Writing education and more education
I've always enjoyed learning and, if given the option would likely spend the rest of my life attending classes. This has become even more important to me since I've been focusing on the task of creating the written word.
Looking back on when I started this journey I naively thought that I could simply sit down and write a novel. I didn't know about plot and premise and the three act process. I had never heard of "show, don't tell" and I never considered word count. Writing that does make me miss the times when I could simply sit and pour the words onto the page. Perhaps all of the education I've received has slowed me down and makes me re-write the same sentence a dozen times trying to get it perfect. However, I believe knowledge is power and, despite the fact that I may sometimes feel the pressure to use what I have learned, I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to learn.
With all of that being said, I would encourage someone new to the writing process to grab any chance to learn about the craft. If there is a free class or a writer's group, attend. If you can go to a conference, do it. If you can take online classes, take them. I know that what I have learned has improved my writing significantly.
The more you learn the easier it will be able to decide what you can use and what you can throw out. You may not have to worry about how to write the best dialogue because it might come naturally to you. You may never make a grammatical error either - if that is true I would ask if you are human!
So read that writers blog, sign up for the online course and go to every free event you can squish into your week. Absorb it in any way you can.
Leslie.
Looking back on when I started this journey I naively thought that I could simply sit down and write a novel. I didn't know about plot and premise and the three act process. I had never heard of "show, don't tell" and I never considered word count. Writing that does make me miss the times when I could simply sit and pour the words onto the page. Perhaps all of the education I've received has slowed me down and makes me re-write the same sentence a dozen times trying to get it perfect. However, I believe knowledge is power and, despite the fact that I may sometimes feel the pressure to use what I have learned, I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to learn.
With all of that being said, I would encourage someone new to the writing process to grab any chance to learn about the craft. If there is a free class or a writer's group, attend. If you can go to a conference, do it. If you can take online classes, take them. I know that what I have learned has improved my writing significantly.
The more you learn the easier it will be able to decide what you can use and what you can throw out. You may not have to worry about how to write the best dialogue because it might come naturally to you. You may never make a grammatical error either - if that is true I would ask if you are human!
So read that writers blog, sign up for the online course and go to every free event you can squish into your week. Absorb it in any way you can.
Leslie.
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