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Why Can’t You Write What You Think

May 29th, 2008

At one time or another, almost everybody considers writing a book. It seems to be something that is paradoxically difficult. We talk all the time, and we have the ideas. But when it comes to sitting down and transferring them from the brain to the computer or the typewriter, we can’t find the words. The page sits there, accusing us with its blank matte surface, daring us to mar it and fill it with our words. What is it about the process of getting the words onto the paper that stops most people dead in their tracks? Usually, it’s nothing more than a lack of knowing where to start and how to finish.

What takes the paradox further are the writers that flood the market in an attempt to teach others how to write a book. However, the fact is that the writer probably has never written a book in true sense on any other topic. The writer would usually tell us how to write books, or give seminars and workshops. They’ll tell us about proper diction and about how to make sure the characters run the story, or how the story runs the characters. They’ll fill our heads with plot lines and character arcs, and never get to the part we need to know the most - how to recognize the story?

All stories have things in common. If your idea doesn’t have all of them, it’s not a story. More than likely, it’s a scene, or a part of a story. You need to have all the elements in order to make it complete and real. First, it has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Think about your book’s plot. Who is the lead character? What events start the story? What ends it? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, it’s time to do a little more research.

Asking well known authors how to write a book gets you the same reply - read a lot and write a lot. It’s important to understand the structure of the story. Moreover, you must read on the subject on which you wish to write irrespective of whether it’s your favorite or not. Reading Dumas and Voltaire may help with your cultural education, but it won’t help you to write bodice rippers. If you want to write for Harlequin, you need to read their books. If you want to write horror, choose an author who sells quite a bit. Give attention to how he or she uses language to express thoughts and feelings but don’t get tempted to copy his or her voice and thought process.

Books are the kind of heirloom that passes not only knowledge but also a sense of the way life was at the time it was written. Whether they are published in paperback, hardback, leather bound, or as an ebook with no paper and ink at all, they form the backbone of a solid education and can be great fun to write as well. Who knows, maybe you will write the next great book that gets passed down from generation to generation as a classic.

Copyright 2006 Tibby Defleck. All rights reserved.

Tibby Defleck is owner of Fun Bookz, a leading portal for information on books of all sorts. To get help in finding what you’re after, visit her article archive at: http://www.funbookz.com/articles/

Tags: books, reading, read, writing

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