www.1001TopWords.com |
The Blank Mind
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer screen and wait for inspiration with a feeling of hopelessness. That white page or screen is always a struggle to fill, and it probably will always be for most writers. Writing is fatiguing work because it is the source of great stress, great concentration, great thought, and a great expenditure of energy-mental, emotional, and physical. Writing is stressful because it requires the writer to be aware that others will read what one writes and thus pass judgment on it. Writing is stressful when ideas and thoughts will not come to fill that blank page. Writing is stressful if the writer feels that he must write and yet cannot write. Writing is stressful because the writer is never sure of how effective the composition will be. Writing requires thought. The writer must think of many elements as he writes: grammar, syntax, topic, theme, punctuation, spelling, and all the other factors that are required for effective, useful, and favorable writing whether it is fiction or non-fiction. In addition, this rational process must happen simultaneously as words are put to paper or screen. Because thought requires concentration, and concentration requires effort, and effort requires discipline, the writer is under a great deal of pressure when he or she is working to express an idea in the most effective way. Writing is never easy although it may be easier at one time and not at another. With all these impediments to conquering the blank page or screen, what must a writer do? The writer must start writing one word at a time until the flow comes, and then the page or screen can be dominated-not easily-but it can be controlled. With its filling, the agony diminishes. Charles O. Goulet had a BA in English literature. He has published several novels that are available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and many other online bookstores. His website is: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Its All About YOU! The Hottest Word on the Web Rules for Getting the Story Down 1. Write it fast, fix it later. Ferreting Out Work FERRETING OUT WORK Freelance Writing: How Many Regular Clients Should You Have? This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For me, the worst working scenario is when a few weeks go by and all my work comprises one-off jobs for small clients who never become repeat customers. Journaling How many of you take the time to really write down your thoughts? Top Ten Tips (Part 1) The following rules are essential if you want people to take you seriously. Making The Time To Write That Novel Finding the time to write a novel is one of the major issues confronting writers, particularly those who haven't been published yet. How does one justify to themselves, or to their loved ones, that they need time to write if they have demands on their time, like a job, or a house to be cleaned, a family to be fed, or shopping to do? They make the time. The Myths of Writing: Have You Bought Into These? There is an image most people carry of the artist (think Van Gough's self-portrait, the one with his ear bandaged), working in solitude in a barren garret in a dark corner of the city. Everyday is a struggle. He continually walks between moments of brilliance and moments of insanity. It's a romantic image, I suppose. Built around the belief that an artist must suffer for his art. The ENTP Inventor Writes A Novel People familiar with the Myers-Briggs Personality test know that the writer is the INFJ. This person is introverted, intuitive, feelings-oriented and judgmental. Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (1) Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's no big deal. Well, mostly it's no big deal. As a freelance books editor, I've seen hundreds of books whose authors cannot produce decent grammar and punctuation. I do it for them. I'm paid to do that -- mostly by the hour. Write With Passion: 4 Steps To Emotionally Charge A Nonfiction Article You have just completed a draft of an article. It seemsflat, even to you. It needs some spunk. Needs to be morealive. Possibly you're at a loss on how to spruce it up sothat it creates an emotional connection with the readers. Timer Magic for Writers If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel may seem like a sheer, unscalable cliff. ("Gee, I don't think I can write today. I left my climbing shoes in my other backpack...") Whats in a Name? Giving Birth to your Characters So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up and the research is done. You're ready to start writing your novel. But wait. Now comes the fun part: creating names for your characters. One of the best things about being a writer-besides the innate ability to create imaginary worlds-is giving birth to a character and then bestowing a name upon him or her. True, you didn't carry the character in your womb for nine months (especially if you're male). But he or she could've been in your head for nine months?or nine years. So choosing a name for your characters seems almost as important as the one you would give your own child. Arouse Your Short Story And See It Published Are you ready to abandon your short stories? Before you toss your newest story in the trash, revisit it using many of the same guidelines editors keep in mind when they review your work. If you follow these guidelines, you will be many steps closer to placing your short story in a well-known literary journal. Best Writing Advice I Ever Got I've been in the communications business a long time?over 25 years. During that period I've gathered writing suggestions from all over, and put much of it in my new book "Words That Stick." Editing Secrets Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and written the last word of text, the real work begins. As busy editors are bombarded with hundreds or even thousands of submissions a year, it's more important than ever that authors apply their own editing skills to their manuscripts before putting them in the mail. Checking your basic grammar and spelling are of course important, but authors need to go beyond surface editing if their work has a chance of catching an editor's eye. Top Seven Ways to Write your Print or eBook Fast Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on why it will help your profits and brand your business? Need to know each step so you can delegate it to an assistant or do it yourself in just an hour a day for less than a month? The Daily Rite If you want to be a writer, then you must write - you must write something every day. Get Noticed! Eight Tips to Catching an Editors Eye The first five pages of a novel are critical. Every Result is an Asset Not long ago, I went to an Internet Marketing Seminar. One of the speakers was John Reese, a man who set the Internet world abuzz in August 2004 by achieving the amazing result of just over a million dollars worth of sales in 18 hours. The product, Traffic Secrets, was all about driving traffic to web sites in order to become known and ultimately make a profit. |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |