Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts
06 October 2012
Perfection Not Required
Sometimes, all the advice in the world won’t get you past your writer’s block.
Why? Because the writer’s block isn’t caused by a difficulty in the idea or a problem with time.
This new writer’s block is mental. I don’t mean cuckoo house mental, but I do mean it is something within your mind.
How often does the sentence not read right? How often can you not find the right words?
A first draft is not expected to come out perfect. Problems will exist. No writer will produce pristine copy on their first attempt, no matter what anyone says.
It’s not that we don’t try! However, sometimes, just putting words on page is more important than making sure not to repeat “suit” every sentence when referring to a man in black. When you write, allow for the not quite right word. Put the sentence down that has initially entered your pen or fingers.
First drafts are expected to be messy. A bit of writing advice I received once said to just write, don’t worry if you meander away from your plot. That’s what the second draft is for: bringing focus to the work. Sometimes, allowing the mess to form allows the writer to find that “Oh WOW!” character or moment that they didn’t expect. That is the big plus of just writing. This isn’t to say you can’t do this with an outline. But don’t make the need to follow the outline so stiff and structured that it freezes your fingers (or pen) and prevents you from moving forward with the story.
The nice thing about writing is we have the power to change things before they become permanent with a publication. Unlike the old days where a misplaced word required a complete retype of a page, or even the entire document, writing can change and move and dance on the page. We don’t have a solidified piece until we send it to a publisher or agent. Computers have made that ability to change even easier than our earlier counterparts who had just typewriters – or just pen and paper – to do as we do now.
So consider how the digital age has advanced our job.
And remember, you can always go back and fix it later.
21 July 2012
The Craft or the Art
Editor's note: This isn't really advice this time around. I had a rambling thought regarding writing and wanted to place it out there for others to comment. If you're seeking advice, feel free to skip this post. Thanks!
Frequently, it is heard in discussion circles about the “Art and Craft of Writing.” I sat and thought about that concept and I realized something. I don’t agree with the statement. There is the “Craft” of writing and then there is the “Art” of writing. They can be separated into distinct beasts, rather than being one entity.
Here is where my thoughts come from regarding this.
The craft of writing is dealing with the actual rules. You’re crafting sentences based on the structures the rules require. Nouns and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, they all factor into the craft. Craft is something that is learned.
The art of writing is taking what we know of the craft and melding it into a pleasing composition everyone can enjoy. The turn of phrase or the distinct point of view the writer choses all lead to art. While craft is something learned, Art is an innate sense. Some people can write art. Others just write.
One important thing to note about how I lay that out, one can exist without the other, but the reverse isn’t true. You can have craft without art, but cannot have art without the craft.
Everyone wants to believe that their writing is Art™. When first attempting to put pen to paper or words on the screen, it will be closer to stream of consciousness writing. This isn’t bad, as you’re still developing your craft. Writers like Anne McCaffery, Ray Bradbury, and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t have crystal prose during their first works. It took them years to develop into the artists we read now.
I guess I’m saying all that to say this: Don’t feel rushed because you want to write. I’m nearing the twenty year mark, and have only had one piece published. Time continues to work me through the awkward stage.
However, let me throw this out to the readers: What’s your thoughts on the “Art and Craft of Writing?”
Frequently, it is heard in discussion circles about the “Art and Craft of Writing.” I sat and thought about that concept and I realized something. I don’t agree with the statement. There is the “Craft” of writing and then there is the “Art” of writing. They can be separated into distinct beasts, rather than being one entity.
Here is where my thoughts come from regarding this.
The craft of writing is dealing with the actual rules. You’re crafting sentences based on the structures the rules require. Nouns and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, they all factor into the craft. Craft is something that is learned.
The art of writing is taking what we know of the craft and melding it into a pleasing composition everyone can enjoy. The turn of phrase or the distinct point of view the writer choses all lead to art. While craft is something learned, Art is an innate sense. Some people can write art. Others just write.
One important thing to note about how I lay that out, one can exist without the other, but the reverse isn’t true. You can have craft without art, but cannot have art without the craft.
Everyone wants to believe that their writing is Art™. When first attempting to put pen to paper or words on the screen, it will be closer to stream of consciousness writing. This isn’t bad, as you’re still developing your craft. Writers like Anne McCaffery, Ray Bradbury, and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t have crystal prose during their first works. It took them years to develop into the artists we read now.
I guess I’m saying all that to say this: Don’t feel rushed because you want to write. I’m nearing the twenty year mark, and have only had one piece published. Time continues to work me through the awkward stage.
However, let me throw this out to the readers: What’s your thoughts on the “Art and Craft of Writing?”
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