A Writer who doesn’t know the ABC of Writing

Are you a writer who doesn’t know their ABC’s?

I don’t mean the English alphabets!

Wow! It looks like you have deeper issues.

If you didn’t drop out of school before the first grade, then you’re most probably adept at reciting the English alphabet.

Remember?

A for apple…B for ball…C for cat…and so on…

Ok…just wipe that weird smile off your face. It’s time to get down to business.

I’m talking about the ABC’s of Writing.

Yeah genius, wake up!

I can say without any shame or remorse that when I began writing, I didn’t know the ABC’s of writing.

In fact, I knew nothing about the craft of writing.

HEY!!!

Don’t smirk and mock me!! I already have enough low self-esteem issues.

How many of you have a degree in writing?

Okay…wait…this was just a rhetorical question…

REALLY?!! So many?

Alright! Alright! Put your hands down. SHOW OFFS!!

Coming back to the point…lots of writers (not the show offers) did not actually train or study to be writers.

It was only a couple of years ago that I studied to get a diploma in creative writing.

Did it help me?

Welllll…I’m not too sure. But it definitely did fill my mind with some writing discipline. And it also opened my eyes to the fundamentals of good writing.

Hey lady!! I told you to put your hand down!!

I’m telling the story now! So much for Writer Etiquettes….

Is there a fixed approach to writing? Do we all need to have degrees in English Literature? Does English have to be our native language?

The answer to all of the above is a safe NO.

Writing does have its ABC’s, but these ABC’s can be pulled, pushed and punched to create a diverse range of tools and patterns that can pave the way for smooth and professional writing.

It is time to reveal the NEW ABC’s of Writing!

A — Aim — Work towards a larger goal. Your aim should reflect your purpose behind writing.

B — Books — Surround yourself with books, as many as possible. They give off writing vibes.

C — Creativity — Feed your creativity with the right amounts of work, rest, and introspection.

D — Dialogues — Your characters need to eat, breathe, and live through their dialogues.

E — Expression — Don’t write like you talk. Writing can be informal, but in a formal way.

F — Focus — Don’t go haywire! Focus on the storyline and wisely weave your characters in it.

G — Grasp — Grasp every opportunity to write. It doesn’t have to be 70,000 word novel. Just Write!

H — Help — Don’t be ashamed to seek help when needed. Read, listen, or just scan the internet.

I — Interest — Take care of the interest of the intended reader. Your interests are secondary.

J — Judge — Judge your writing, and not yourself. It’s all about work, and not a personal issue.

K — Know — Know where to start and how to end a story. It shouldn’t be a surprise to you.

L — Listen — Listen to experiences. Listen to advice. Listen to the little voice in your head.

M — Motive — There should always be a motive to what you’re writing. Rambling on is boring.

N — New — Keep your writing new. Write with fresh ideas, new words, and zany characters.

O — Oxygen — Get enough fresh air in the day. Breathing exercises provide our brains with a lot of oxygen.

P — Plan — Make a plan, and then stick to it. Daily or weekly plans get the writing job done.

Q — Question — Question yourself while writing. Don’t just accept every idea and word glumly.

R — Read — There’s no way to escape reading. Read well, and you’ll write even better. Try it.

S — Sleep — If you’re writing long hours, then rest well. Good sleep actually boosts creativity.

T — Toxicity — Shut out the toxicity. Criticism, rejections, doubt, boredom, failure can’t stop you!

U — Understand — Understand your strengths and weaknesses. Writing blindly is Writer Suicide.

V — Volume — Don’t just write one story and wait for fame. Increase the volume of your writing.

W — Write — Write more, and you’ll definitely write better. Write! Write! Write! That’s it!

X — Xanax — Avoid prescription drugs to calm your nerves. Unless necessary, find other ways to soothe your anxieties, and relieve depression.

Y — Yesterday — Write more than yesterday. Even if only twenty words more, it’ll steadily increase.

Z — Zeal — Never let the zeal and passion exhaust itself. Write like your life depends on it. Write like there’s no tomorrow.

So now that you’re familiar with a new set of ABC’s, you can even go on to create a set of your own.

You’re a writer and don’t need permission to create.

It’s your job to discover new ideas, and your duty as a writer to pen them down!

Visit www.terveengill.com for more W.O.R.D.S from a Writer’s Mind