Kaylin
asked
K.A. Barson:
OMG! I just realized you wrote 45 pounds more or less! I love that book! Great job! I know exactly how she was feeling thank you for writing about this issue! Also i would like to rephrase my previous question... I am a reader but would love to write but i don't know how to start? If you could offer some advice that would be great!?
K.A. Barson
Hi, Milly! First, thanks for reading 45 POUNDS! I'm so glad you liked it.
Yay for wanting to write! As a reader, you're off to a good start. I'm always leery of people who want to write, but say they don't read. I don't get that. But, anyway, my advice is to first read widely. Then start writing. Tell the stories of your heart. Tell the stories of those around you. I love watching strangers and imagining what their stories are. Imagine: Who are my characters? What do they want? What's keeping them from getting what they want? How do they react? Write as much as you can.
Then, you can take classes if you want. You can attend writing workshops. Read books about writing. There are lot of good ones out there. Some are about craft; others about publishing; others about inspiration and the artistic life. I have two book shelves full of "craft" books.
Find others who write and join a critique group. Other writers help A LOT! We often see things in each other's work that we'd never see in our own because we know what we meant to say. Beta readers only see what's on the page. Listen thoughtfully and revise. Revise is as much as writing as first drafts, actually more.
Keep at it. Don't give up.
Keep me posted, so I can add your books to my shelves someday.
Write on,
Kelly
Yay for wanting to write! As a reader, you're off to a good start. I'm always leery of people who want to write, but say they don't read. I don't get that. But, anyway, my advice is to first read widely. Then start writing. Tell the stories of your heart. Tell the stories of those around you. I love watching strangers and imagining what their stories are. Imagine: Who are my characters? What do they want? What's keeping them from getting what they want? How do they react? Write as much as you can.
Then, you can take classes if you want. You can attend writing workshops. Read books about writing. There are lot of good ones out there. Some are about craft; others about publishing; others about inspiration and the artistic life. I have two book shelves full of "craft" books.
Find others who write and join a critique group. Other writers help A LOT! We often see things in each other's work that we'd never see in our own because we know what we meant to say. Beta readers only see what's on the page. Listen thoughtfully and revise. Revise is as much as writing as first drafts, actually more.
Keep at it. Don't give up.
Keep me posted, so I can add your books to my shelves someday.
Write on,
Kelly
More Answered Questions
Amanda
asked
K.A. Barson:
Did you always know what you wanted to be when you got older? I used to want to be a zoologist, a teacher, and now I hope to be a child psychologist and am going through school working towards. Sometimes I look back and think about those old dreams/wants I had and what life could be like in the future if I chose those. If you ever wanted to be something else, do you think back on it too? Do you regret it?
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