Monday, January 20, 2014

What Does Math Have to Do With Writing?

Laura Breck
With a 6th grader in the family, complicated math problems have become part of my regular life. Calculating the measurement of the hypotenuse of a right triangle using the Pythagorean Theory was today’s homework challenge. The answer? It’s a number—and that’s not debatable.

In writing, there are theories as well, but their outcome is not as standard as those in algebra. The theory that dialogue tags should not be used unless absolutely necessary. The theory that head-hopping will drive readers crazy. The theory that we need to ‘show’ what our characters are feeling instead of ‘tell.’

Why, then, do some writers ignore these craft theories and still write wonderful, engaging books? Every author looks at their own body of work as a growing, changing, and maturing process. The book I wrote five years ago will look nothing like the book I will write tomorrow.

Is it right to tell new authors to read every book ever written on the craft of writing before they begin their first chapter? Or should we tell them to write what’s in their hearts and worry about the logistics later?

It’s sometimes overwhelming either way, but the one theory almost every author agrees on, is this: write every day, even if you erase most of it the next day. Your writer’s soul will thank you!

Happy writing,
Laura
~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance
~Dancing in a Hurricane is available in digital formats at Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace

~Love in the Land of Lakes is available in digital format at Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace

3 comments:

Jannine Gallant said...

You are so right about how trends change over time and how our own writing evolves. One can only hang in there and write!

Margo Hoornstra said...

Always, always write from the heart. It's the best way to go. Hanging in there has its place, too.

Alicia Dean said...

Good words to follow. I think sometimes new writers get bogged down in craft books and they become a crutch that keeps us from creating (I've done that even as a seasoned writer). Write every day and write from your heart is a good mantra. You can fix it all later. The secret is, don't submit (or self-publish) until it's fixed and until you've had at least a few other sets of eyes on it. :)