Harmony Stalter's Blog: A Writer's Journey - Posts Tagged "harmony-stalter"

Writing a book can be hard. There may be times when a story begins to form in your head and you put it down on paper. Then, suddenly, there is nothing. This may happen a few times. You will begin a book or story and then get stuck. Often times, you will have to walk away from it and put it aside for a few months. Sometimes, those stories will be put away for years, forgotten about. You may find yourself with several stories only partly written. This happens to the best authors. For instance, Stephen King had begun Under the Dome in 1976 and just finished the over 1,000 page book in early 2009. He stopped writing it for quite some time because he did not know where he wanted to take it.

Do not let the unfinished stories stop you from writing. You will get back to them. There may be some that never get turned into books. Some stories are not meant to be books. These stories are meant to be short stories. If you can finish these stories quickly, then you can compile a book of short stories. If you decide to create a book of short stories, then you have to be sure they are all the same genre. A short story book can be anywhere from four to ten stories depending on the length of the stories. You can also release these stories as singles, thanks to the invention of the different e-readers. Releasing these stories as singles can get a reader interested in your full length books. Never be discouraged, no matter what happens. If you are meant to be a writer, you will be one. Write no matter what happens. Write your thoughts, poetry, and stories, anything that comes to mind. It will help you hone your skills. Ask for opinions on your stories, this will help you to continue on, but do not get discouraged if someone gives you criticism. Some of your harshest critics will be family and friends. Continue to write; knowing that one day you will sell a book or story to the masses.

In order for a writer to write, there needs to be inspiration. This can come from a variety of different places. You do not need to search for inspiration. It will hit you at a moments notice. Seasoned writers will walk around with a pen and paper in hand constantly, because they never know when inspiration will hit. I would advise you to do this. Personally speaking, I have been in a restaurant, driving down the road and in the grocery store when inspiration has struck.

Inspiration can come from anything. It can come from a life experience. For instance, your current job can bring on inspiration for a character, plot, or setting. Inspiration can come from some thing you see. For instance, you could be taking a walk in your neighborhood or on a trail when you come up with scene of a chase through the woods or a neighborhood. A painting can inspire you to write about a certain time period. A drive can inspire you to write about a neighborhood. A person can inspire you to use some of their personality traits for one of your characters. A fight with a loved one can inspire you to write about a conflict in your story.

Like musicians, writers have to draw from real life experiences. Using the things that inspire you will help you become a better writer. Your imagination is the key to a good story. The next time you are in a grocery store or at a social event, look at a complete stranger and come up with their life story without ever speaking to them. Put him or her through different scenarios and come up with ways he or she came out of them. This will help you gain inspiration from different things and keep your imagination going. You will then be able to create different characters, settings, and plots for your characters.

Being able to draw inspiration from anything will help you gain a better understanding to becoming a writer. Allowing yourself to come up with different plots using different sets of characters can help you write a novel series. Remember to always carry a pen and paper with you because you never know when you need it. If you have a phone where you can get a program that allows you to write, like notepad, then be sure to have it handy at all times. You may never know when inspiration will take over, but you must always remember to be prepared for it.