Tag: writing

The biggest challenge every writer faces is writing the first word, the first sentence, that first paragraph. This is the foundation and it has to be solid otherwise everything else topples. For one to write, you have to read. You spend days reading different authors, taking walks, looking for inspiration at 3 am and nothing!! Nothing that you consider worthy to be put down on paper especially because it can be traced back to you. As a writer you expose yourself, your intricate thoughts, your life, your dreams everything and anything and still the constant fear that it may not be good enough is ever present.

I no longer read books, I read authors. I read about their childhood, their education, their career path, their lives. Everything and anything including watching their interviews. I want to understand the person behind the words, I want to know them, think of their thought process and identify with their reality. My interest in knowing the person behind the writing was piqued by one of colleen Hoover’s books. By knowing the writer I not only mean authors; script writers, poets, musicians everyone and anyone involved in the writing process at whatever stage.

I would be intrigued by anyone who can decipher the different author’s I’ll pick on by description and bonus points for the book in mind.

We often assume that one must have gone through some pain in order to write about it so deeply in a way that evokes our empathy. In the same vein, we assume that if an author writes something so dark they must be going through some difficult moment in their life. Both scenarios are not necessarily true. In fact, an author revealed that when writing one of the darkest books I have read to date they first had the original story as it had occurred then using antagonistic journaling turned it into the thriller it became. This technique involves writing the opposite of what happens in the original story thus making it easy for a writer to pretend to be someone they aren’t.

Often, it is easy for writers to separate reality from fiction in a way that they live in both worlds though at different times. When a writer’s world becomes dark, they can retrieve to a happier fictional place or even write about a darker world than the one they are living just to make their reality feel a lot better. In another book that literally drove me to tears, I was shocked to learn that the events described had not taken place as narrated but were actually fiction imagined after the writer saw a picture from a newspaper clipping.

It reminds me of a book that drove millions into anger after learning that the story depicted was not a memoir by the author as it was categorized to be. The book won several awards, it was on the bestseller list for months and even featured in the famous book club’s read for the month. Thinking back, perhaps the book sold because people could put a face on the character. The author’s face, as the troubled person who eventually overcame. Given the era the book was published, overcoming that incident was a major milestone. Fortunately, by the time this knowledge became public, the book had sold several copies and even brought the author to limelight. Thanks to this controversy, I enjoyed a different book by the author who was not deterred by the angry fans and put more content for those who could look past the incident to relish.

It’s a jungle out here! Somehow writers still find their way given the numerous material being published. Some readers also have an epiphany. Going through the reviews of a book I had just put down, a reader was generous enough to share her mind blowing discovery. The entire book was a tribute to a famous musician who had died a couple of years back. The writer was alluding to one of the singer’s greatest hit songs and even named a character after the album tittle. In the book, one of the characters had this journaling lifestyle and he would name his journals. The particular journal we get to see him write was named after the singer’s hit song. The entire plot is based on the singer and how he eventually died. I would never have joined the dots but following the trail blew my mind.

Some writers are all together just lucky. First time writing about their experiences, their lessons, their truth and they spring to limelight. The trouble is, after such a huge success, writing the next book is hard. Their readers have identified with the story, they want more but the writer gave their all to the first book. There are only so many times you can re create your life story eh.. if only writers were cats! This particular book surpasses the writers wildest imaginations and got signed for a movie adaptation. Despite the odds, the writer manages to publish not one, not two but several books. In fact, I am yet to read my best work from the author and between me and you, Its either that first book was overrated or the movie was downplayed. I have enjoyed the 2nd book that the writer had difficulty writing but this is what drew me. The one that I claim is the writer’s best work and I am yet to read has already been published. Every time I am about to get hold of it literally the person ahead of me picks it up and it is always the last copy. That is why I consider it the best work.

If anything, this article should motivate you to put out your work. I hope these techniques help cure that writer’s block and give you ideas of how to write. Luckily for me it has given me what to write. I can’t end this piece without mentioning the author who doubled the words I have searched for in a single reading. I have really tried throwing in one or two here but the nature of my writing renders it otiose. I was taken aback to learn that it was the writer’s first. Well, the story was neither here nor there but its rattling nature would make you keep an eye out for the next book.