On Writing

“I wrote a book. It sucked. I wrote 9 more books. They sucked, too. Meanwhile, I read every single thing I could find on publishing and writing, went to conferences, joined professional organisations, hooked up with fellow writers in critique groups, and didn’t give up. Then I wrote one more book..” Beth Revis

What a spirit! Something to aim for!

What is ‘Good writing’? Only you know – the reader. The reader is never something abstract. It is a huge energy of consciousness, minds and emotions multiplied by the millions of opinions.
The reader is a part of the book, a collaborator. You can’t push the book down the readers throat to make sales only. In a long run it will give you NOTHING. 

So how one single person (writer=you), can make/or keep the world of the never-satisfied readers absolutely happy? Short answer – you can’t. That’s why we are moving to the complex answer: 

Place 1: Writing Style
Place 2: Ideas
Place 3: Hero
Place 4: Plot

I know many of you will disagree with me. No need to scream: ‘Its all about the plot!’…or ‘If I do not like the hero I don’t like the book too!’ I hear you, peeps! And I agree. But how do you know who is the hero or what kind of the plot is it?

Example: Let’s say you see 10 books on the table and you have to choose only 1 to read. You know nothing about the author, heroes or plot in those books. All you can do (and will do) ->  picking up and reading a couple of paragraphs. 

The truth of HOW you are going to choose:

• if you like the way words dance together, if the writing style speaks to you – then you’ll choose this book.

As you see, at the end of the day – it’s all about the words. How to make them shine or sneak inside of the readers hearts who right now are sarcastically smiling miles away from you…

Hello, Mr Poopkin!
Your new book arrived yesterday.
Read. Enjoyed. One question only:
‘Is it about the unusual pooping way?’
Never Yours, Reader

Statement 1: If you don’t like the way the author writes – you won’t be interested to continue reading his/or her work.
Statement 2: The book without any outstanding (or at least recognizable) writing style is faceless. The style is your signature.
Statement 3: The readers are never kind. Unless they are too kind, like Ray. 

Sad, but nobody cares much about the writing style in the ‘commercial fiction’ nowadays. If it’s ‘clean’ and ‘well-polished’ with a nice kick-ass heroes and shaking-to-my-bones plot – it is SIMPLY BEST SELLER! That’s why at least 80% on the book market is well done crap. 

Something to remember: 

• Plot does not define story. Plot is the framework within which ideas are explored and personalities and relationships are unfolded.
• Ideas are the heart of the book.

Also I believe in the words “if a book isn’t self-explanatory, then it isn’t worth reading/ or writing,” – Paulo Coelho. No matter in what kind of genre you are working – the book is a part of your soul (not only happy experiences or sobbing feelings). The book is a picture of you or …just throw it in the basket already, please!

Let’s take a short break and check writing styles we are still admiring: Famous Authors and Their Writing Style

I hear you!
You aren’t Hemingway or Kafka.
No problems. It is fine.
You are you! Do not hide it. 

Today one of my followers said to me: ‘blah, whatever, I’m just a commoner.’ I refuse to understand this position, because I believe NO ONE IS. We are all philosophers, scientists, poets, creators of the small world around us. And the small world is a part of the big world. By the way if you are a poet you are already a philosopher because I would never separate these 2 words.

Stop Sign: 
There’s one more important thing – how ‘original’ is your work? I find it surprising that some people still do not understand what does ‘original’ means. Yes, we repeat/or steal ideas, plots and feelings over and over again, but I think (and know) that there’re still billions of thoughts/perceptions/views that are waiting for the right moment to get out…

We are living in the Time Of The Darkness, but ‘fiction reveals truth that reality obscures’. Remember, you are the Light! Shine ON!

The End 

The plan for the next week is  – Here
I dropped out of the book ‘Quicksand’, Malin Persson Giolito. It isn’t bad, but not my cup of tea. I decided I have no time to struggle through the book anymore. So you probably will get a review of another book next week. 

Attention: I’ll be on and off most of the autumn here, because of the job and editing of the novel. 

Hugs!

Next post – ‘My life in percents’ writing challenge