A Beginning Writer's Cheat Sheet

FOR THE LOVE OF WRITING SERIES

You want to start writing but don't know where or how to. This is a real dilemma for many aspiring writers who have a story to tell. It is a daunting task. There are many concerns to an aspiring artist of words because that is what it is, an art form. Whether it's an article on fitness or gardening or the greatest fiction piece ever, putting together words together to properly express yourself and engage a reader is an art.

You have to get your ideas across clearly, you have to have a full story to tell, whether it be short or long. You have to love what you are doing because it will take many hours to do. You have to be also patient and willing to do basic editing. Finally, you have to learn objectivity, you can't be afraid of the scribble, eraser, or delete button.

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I remember when I was first planning my first novel, I knew that I had reems of writing to put together as a book but where to start can be a challenge in itself. I had years' worth of writing put together. I had no money because at the time there was a recession and my career had folded with government cutbacks. So long story short, I was broke. I did some odd jobs housecleaning and saved enough cash to get an ancient laptop from the pawnshop for $50. Therefore, I was prepared and ready. Then, it suddenly dawned on me that I had to fill not one page but an entire book of blank pages with w o r d s. Don't let that unsettle you. There is nothing intimidating about the writing process. It's just you and a few words playing around. So, I turned to my journal and picked a page, and started typing it. So let's start there.

Start a creative journal and love yourself for doing so. It doesn't have to be fancy, leather bound, have thick bond pages, nor a fountain pen. Go to the dollar store and there are plenty of blank paper books, different sizes, and pens. Maybe you don't like the idea of having to write longhand, trust me you will love doing so. For years I would have two journals, one that fit into my purse and one that stayed on my desk. Any time you have an idea you can write it down. Ideas, dreams and what I called "story starts," are basically ideas loosely forming a story, plus essay style writing on the underlying topic of my novels and my passion, spirituality. Never boring stuff that.

People can get hung up on a journal being diary-like. It doesn't have to be. In fact, writing about problems can sometimes accentuate them in your life, unless that is your point. Either way, find a happy balance. Try not to bleed on the page too much, it will attract sharks. As in audience that you might attract when you go to the next level, not step, of getting it published. That is where thinking ends. In fact, don't even think about the audience if you're beginning. Getting your ideas accurately down is the only step ever. Remember that. Your journal can be fun or have serious parts. Scribble or draw even, that adds to the cognitive process and whole thinking that you need. Next, start with the presumption, that you can.

Writing Exercises

If you are stuck on ideas as to where to start and nothing in your journal fits your feeling or thought then try a writing exercise. Try it more than once and change it up a bit. Here are a few suggestions:

A) In writing, describe the room you are in. Write about not every detail but the details that are important to you. Start with something basic: "there is a window in the room I am sitting in. There is a table with a cup on it." When you have a couple of paragraphs or a page even, go back and add detail to what you wrote. "The frame of the window from a pre-century home had an interesting swirl to the woodwork." Do the add-ins quickly, because you can go back later when editing and fit in specific terms, "the window has a decorative casing." Then, add something like a further description, "the window stays closed all winter and rattles when the wind blows." What you are doing is describing what you are looking at. This is done also for reviews, sports commentaries, any genre but this exercise is specific to get the writing gears going as mental practice. Describe the room you are in, period.

B) Describe your day, "Things started well but then the alarm went off." You can focus on whatever part of the day you want. What was ordinary, different, good, or bad about it.

C) Describe a person. What is the first thing that stands out about them? Make that the first point. "The frown on the man's face said it all. He had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, thick eyebrows, and a deep frown." Then go back and do the same thing, include more detail, "cherry red cheeks, grey hair," etc.

D) Write about something funny that happened to you or someone else.

E) Write about something serious. A topic in two paragraphs. It can be inspired by something you watched on the news even or a personal drama. Write it twice, once from your personal viewpoint, all opinion and a second time being completely objective, politically correct even. Now, notice the difference in tone.

F for finally, get rid of ideas that you are writing to a format, your personal template, that you're following a set of "How To's," because you're not. You're stimulating your imagination is the purpose of the exercises. At any time you do the above suggestions your imagination can kick in and so goes the process, let that flow continue your art. Get rid of all jargon to enhance the flow. The only principle is you and the pen.

Long-hand works best for the cognitive function to perform. Yes, it's tedious to re-write it on the computer but that also allows you to do your first edits faster because you already know the material. Maybe that is all the edits you need. It also gives you your first copyrighted draft in case you lose a file on the computer, get hacked or it doesn't save it properly. Put the first 5 ingredients together A through E and a little imagination is the icing added, and you might just have a scrumptious short story there.

Writer's Block

Some say this happens to everyone. From my personal experience and I am not bragging, I have never had this problem. In fact, the opposite, it never shuts off, the creative flow and I love that. Writer's block is, simply put when something else is bothering you consciously because it's distracting from your creative flow. You don't need a therapist or to cry or worry even. You can either address whatever the stress is and resolve it or at least work toward that. Or work around it. This means keep at it by doing the exercises written above. I cannot stress the value of meditation or simple contemplation for half an hour a day. Whether it be repeating a mantra out loud or mentally, or daydreaming (yes, that is valuable), or taking time to think of the positives in life. After a short time of doing this, the practice will lift all blocks in conscious thought.

Another method to alleviate Writer's Block is to take an old piece of creative writing. Anything, it can be an old story you started, something you have already published, or an old piece of writing from high school. Take that old piece of writing and go right to the middle of it and - rewrite it. Write it again and change it as you do. Even if you love it as it is, just, change it. Or change the ending of a previous story. Guaranteed, this will get the creative juices going again and should lead to something new.

I hope this article finds you refreshed and ready to begin or begin again. May your pen guide you well.

From Poems I, by Lisa A Lachapelle, Indie Published:

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By Lisa Lachapelle, Writer, Author. More of her work here and here.