So You Want To Be A Writer?

Lots of grown-ups have discovered that writing stories can be a fun and nifty way to make money too. If you work hard and keep pushing, it might be you someday!

Getting from A to Z with our research and story is part of the adventure, and if you’re reading this, I’m sure you know that’s probably half the battle. You’re that much further ahead.

Keep it up!

Great readers make great writers so grab that pencil and notepad and …

Get To It!

You NEED A Pencil

It’s tried, tested, and true. The #2 pencil is a must for starting your story. You don’t need electricity or even a battery to bring it to life. Keep a wedge-shape sharpener handy and try not to nibble on the eraser. But if you do, don’t bite off more than you can chew.

You NEED Something To Write On

You’re probably thought I was going to say paper. Just about anything will do to be honest.

You NEED Something To Write About

A t-shirt. A recess. A diaper. Throw everything out the window they told you about choosing a topic. As long as it’s well written, people will take notice. Did something funny happen in class yesterday? Pick a person, place, or thing to make your story about and write about that.

Worrying Too Much

If you’re just getting started in your journey as a writer, put your thinking-cap on, but

Don’t Worry!

One of the pitfalls to avoid is worrying that your family, friends, and teachers will think your story isn’t any good. We don’t want to give ourselves a belly ache. Even the best writers create stories they wish they hadn’t. It’s OK. Take a deep breath and have a snack. You can always start over later.

Not Having Fun Doing It

Have you ever tried-out for a sport because you thought it seemed like a fun thing to do? Maybe mom and dad took you out to the store for basketball shoes and a jersey of your favorite player for inspiration. You knew the first team practice was going to be hard, but you put your mind to it, and gave it your best shot.

But then the second practice came.

Then the third.

And by the fourth practice, you got so mad that you took one look at your coach and teammates shouting, “I quit!”

Writing can be the same way. One of the toughest things to do is putting in the time and effort it takes to become good at something. Anything! This means practicing when we don’t feel like it, or eating a salad when we’d rather have a cheeseburger. Find a method that works for you. I wish I could tell you what that is, but everyone is unique in their own way. What works for Jacob might not work for Jason, and believe it or not, that’s a good thing.

Run-on Sentences

One of the coolest things about being a writer is the fact that we can take the mess of words we made and build our own castle from them. If your parents or teachers tell you they like your story, but they say it has too many run-on sentences, try to think of that as a blessing. Grown-ups use them all the time, and you might never grow out of them. Our minds work faster than our fingers can, and sometimes we get so excited writing down our story on paper or computer that all the words look like they’re tumbling over everything else. Have you ever written a sentence that looks like this:

I woke up this morning and I had a headache and I told my mom and she gave me an aspirin so I wouldn't have a headache anymore.

A better way to rewrite that run-on sentence might be to turn it into three instead.

Consider the following as a possible solution:

I woke up this morning with a headache. I asked my mom for an aspirin. Now my headache is gone!

Forgetting To Take A Break

Mommy: Time for dinner!
You: I’m busy!
Mommy: Doing what?
You: Writing a story.
Mommy: You can finish it after dinner!
You: I hope so!

I bet you’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t Quit!” While it’s true that almost all great writers didn’t quit to make it to the shelves of library and bookstores all over the world, they stuck to their schedule and knew when the day’s work was done.

If you get sleepy or tired or even just fed up when writing your story, you might think it’s best to keep pushing on until till you collapse. Personally, I don’t recommend this as a way to staying on task, but no two stories are the same.

You Can Do It!

Adios Muchachos!!

This post first appeared on The Tangible Tangerine, please read the originial post: here