Columns: Tag – Writing Skills
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Writing Quips and Tips
Suspense is more than a shot ringing out at midnight
Richard and I ran a Writers’ Group last night at which one of our members read us a piece of her writing. She hoped it might form the start of a memoir; a story of the things she’s been facing in her life.
It began with her waking in the night and experiencing a sense of depletion.
“Could it be my unhappy marriage of 15 years, and my inability to escape? Or perhaps my teenage daughter who has dropped out and will no longer speak to me? Could it be my niece’s struggle with cancer, followed by her painful death, or my desperate attempts to help my sister through this terrible time?” (And so on.)
We explained that she had actually told us the entire book in a couple of paragraphs – too much at once. If you read those, there’s almost no need to read further. We now know what she’s been facing in her life.
Writing Quips and Tips
Just because it’s true doesn’t mean it’s not a story
“I don’t need to learn about plot structure because my story’s true.”
Someone said this to us recently. They were questioning their need to learn writing skills if they were writing non-fiction.
And boy, do you need to learn about narrative and plot structure – even if your story happens to be true.
Writing Quips and Tips
It’s hard and lonely - and Oprah’s unlikely to be involved
People have funny ideas about creative writing.
Either, they believe anyone capable of stringing two words together can put together a 90 000-word novel. (“She writes really good proposals / sales documents /memorandums”.) If they just put their mind to it.
“If only we had the time you do.” (Spoken with a rueful sigh.)
Or: “Old Jimbo’s retiring in September. He’s going to write his book.
That’ll keep him busy for October, but what he’ll do from November I’m just not sure.”Page 1 of 1 pages