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| 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:
You are so right about how trends change over time and how our own writing evolves. One can only hang in there and write!
Always, always write from the heart. It's the best way to go. Hanging in there has its place, too.
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. :)
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