MishaI’m a newb to writing. My background is in graphic design, which is the general direction my creativity has taken on its way out of me. I’ve always enjoyed reading fiction and I’ve always had a great imagination, but I thought if I were called to writing, it would seep out of me the same way drawing and painting did when I was a young kid.
After I made the visual arts my job, I realized that art doesn’t actually fall out of me. It’s more like hard work that I happen to be good at. So when finally I took up writing fiction, I was used to that push from your gut that creative work requires. Honestly, I would have given up if I weren’t so familiar with it.
Monday’s posts are supposed to be about motivation, and if I have anything to share with you, it’s along these lines.
1. Expect the process. If you set your expectations for occasional set-backs, you won’t get the wind knocked out of you when they come. Creative work may start with inspiration and excitement, but inspiration doesn’t (in my experience) carry you through to the end. Only dedication can do that. For example, you might realize your protagonist starts to act out of character halfway through your WIP. That’s not a small fix! But trudging through your story to address it will keep your story engaging.
2. Learn the rules. I’ve known for a long time that you have to know the rules before you can break the rules. That’s what makes a visual artist’s work ground-breaking, even if it’s “out there.” But I forgot this truth when I came to fiction. When I started, I didn’t actually know all the rules of writing. I disregarded some of them as pedantic silliness. Now I’m blown away when I edit a passage based on the feedback of my writer friends. It is more lively if I leave adverbs aside and draw a better picture. Even a casual reader will see the difference, whether or not they understand why it’s an easier read.
3. Seek out honest feedback. It’s true in the visual arts, too, which is why I knew I needed a critique group. A good critique will pinpoint exactly how you need to fix your work, which will point out the weaknesses you need to address as an author. No one is perfect. Even a genius won’t always see their own flaws. Plus, you need to harness that inspired joy and write! Having help frees you to go back later to deal with the edits.
4. Dedicate time. Set aside a specific amount of time when you will be creating. Not perfecting, not editing, not watching youtube vids to get you in the mood. Just write. As you write, you prime the pump for inspiration. Not everything I do as an artist is good, but the more I do stuff, the better all of my work becomes. I think it’s also true of writing.
It’s completely different than the visual arts, but also totally the same. Happy writing!
Kristen Gwen
Julia N. White
I liked your connection to the graphic arts and I feel that the struggle of everyday life could also apply to that.
Thanks Jillian, I totally agree!