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1. Read!
A good writer is also a good reader. If you want to learn more about the craft, you need to learn how other authors (especially the classic writers like Twain, Salinger, etc.) write. For example, you favor young adult drama as your chosen genre; therefore you look online at your local library and type in "young adult drama" as your search. Or you could search Amazon, Google, ask the librarian, etc., whatever means you find easier. Then, once you have found some books that reflect your chosen genre, read them!
2. Read!
Okay, this sounds redundant, since I have already told you to read books in your chosen genre, right? Well, next you'll want to read about the craft itself. Find various writing self-help-books such as Regina Brooks, Writing Great Books for Young Adults, or perhaps you need encouragement like Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird: Some Instructions On Writing And Life. Whatever writing need you lack, find a good craft book to help you grow.
3. Read!
Seriously? You're thinking I've totally lost it, right? But three times is truly a charm! Not only should you read stories of your chosen genre or craft books about writing skills, but you should also read poetry, screen plays, or anything else that you can get your "paws" on. The more you read and discover, the more likely you will develop your own style of writing.
4. Write!
Once you've read, read, read, and read (I could have added one more "Read!" to the list, but that would have been ridiculous, eh?) various books, now try your hand at the written word. Turn on your favorite tunes, grab a cup of coffee, and hit the keyboard with your claws and just write
5. Procrastinate!
Huh? There! I said the dreaded "P" word. Many times when I write, I get to a point where I feel that my sentences are forced or flat, or my muse is nothing more than a resounding gong on the page. When this happens, I procrastinate, or rather walk away from my work and later, I come back and re-group my ideas.
6. Re-Write!
After you've written everything your little fingers and brain can muster up (after the procrastination, of course), then you'll want to re-write each sentence until you feel you have squeezed every bit of life out of your muse/plot/storyline/etc. You may even recruit your best friend/writing partner/mother/whomever you feel will offer you unbiased criticism to read your manuscript.
7. Read Out Loud!
The same professor who told me to just write also told me to read my sentences out loud. Many times it is the sound of our voice and the inflection of our tone that makes more sense of what is going on rather than the visual.
8. Submit!
Once you feel good about your piece, why not submit it to the local newspaper, literary magazine, where ever you choose. Often times we have placed our very soul in the "life" of a story that we are afraid to send it out into the cruel world of possible rejection. Yet, another professor told me that a writer needs to form a hard shell, because s/he may think his/her piece is the cat's meow, but let me tell you, editors will send you to the vet and make you pay the bill, to boot! So, form a shell and realize that your piece either needs more "lives" added, or it is waiting for that just right fit somewhere out there.
9. Re-Wind!
Many times, while I'm waiting to hear from my submissions, I find I am already thinking about another idea/project. So, I start the whole process over again, beginning with the research by reading different books and onto the next steps. You, as a writer, are a creative being and need to continue to place your ideas on paper. Do not mimic a Cat, which spends 90% of his/her time sleeping; but as a writer, you need to continue to grow and keep on writing!
There you have it. My "nine lives" basic tips for writing fiction. Now, if you need to hack up a hairball and disagree, feel free to leave it in the comments below. Or if you agree, I'll open a can of tuna for you later! Either way, I hope that you find your own style of writing before your nine lives are up.
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