Writing Woes – The Process of Creating a Captivating Story

A good book is flowing and keeps your interest. But a great book commands your attention, beckons you to turn its pages and keeps you up in the early hours of the morning. Its fueled by a deep sense of imagination, passion and meaning which enable its words to conjure up powerful imagery in your mind; making you crack a smile on a bad day and well up with tears when its protagonist experiences despair. And the best thing about it is that it makes you feel like you’ve escaped your own reality for a few hours.

Yet, if you’re a writer, you probably very well know that creating a compelling story isn’t easy. Sometimes the words flow and sometimes they don’t. You might feel moody when it’s just not happening for you. But ultimately it’s the anticipation to write those first few words that makes you try harder and harder to reach into the bottom of your soul and splurge ink onto the paper that’s in front of you.

The Rigorous Process of Writing

1. Jotting down those first few words

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” – Stephen King

An idea sparks in your mind, you sit down, grab your pen and notebook. Jot down ideas. Yet, when you view your blank white paper, a sudden sense of fear grips you.

You’re lost for words.

A few minutes pass, sometimes even days before you manage to bring up the courage to begin your first paragraph.

After the first few sentences, words flow until you finally reach your last. You make them a few words that leave a long lasting impression on your readers.

2. The Realization it Needs Work

“The first draft of anything is shit” – Ernest Hemingway

Now that you’ve finished your work, you take a couple of days before looking at it again. Then it suddenly dawns on you; it’s time to start editing.

But first you give it a second read. And once you’re ready you come to a sad conclusion: It needs work.

3. It’s Time to Edit

 “Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read.”- Larry L.King

With your paper and pen in hand you begin to scour the pages you’ve managed to write up for typos, grammatical mishaps and ways to better your writing.

You rewrite most of what you’ve written. You read books to gain more insight. You rewrite again. You remix ideas that others have drawn up.

And then after blood,sweat and tears – it’s complete.

Related Posts:

• Writing Advice from the Greats of Literature

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