This page is dedicated to help writers with tips and tricks that might help them in their journey. Taking the first step is up to them, but it always helps to have allies walking with you as you go along. If you have one leave a comment and we will see about adding it.
This is an exercise for the imagination. Take the Picture above for instance. I’m not going to ask you to tell me the story you see in the picture. I’ll ask, what are you in the picture? The wizard, dragon, or something else.
Joshua Gorrell’s Answer:
For me I could be the dragon beating down the wizard, the man who is trying to kill off my race. I could be the wizard heroically beating back the dragon that has been terrorizing the people.
Actually I look at this picture and see myself as both. I’m the wizard who is all my dreams that are possible. My wants, goals, and everything I want to accomplish in my life. While the Dragon is all of my fears, doubts, and questions. They are bombarding me constantly, but my will is stronger and one day I’ll be the dragon beating back my fears, doubts, and questions.
Exercise 2: Visualization
Writing Fiction is all about creating a picture through words. As writers our job is to transport the reader to another world beyond this one, but how do you know if the picture that is in your head is what the reader is creating?
Find a section in what you are writing that is describing a thing. Place, person, object, room, car, anything it just needs to be descried and for you to have a clear picture in your head as to what it looks like. Now (Even if your not the best) draw that image that you have in your head. This has a two fold action.
Action 1:
- This allows you to some what see the thing that you are trying to create. There might be something there that jumps out to you that helps you describe what you are wanting to the reader to see.
- Joshua Gorrell – I do this sometimes while writing. I actually draw out a scene I’m not even writing about yet. It was just something that I started to see in my mind. It’s as you could say a way to take notes, but it is also a means to see the image out of my mind and describe it. Sometimes the images are just something cool that I thought of that have nothing to do with anything that I’m currently writing, but I draw it so I can write about it later.
Action 2:
- You can have someone else read the section. Then with out giving them any pointers, or seeing your drawing, have them draw the scene. After they are done compare it to yours and see if they are creating the image that you are wanting them to see.
- Joshua Gorrell – I have a scene in a book that I’m writing. It has a wedding dress in it. You’ll find out one day that these dresses are very important and detail is big if don’t know already, but I wrote out how the dress looks and everything. I wasn’t trying to have someone describe the scene or anything. It’s a matter of the dress and having a person read the description and from there drawing it. Afterwards I was able to see if the image I have in my head was truly being created through my words. I can use this to everything I’m writing and see if I’m describing enough in my writing to create the images I’m wanting to play in someones mind. Oh, and the person who drew the dress actually did I very good job of recreating the image I had wrote out. Everyone will not come to the same conclusion when drawing the picture, and that is okay, as long as they are all coming close you know then that you nailed it. When the reader reads a story, it is their story that they will create, and that’s the fun of it.
Exercise 3: Goals
Goals are talked about all the time. Most people write some down and that’s about it, but if you really look into goals you will be able to accomplish big things.
Action 1: End Game & Date
Look at what you want to accomplish. It needs to be clear and not vague. It needs to be big in accordance to what you are trying to accomplish. If not big then there wont be a point. You need to set a date to it as well. This holds you accountable for the actions that will be needed to finish the goal.
Action 2: Let’s Break it Down
You might not know every step to get to the goal, but that’s fine. This is the part to get you there. Work it out and create steps to get you there. They can be small, and some can be big as well. The parts that are unknown to you are a step in them selves. Learn them and figure out. Each step needs to have a date for completion, other wise whats there to push you to finish.
Example:
If your on my site then writing a book is an obvious one. (This is just an Example, time obviously very, and it will be very broad, meaning, that there should be steps inbetween each steps)
Main goal. You have story figured out, now whats your final word count to aim for.
Word count goal to Finish book: 180,000
- Write 1500 words a day
- Write 10,500 words a week (7 day week)
- Write 42000 words a month (4 week Avg. a Month)
- 180,000 words in 5 months
These numbers should get me to that goal, if not exceed the count, but this concept can be applied to many things in your life as well.
Joshua Gorrell – So this is close to my goals that I have set for myself. I strive for at least 1000 words a day, and 7000 a week, with a push goal of 10,500 a week. You’ll notice I made a push goal. Those are usually goals that are just a little higher than the main one. Mine is just 500 more words a day. In the end its half of what I do in the week. In a 4 week time period I will have written another two weeks worth of words. Goals, they can add up to big things.