I want to be a writer...

The last few weeks have been interesting. A few people have come to ask me how to start writing. I get excited when people say they want to write. Writing is so much a part of my life now. I need to write as much as I need to breathe.

The people who approached me were genuine in their curiosity about the craft. My first thoughts were that they were expecting a full-blown description of a magical formula on how to write. There is no formula. If you want to write, you just write. Pick up a pen, select some paper and just start writing words, one after the other, as they come into your mind. You are writing. It is that easy. When I saw furrowed brows I realised something wasn't connecting. They had obviously started writing and it wasn't working for them in some way. After further discussion what they really wanted to know was what do they write about. This is a fair thought. You want to write something interesting and inspiring for your reader.

                 My daily notebook

I believe there are two questions that must first be answered. Are you writing for yourself? Are you writing for publication?

If you are writing for you, the task is easier. Some people write because they want to explore their minds and their hearts as a thinker. Others write to record their life journey and try to make sense of what has happened and where they want to go for the future. Both of these approaches to writing are therapeutic, and so is writing for publication. When you share your work with readers, reactions will vary. Some will resonate with your words, others will reject the work. What's important is that this is how you see the world and no one else can see the same world as you. It is the differences that make the writing life so interesting.

If you are writing for publication, your approach to writing will be different, although the process may be similar. You still have to put one word after the other on paper or screen. It is so easy to publish your own work these days. The common denominator though is the quality of the work. You don't want work out there that is of a low standard. More about this in a later post.

The important thing is to pick up a pen and place it on the paper, or sit at the key board and start forming words from your thoughts and don't stop moving the pen or your fingers until you have words on the page or screen. They may not be good words. It doesn't matter. Editing will come later. Get those raw thoughts down and then shape them into what you want to say. In "Writing Down The Bones", Natalie Goldberg gives great ideas on how to do this and additional exercises in writing practice to help you let go of your inhibitions about writing.

After a major change in my life, I adapted Natalie's method to my own and have been writing this way for the past three years. This new method of writing has opened up my heart and mind in ways I'd never dreamed possible. Be prepared for times when your pen will be flying across the page and other times your pen will slow and eventually stop. No matter how hard you try you can't move on. Natalie Goldberg says to just keep writing even if you only write: 'I don't know what to write' until you break through. It works for me. Many of my notebooks are filled with that sentence resulting in long days at the keyboard. I have a theory on this which will be revealed in my new website that is currently under development and will be live in a few months. I am working on it with an inspirational team of developers who are putting my new ideas together. It will be interactive, including fun things to download.

I have been through some dark years where I have pulled back from the world to discover who I really am and heal those areas of me that needed some attention. I want to share the lessons I learned and I hope to encourage you on your journey, too. So for whatever reason you want to write, take up your favourite pen, and a notebook (it doesn't have to be anything fancy) and get started. I use an A4 spiral notebook and have done so for several years. I started using these notebooks after filling all the lovely notebooks friends have given me as special gifts over the years.

So, get started...now, and have fun. Leave me a message to let me know how you're progressing.

Contracted ...

Exciting time! I've just been contracted by Even Before Publishing to publish my first novel African Hearts! While the ink dries on the contract I sit here amazed that the long journey to publication has finally been realised. All those long drawn out days of doubt whether I've thought my writing was good enough, able to be understood by someone else, and just getting myself in the chair to sit and write while there are a million distractions that have tried to keep me from putting words on the screen have all been worth the wait. It has been a long journey and one worth travelling.

This journey has taught me a lot about myself: I have patience, but more work still to be done; stick-to-it-iveness which writers need a lot of if we are going to finish the project; determination; and willing to work long hours.

The negatives which need to be looked at closely as I continue to write are: my crankiness when I get interrupted while I'm in the zone, don't come near me unless there's blood or a fire; I can get lost for hours and wonder where the time has gone; I don't exercise as much as I should when I'm deep into the stories with my characters; I don't like leaving my characters in the middle of a dilemma, it's so unfair to them to have to be in that situation all night while I'm sleeping, so I have to work through that part of their lives with them; and I don't always like socialising while I'm working because I want to stay tuned in to my characters. Please forgive me if I sometimes look a little vague in social situations, my characters are wanting their share of attention, too. However, when the work is done I'll spend as much time as you'd like and give my undivided attention to you.

Thank you to all who have been part of this road to publication. You have been an inspiration. I hope you will enjoy reading African Hearts as much as I did writing it.

Judging Writing Contests ... Encouraging A Writer

During recent years I've been given the opportunity to judge writing contests. This has been an honour and a privilege. Writers trust work they've laboured over for weeks and months to me to read and evaluate.

In the judging process it's important to keep in mind the solitary hours a person has put into the work. She's given up valuable time to be with her family and friends to sit in front of the computer for long and sometimes unproductive hours. Writing is a sacrifice. Because of this human element I believe the process of judging contests is about  encouraging the writer to do better. I don't ever want a writer to lose sight of her goals and hopes because of my insensitive remarks on her scoresheet.

Writers who enter contests are at varying stages in their careers. Some are beginners looking to see if they have talent, or if they are in fact writing in the right genre for them; some are seasoned writers close to publication standard hoping they will win the contest so that their work will by-pass the slush pile and reach the editor's desk of a publishing house  much more quickly; some are intermediate writers who are honing their craft and seek feedback so they can take their writing to the next level; and some writers are trying out new ideas to see whether the project is worth pursuing.

Through all the entries I've reviewed, I've always made sure I give honest and encouraging feedback. I'm always aware of the writer. No matter what stage she is at in her career, she is hoping her work is good enough to win. I judge each entry on its merit. Some aspects of the writing are better than others, eg. great characterisation, but poor plotting and conflict. Usually the score sheets are designed so that a score is apportioned to all aspects of the writing. The scores give great feedback for the writer because her weaker areas are highlighted by the amount she's been given. I believe it is the writer's responsibility to be mindful of each judge's view of her work. Every judge sees the work differently. It's important the writer weighs the comments of all judges and takes what resonates with her and make the changes accordingly.

Nothing gives me more pleasure when I hear a writer say they applied some of my suggestions to their work, and now they are published. This is also encouraging for me because the next time I judge I'll apply the same or similar method of appraisal to help another writer.

If you ever get the opportunity to be a writing contest judge, say yes. You're encouraging a wannabe writer on her journey to publication--a rewarding experience, and learning something about yourself in the process.