How To Start Writing
Are you wondering, “Am I a writer?” Well, you will never know unless you try.
You have to start somewhere so start here.
Step 1: Seek
Find a story, a character or anything that interests you.
Look around, there are stories everywhere. The boy who missed the bus, your cab driver, or that really old but fancy watch in your house. Look in your past, what happened? Look at the present, what’s happening? Look into the future, what will happen?
Pick a character from your life or create one. It doesn’t have to be a living being, it could be a dead one or just something that has never lived like a journey of a sharpener.
Note down all the possible areas on which you can write about. If there’s nothing written about something that interests you then you should write it, like Artificial Intelligence or how holding a cup feels like. There should be some sort of conflict, not necessarily negative, it could be as simple as a kid trying to make friends at his new school.
“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”― Jack London.
Once you that list ready, think of how you want to write it. Will it be an essay, a poem, a short story or a novel? If you have no idea then just start with writing in a diary or a journal. Almost every writer has a notebook which he/she uses to jot down his/her thoughts. You don’t need pen and paper, you can start typing on your phone or laptop.
Step 2: Show don’t tell
Write through all your senses.
When you are writing something, answer these questions so your idea becomes clear, what, where, when, why who and how? (5Ws and 1H). What happened? A boy missed the bus. Why did it happen? Because his sister hid his uniform in the trunk. Keep answering the questions until you have a conflict ready. To continue with the idea, ask, so now what? To keep it going.
And don’t just state things, write in a way that every word becomes a picture. It’s concrete over abstract. The abstract is something that can’t be measured. Concrete, however, is tangible, something you can touch, smell, feel, hear, and see.
You don’t just tell your best friend you had a great day. You give him/her the exact details on why it was great. There are incidences that led to you having a great day, you describe them. Same goes for writing. No matter how fancy your vocabulary is concrete over abstract is more fun and engaging even to the person who is writing.
Example:
Sentence 1: My father was ecstatic to see me.
Sentence 2: My father came running towards me and lifted me into his arms.
The first sentence tells us something but doesn’t strike our senses. But the second sentence shows us what’s happening. It makes us feels something. It makes you curious.
Now do this, whatever you’ve jotted down, pick one random idea from the list and answer 5Ws and 1H as discussed above and create sentences that are simple but manage to make something abstract into concrete.
Step 3: Steal
If you are not able to write about it then about read about it
Maybe you are not sure which words will go with what you are conveying, maybe your sentence structure, spelling, basically your command over the language are creating roadblocks for you. Well, don’t worry. I am not saying you should copy word to word from another writer. Instead just start reading more, start with simple books, then you’ll be able to discover what you like and you will start writing in that genre.
Let’s say the idea you picked is about romance then read romantic novels and words will come to you. You can get influenced by one writer so read the work of multiple writers. Read a LOT. A chef who doesn’t eat cannot be a chef, same goes for a writer, you need to read to be a writer. A chef who only eats one dish cannot be trusted either so explore your boundaries as a writer.
Your brain will steal from every writer and create something of its own.
So that’s about it. Jot down ideas, work on them and add value to them by giving them more context. Take inspiration from others and create something of your own. You can do this on the YourQuote App, there are daily challenges that will help you discover the writer in you. You will find the inspiration and a community of writers you can collaborate with and learn from.
Download now: bit.ly/yourquoteapp
Until next time!
