Given the fact that I write at least 1000 words a day on a creative basis I often take for granted that most people don’t. For some writing can be a real struggle. What most people don’t realize is that writing creatively isn’t that difficult, and mostly lies in discipline, patience, as well as knowing how to approach writing. That said, here are the three tiers of reading and writing.
Tier One (Character, Plot, Setting, Conflict, Symbol, Theme, etc.)
This is what I like to call the first tier of reading and writing. If your public education experience was anything like mine then you’ve come the learn the basic facets of writing and reading usually watered-down to the barest essentials that comprise a novel or short story. Not to say that this isn’t bad. At a very young age students are taught how to become critical readers and learn to analyze these separate aspects of a novel. It is, however, unfortunate that the majority of people don’t read on a daily basis. Here’s what I know for sure. If you want to get published someday and eventually become a full-time writer you’ll have to read everything under the Tuscan Sun. It’s that simple. You can’t be a writer without being a reader, so if you hate reading then it’ll be a good idea to choose another career option.
Tier Two (Description, Narration, and Dialogue)
It’s a shame that after high school the majority of people don’t read on a daily basis, in fact I once heard a poll that 70% of students once they graduate university don’t even pick up a book. This second tier of writing is actually taken from Stephen King’s book “On Writing” which is, in my opinion, one of the best books on the craft of writing written in the last decade (a must read!). While it’s easy to assume that the second tier of writing is easier than the aforementioned facets of writing you would be dead wrong. In fact, its actually more difficult.
Description – description pertains to, well, how to describe things. But it’s not just what you describe, it’s how you describe it. You ever read a novel and felt that there was something inauthentic about it? I have. I once read a novel where a shotgun shot bullets instead of shells. But description also pertains to how you describe things and pertains largely to character and setting. However one of the biggest mistakes for a first-time author I find is over-description. Me personally I hate adverbs, they’re sloppy and ineffective. Avoid this pitfall.
Welcome to Authspot, the spot for creative writing.
Read some stories and poems, and be sure to subscribe to our feed!
