Putting Pen to Paper

Author: Megan Licious | |

Anyone who wants to undertake writing as a serious endeavor in his or her life has a long road ahead of them. Your average person can sit down and write a piece that is, in the eye of the average public, fabulous. Even genius. This the reason why, I suppose, so many books make it past the chopping block of general publishers these days.

Anyone who understands literature, however, knows that writing is not about boundless imagination. It's about rules. It's about making old ideas fit into those rules in new ways--even if that means breaking the rules. This is the X factor in writing that average readers can't put their fingers on: how it's written, not necessarily what's written.

Skilled writers are students of history, art, government, mythology, and science. A great example is the current Twilight vs. Harry Potter uproar. If talking objectively and exclusively about the books, any person who has done their homework, without reading the books, would be able to tell you that Harry Potter is the better series. J.K. Rowling's books are laced with mythological, historical, and archetypal subtleties. Their invisibility to most general readers only speaks to her skill level--she wrote old stories in new ways].

Regardless of the illustration you choose, there's a lot that goes into skilled writing. A good writer's skills come from 25% pleasure reading, 25% analytical reading, 20% discussion/experience, %20 innovation, and %10 actual writing.

Understanding and doing, however, are two completely different things. I feel, finally, that it's time for me to take on a major writing project. Hopefully I'll be able to brainstorm and outline until December, and then begin writing.

The best thing an English teacher ever said to me was, "This is a safe zone. Here, you can write whatever you want. Experiment. Take risks. And you will only be marked up for it." So inspiring. So realistic, though, about the fact that usually the first writing will be botched and, really, terrible compared to the eventual whole of your writing.

Whether they are or whether they aren't, it's all part of the process.