Writing a Story/Manuscript/Book

You know, I have wanted to write a stories and or a book for a long time. And I know I have written here a few times about this. After talking with a few people(authors), and reading, I have a little bit more knowledge, or should I say idea about how to go about it. Oh, don't get me wrong, I have so much to learn. I know it isn't perfection, but I am going to stumble through this and try to finish one creative process.

I understand now that you don't just sit down and start writing. That you have to learn each of your characters beyond that sentence that you meet them in the story. And everything from their names to the place and time they were born is important.

So I have started my story, and now I have started writing about my characters. So in a sense you have to have a story for each one. I see what Stephenie Meyer means when she says her characters won't shut up. I have to say that I would rather my characters be shouting than sitting there telling me nothing at all.

I have wondered why my dreams are about people I have never met. I mentioned this to my counselor, I told him sometimes I closed my eyes and it is like "Show Time". All of these people or characters that I have never met start doing things that I don't even understand. He said maybe I should write it all down. Well that would be great, but I very seldom remember it well enough to make sense of it.

I began to read that this is what writers do. They dream about stuff and grab a pencil to write down their thoughts before they lose them. My friend, Diane Chamberlain, said to keep a pen and paper beside the bed and when I wake up to jot it all down. I am going to have to be more diligent at it.Who knows what I will find.

I was listening to a taped radio show where Diane was interviewed. The interviewer asked her if she had any advice to new writers that were trying to get published. Her advice was to take some classes. Especially in composition. She explained that she had read some very good story ideas that were poorly written. It was sad that these very creative people would not get published because they lacked the knowledge of basic writing.

Knowing that I lack skills and knowledge in that area, I am going to enroll in a class this fall. I also need to build my vocabulary. I have been blind about my skills in vocabulary. Now that I am working with 7th and 8th graders I can see how important it is to learn this. I am surprised at times when they ask me about a word that they don't know. I hope that they can see why every class has you do vocabulary. Every class from math to home economics presents a new set of vocabulary words.

I may never write a novel that the whole world will see and buy, but maybe I can put words down on paper to satisfy my need to write. And like Stephenie Meyer wrote when explaining how Twilight was born, it was never meant to be for anyone but me, I will be happy to have a finished piece with a beginning, middle and end. It will be completely finished and it will belong to me. If I decide to share it with anyone else, well I hope they will say " Wow, that was very good and well written".

Note: I came back to edit this today and you know, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open last night and in fact fell asleep a few times while writing it down.