Category: Creative Writing

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Writing Takes Time, but isn’t always Difficult

I like what best-selling author Randy Ingermanson said in his discussion about writing stories. He likes to start a story to see how it ends because when he starts one, it takes on a life of its own and he writes what’s happening. But remember yesterday’s blog about imagination? Randy has a prolific imagination, and he writes what he sees and hears.

It takes time to write – we have to make ourselves sit down and do it. But it isn’t always difficult if we set our imagination loose and write what you see and hear.

Years ago at a scientific laboratory when I wrote reports for my supervisor, he said, “I just read the report you wrote for me. I’m baffled because it looks exactly the way I would have written it. How do you do that?”

“George, I know the information you need, I know the sound of your voice, I know how you think, and I know your work ethic. Therefore, when I sit at my computer, I begin typing what I mentally hear what you say.” I got a big raise that year.

So, you should “know” your characters inside & out. Then when you begin writing, type what you “hear” them say. Allow yourself to enter the story, and as it develops, write what you “see” happening.

Writing is laborious, but not always difficult. And P&L Publishing and Literary Services is ready to help you publish your work when you are ready. (https://plpubandlit.org/)

Write Creatively

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Capture your Thoughts

Have you ever had an amazing thought, revelation, or inspiration, but it evaporated into oblivion? Yep, it happens to all of us. But if our mind is working like it’s supposed to, why can’t we remember a simple thought? Quite simply, it’s because so many other things are happening.

You might have heard that we have an average of 60,000-70,000 thoughts being processed through our brain every day, but the real number is probably closer to around 6,500. Nevertheless, at 6,500 thoughts in an 18-hour day, assuming we sleep 6 hours, that is around 360 thoughts an hour. Our mind gets crowded!

I’m not necessarily a creative person, but when an idea does bubble up out of the hidden recesses of my brain, I’ve learned to immediately reach for a pen & paper! Why? Far too many ideas have escaped from my mind and into the stratosphere simply because I didn’t capture them on paper. My dad said quite often, “Paper has a longer memory than you do, so write it down.”   

Please, do not assume that you’ll remember the idea later, because, as dad reasoned, more often than not you will forget. It’s understood that of all the thoughts that flit through your mind, you won’t write about all of them, but the ideas you keep can pay great benefits.

I have a folder in my computer labeled “IDEAS” and I visit it often. Ensconced within are Word files with one idea written in each file, and each file is identified with a word or phrase to remind me of what’s written inside. Having been a writer for several decades, writing about anything and everything, this process has served me well. A number of those ideas have patiently waited in the bowels of my computer for years before I resuscitated them, such as what I’m writing about at this moment.

So, let me encourage you once more: Capture your thoughts. Some will become encouragements to individuals, some will become blogs, and some will become books.

Capture your thoughts when they bubble up to the surface of your mind, and …

Write Creatively

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Writing Creatively?

Why do I normally end these blogs with the 2-word sentence, Write Creatively?

I’ve written for newspapers, science labs, businesses, and churches for most of my adult life, and believe-it-or-not, I sometimes seemed to run dry. I put my fingers to the keyboard and words popped up, but what I wrote was – are you ready? – boring! 

It might not surprise you to hear that people do not, repeat, DO NOT, like to read boring stuff. Therefore, “Write Creatively” is a reminder for me as well as for anyone who reads what I write.

Whatever you write, make your words erupt with life, action, adventure. Let your words be the worms-on-the-hook that lures people to your blogs and and your book.

Over 50 years ago when I began teaching, preaching, and writing, my dad instructed me with this undying bit of wisdom: “Don’t bore the people! Always give everyone something to take home and chew on.” Was I always successful? No, but, that was my goal.

I want you folks to apply that admonition to your writing. Whether your theme is adventure, science, spirituality, drama, poetry, or anything else, “Don’t bore the people! Always give everyone something to take home and chew on.” And fill your writing with life, action, and adventure.

That’s why I say ……

Write Creatively

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Fulfilling Your Dream of Writing – Step 7

In my youth, I didn’t like to write. I didn’t even like to read anything except Superman comic books. Superman was action, the narrative was dynamic, and I could tell folks anything they ever wanted to know about the hero … verbally. But when it came to writing, the process of passing the information had a difficult time making it from my mind, through my hand, and on to the paper.

But friends, through trial and error, I worked hard at learning step 7.

I had to learn how to Grab the Reader’s Attention. If you don’t get people’s attention, they won’t read your book.

Have you read any of George Orwell’s books? The first lines of the first chapter of any book are crucial. George Orwell, writing the book, 1984, began with, “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

Cold in April in the United States? Striking thirteen? Hmmm … what’s George getting at? It didn’t sound right, and that’s what got people’s attention!

How do you write in such a way that will get potential readers’ attention?

You may need to take a course in Creative Writing. I highly recommend it.

But then write about your passion! Write about what interests you. Write about what you know. If you want to write about something unfamiliar to you, study it! Become conversant with the subject. Learn to write creatively. Write in such a way that the reader enters the story through his or her imagination.

Then create a catchy title for your book. Next, generate a good writeup for the back cover of the book. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The first lines of each chapter must grab the reader, and each page must prompt the reader to turn the page. The end of each chapter must have a hook that won’t let the reader go. You hope the reader will say, “I couldn’t put the book down.”

When I was twelve years old, I finally stopped investing valuable time reading Superman because I had become acquainted with science, history, and nature. Learning history ignited my desire to study the Bible, and if you read much of my writing, you’ll learn that my writing generally revolves around those four topics. (You can find my books at https://genelinzey.com/books/)

So start writing and let it flow!

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Write Creatively