Writing tips

I got tagged for a ROAR award by Jill and Kathy at The DHX: The Doughtie Houses Exchange. The rules are:

1. List three writing tips.
2. Pass the award on to three more bloggers.

So, here are my tips (in fact, I was just rattling off tip #1 to someone yesterday. I don't think she was buying it but, I'm telling you, it's a good tip!)

1. Write quickly without censoring yourself the first story/scene/memory/character that comes to your mind when you ask for it. What I mean by "ask for it," is, sit quietly, take a breath, silently ask, "What should I write about?" To whom are you posing this question? It doesn't matter. Just listen and whatever comes in, start writing. When your inner demons begin chirping about "can'ts" and "shouldn'ts" and "wouldn't your mom be upset if she read thats" politely thank them for their input and tell them you'll get back to them later. Meanwhile, keep writing (and don't really listen to the demons). Write as fast as you can without looking back. Trust your hunches and first instincts. They'll be time enough later for going back and looking at what's there. Your first pass through, just write. That's it.

2. Write about the things that interest you, the things for which and about which you feel an emotional pull. Don't worry about whether or not the things that interest you interest anyone else. Don't worry about how many stories you've written about the same thing. Don't worry about whether or not someone else has already written about what you're writing about. Don't try to be interesting or entertaining or impressive. Try to be true. Strive for honesty and write toward your center. If you write from your deepest truest self, your audience will find you.

3. Don't second-guess your audience. Write your stories and tell your truth. Don't spend time concerned with who might like your stories and who might hate them. Don't suppose to know what your audience thinks or feels or how its going to react. Don't think you know what your readers will understand or not understand, where they'll be willing to go with you and where they won't. If you focus on the reaction to your work is going to get, you'll disable yourself from going as far with it as you might. When you choose to write, you are writing with others, for others, to others, but you have no way of knowing who those others are. It will never be your best work when it belongs to the audience before it belongs to you.

Thanks, Jill and Kathy for tagging me. The DHX is part of my daily inspiration, you guys rock!
I know it's not a popular decision to participate in a thing like this then not tag specific people, but that's what I'm going to do. Jill and Kathy have tagged some very interesting folks and I hereby tag anyone who reads this to give up some writing tips. Leave a comment and let me know you've posted them.

Comments

[Marilyn]

Great tips! I'm going to post mine tomorrow. I totally believe in, and use, #1.

[Jill]

Thank you, thank you for doing this! I very much wanted to read what you had to say about writing. Number 2 speaks to me especially.

[Priscilla]

Tip #1

I do that! I homeschooled my boys and I taught them to write that way too. I always keep this first draft because my edited versions are much more organized and logical. But that first draft always feels more like me. Disorganized, goofy, spastic.

Thanks for all the tips.

[Marilyn]

I didn't give you with a Roar award since Jill already had...but I hope you know you'd be at the list of my powerful words awards. Instead I've given you a "You Make My Day" award...since you always, always, ALWAYS do that...and have...for years. Details at my blog. xoxo

[Carmen]

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!!

[Loralyn]

I have two:
"Apply the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair." This is my biggest problem in the process of writing. Instead of writing I wait for "something" to come to me. The best thing for me to do is simply sit down and write.

A teacher/friend of mine said Wendell Berry told her, "If it doesn't sound right, it ain't right." Since I write for a living, I can get caught up in the rules of the stylebook. My writing suffers as a result.

Thanks for asking!

Loralyn

[Sam]

Such good advice - and from someone who knows, I think, really KNOWS what writing's all about. I appreciate your words on writing what interests us, writing even if you feel like it's all been written before - I struggle with that, since I'm a mom now. How lyrical can I be without be cheesy? How do I say this in a whole new way? But one day, my child won't be comparing me to the next blogger - he (and who loves him) will just want to read what his own mama thought and felt. And loved.