write about it. Even if the words never leave your notebook, take charge of your creative muse and have her (or him) work with you. You will be pleased with the results.
