Character is a tricky element to work with in a piece of fiction, but it’s the most important. The success of a story hinges upon the believability of its characters. The question, then, is “How do you write a believable character?” The answer involves a number of things, too many for one entry, so we’ll just start at the beginning. (more…)
The most important thing to understand about creative writing is that it requires effort on the part of the writer.
Yes, that’s right – effort. In my personal experience, I encounter an increasing number of people who shy away from this notion. Writing multiple drafts, incorporating symbolism, hell, even thinking prior to sitting down with a pen or word-processor and “just writing” are repugnant ideas to some aspiring writers. They claim to struggle with writing, but when the idea of effort is put forth, they say, “I just don’t work that way.”
And they don’t work that way. They don’t even work. They have just enough innate ability that they don’t feel like they need to do anything to develop it. That is wrong and it is arrogant. Writers are not somehow exempt from dedication to their craft. Athletes don’t prep for marathons by sitting on their asses, musicians don’t play good shows if they let their instruments sit in the attic. Why should writing be any different?
Challenge: Come up with an idea. Write it down. Keep it.
Like