This site and blog were developed to inspire new writers and to entertain every reader. After reviewing comments and reader subscriptions, I believe my goal is being accomplished. My topics to this point have been:
May 28th “Hiding from the world isn’t always a bad thing”, eliminate distractions and outside influences when you write;
June 4th “Drunken Ping-Pong and the sex that didn’t happen”, the ‘write what you know’ philosophy colored with the might have been;
June 11th “Pacified steel and the $5,300,000.00 box of donuts”, the use and overuse of subjective knowledge;
June 18th “Ideas from the toy box”, ideas to free the imagination;
June 25th “Living in the aftermath of the incredible edible egg – the difficulties of writing for the opposite sex”, opposite gender main characters and ideas to keep them believable;
July 2nd “It’s all in how you begin”, openings to capture audience interest;
July 10th “Crossing a line”, why we should read and write outside our 'comfort zone’;
July 17th “When one door closes, break down a wall”, ideas to escape a plot corner;
July 23rd “Skinning the cat: Choosing a writing style for a target audience”, general and specific pointers;
July 30th “How was it for you? Endings that keep your readers coming back”, allow the novel/novella/novelette/short story to end when it should;
August 5th “Steamy, hot, monkey lovin’ : writing believable sex scenes vs. sex that sells”, no further explanation necessary;
August 13th “Sometimes there are monsters, sometimes there are angels”, personal pain and triumph can season a manuscript;
August 20th “’Shaka when the walls fell.’ Writing in times of feast and famine”, What to do when the ‘who really cares’ moments come;
August 27th "Hay Chewed. A look back at the last three months." A three month overview.
Click Here buttons after each blog. provide excerpts from current writing projects. The entire website can be accessed by clicking RwriterN, located in the top bar over the blog. By clicking each picture, visitors can view poetry, current and future writing projects, my inspiration to write, the ideas behind the book Shadowman (being republished with the title Brettinger), and a Contact button to either subscribe or share ideas.
A writer’s style can change from project to project. Voice is expressed across these styles and formats. Voice is not only the how and why of idea expression, the personality of the writer is often revealed. But personalities tend to mature and blossom as we experience life. Nevertheless, we keep a distinctiveness that is our own.
Take, for example, the novels Black House and The Talisman, coauthored by Peter Straub and Stephen King. Their writing melds into a complete work, but the separate voice of each author stands out. A devotee of either can say, “Straub wrote this bit” or “King wrote that”.
It is important to know why you are writing. Is it for love or for money or for the love of money? Is there a story that should be told? Is there a history to share? With that in mind, there is one last thing to cover. I’ll use an easy medium as reference.
Every generation has a style of music that sets it apart. And every generation has artists they call sellouts. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd was called a sellout album by some of their fans. It catered to the masses. As such, it is their top selling album.
The 80’s and 90’s and 2000’s are full of genre music. Artists with a “Me too” way of looking at their art and sometimes a “Me too” swelling of their bank accounts. So the point here is a repetition of the previous statement. Know why you are writing. It you find an author whose style matches yours, read all you can of their work. Let it touch and effect you and the style of your writing.
The world has changed since the seventies and eighties. It might feel as though there are over a million other writers seeking publication every year. In reality, the number of individual books published yearly far exceeds the one million mark. Self-publishing has opened the flood gates.
Let’s be honest, some excellent works are lost in the shuffle. Some seemingly popular works leave us scratching our head, a “Did I actually pay for this?” expression etched on our face. A name, reputation, and clever marketing can go a long way toward success.
But that’s the way of things. So why do you write?
I hope it’s to find your voice and express yourself. I hope if you mimic another writer, your own voice will come through. I hope you make money along the way.
Thanks for following my blogs. Click the contact picture (the strawberry shortcake with the heart-shaped whipped cream) with ideas, questions, and suggestions. Above all else, keep writing.
Michael D Grant, The Writer Inside.
I'm not posting a Click Here to Read selection this week. I will begin again next week with a selection from my current writing projects. As always, thanks for reading.