People are always telling me they want to be a writer or they have an idea for a book. They want to know how to do it. There’s a saying among writers – BIC – Butt In Chair. To be a writer you have to actually write! Obvious, right?!?! Those same people often come back to me again and again and say the same thing. The answer is always the same. Sit your fanny down and write!
I recently visited Creekside Middle School to talk with aspiring writers about What It Takes to Be a Writer.
Here are some highlights from the talk.
~Read – anything and everything.
~Observe – get ideas from people and places around you.
~Exercise your imagination – Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge.
~Create a Good Story Arc and a Memorable Hero
~Write – obvious, right?
~Revise – Your first draft is never your last draft. It probably sucks!
The most important thing, though, is to get started. Revising is a lot easier that writing the first draft, but you can’t revise a blank page.
Great advice, Tracy!