Ways of Moving Forward
Once you’re in a writing flow and know that writing is what you must do more than anything in the world, you need to keep that momentum up; never forgetting for a moment that writing is in your blood and you were made to be creative. This chapter includes ways in which other writers support themselves to keep going because the sky really is the limit no matter how clichéd that may seem. There are always writing opportunities and always ways in which you can grow and develop as a writer.
One way to maintain your momentum is to keep yourself firmly involved in the world of writing. Read the magazines and the new writing books that come out. Look at forums and websites and keep an eye on developments and trends in the publishing world. Go to seminars, attend workshops and conferences. Immerse yourself in all things writing.
I’ve just had an idea for a screenplay and so I dashed to the library to gather an armful of books for hints and tips, found a lecture series to watch on TV and signed up for some website newsletters to get info on what production companies are looking for. Jumping into a new writing world can really invigorate your writing and support you to channel your energies towards a new project.
I know I’ve mentioned writing magazines before but one in particular, Writing Magazine, is a UK publication that has a Writers’ News section in it that is great for maintaining momentum by giving you new ideas of where to send your work, new opportunities that might get your cogs whirring and info on competitions and awards. I have responded to several of these news snippets and seen my work published as a result. Sometimes reading about an opportunity will spark an idea or make you dust off a manuscript that has been sitting in a drawer. It also helps by giving you the will to try something new, making you work to a deadline and explore new possibilities with your writing. Check out what writers’ news you can read, whether it’s in a magazine or on a website, to keep that momentum going.
You can also surround yourself with people who you can talk to about your writing – if you need to. Whether it’s friends you can meet up with, a group you attend or online chats with other writers. Find people who can goad you on and will you to succeed. Even if it’s just a friendly editor!
I’m probably too much of an info gatherer. Like I said, I dashed off to the library to get books on screenwriting but hey, it doesn’t cost anything and it opens up your mind to new creative musings. Whenever I have an idea, I scan books, check out websites and load myself up with knowledge about whatever it is that has caught my imagination.
Info gathering isn’t just about research. It can be done when you just have the barest glimmer, the slightest idea to go on, but it’s a great way of delving into what is out there already and whether your idea has a place to go.
Info gathering can be done when you don’t have time to write but are always thinking about your next project. Creative writers do it a lot by picking up bits of people’s personalities for characters, interesting names for a protagonist, interesting objects for use in a story. Whatever type of writing is your forte, info gather constantly, using a notebook or just absorbing elements of life that could be turned into some form of writing. Even just making everyday conversation with people you meet can send you off on a tangent that will lead to more info gathering and the momentum to write a new piece of work.
In my pursuit to find out more about screenwriting, I watched a lecture given by the great Guillermo Arriaga, writer of 21 Grams and Babel. He was like a breath of fresh writing wisdom. He doesn’t believe in rule books or writing to a rigid structure. His point of view intrigued me and gave me much food for thought.
You can maintain momentum by educating yourself and listening to other people who have achieved their goals. Try attending one-off lectures or workshops. If you want to really study in greater depth, think about returning to college or university. There are some great BA and MA degree writing courses available these days and if you can’t physically attend them then there are many more writing courses online.
Even experienced writers who have a few successes under their belts should consider whether they would enjoy a course with feedback provided by other professionals. This can work especially well if you want to cross genre and are unsure of your abilities. It’s easier to send your work to a tutor for correction than it is to just take the plunge in a new area of work. I recently took a distance learning scriptwriting course and it really gave me the new skills and motivation to produce something in this area. I’ve now applied for a place on an MA in English with Irish Literature but then I love learning and am always doing some course or the other because I believe that we should never stop learning and opening ourselves up to new knowledge.
Think of ways in which you can educate yourself. Personal and professional development is a lifelong process and what you learn can help you to move forward as a writer.
The Internet has opened up many possibilities to writers including the chance to talk to other writers and get online support.
Joe Griffin told me, “I have some friends who are writers and sometimes we share our experiences, and I check in on writing blogs and Twitter accounts to make contacts and remind myself that I’m not alone.”
Amanda J Evans says, “My main support is my family and friends but I also like to participate in some of the groups on the internet. I am a member of quite a few groups on LinkedIn and I subscribe to a number of writing blogs and newsletters too. I also use social networking.”
Melinda Feeney and Sarah Zama both use Critique Circle (www.critiquecircle.com), a web-based Internet critique group. Melinda says “I have been in a group called Critique Circle for just over a year now. It has proven to be the single most important thing I have done in regard to my writing. What I have learned from the good people there has improved my writing tenfold. it’s amazing what you don’t know when you don’t even know you don’t know!”
Sarah adds “I’m a member of an online workshop, the Critique Circle. Have been for five years now. I enjoy it a lot. I’m a non-native English speaker, and in the workshop I found the support to my learning the language – and learn it with the purpose of writing fiction – that I always wanted and never found. But I also learned a lot about the art of writing. I met quite a few fantastic people and some of them are not only writing buddies now, but real friends.
I also learned to take critique without fearing it. Yeah, sure, receiving a crit from a stranger is always a peculiar experience, but now I just read it and take what good there is. Something good or interesting is always there. And I just enjoy my friends’ crits. Receiving them is always a pleasure, whatever they have to say about my story.”
Niall McArdle uses his contacts and friends for support, “I have several friends who I rely on for feedback, and when I’m ready to hear what they have to say, I email them pages. It’s always terrifying. They are all brilliant readers, and each has different strengths and interests, so you end up getting interesting perspectives. They’re not emotionally attached to it, so their comments can seem cruel at times, but they are looking at it as readers, not as the person teasing the story out from the writing gods. I don’t know what I would do without those emails from those people. I used to belong to a writers’ group, but I had to leave because it stopped being a writers’ group and started turning into group therapy. I wasn’t interested in hearing people’s personal problems; I have enough of my own. Going to author readings is also inspiring. Not the reading bit, which is usually awful – it’s called prose for a reason – but the discussion afterwards. It’s good to know that even an established, successful author can feel like a total loser sometimes. It gives me hope.”
Create networks of like-minded people to support you through the tough times, to celebrate with during the good times and to remind you that you are a writer when doubts surface or you’re in between projects.
Writers have divided opinions about writing groups. Some like Niall have tried them; others don’t feel comfortable in a group setting or don’t have one to attend locally. They aren’t everyone’s idea of networking but for some writers they do provide a vital support.
Jennifer Burke, an aspiring novelist based in Ireland, wouldn’t be without her group. Jennifer told me, “My biggest support – and I feel it has significantly affected the quantity and quality of my writing – is a writing group. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember (literally!) but without knowing any other authors. I took a couple of courses in the Irish Writers Centre and while the courses themselves were very useful, my favourite part was meeting other aspiring writers. I couldn’t believe there were so many out there, all struggling along in their bedrooms with their laptops, just like me.
When I put one of my novels forward for the Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair Competition, one of the other entrants emailed us all about starting a weekly writing group, just for the purposes of finalising our books for the competition. While fifteen people turned up on day one, only seven or eight stuck it out on a regular basis. When the competition was over, we decided not to disband the group.
We now meet once a month. We all email part of our work to the group the week before our sessions. At the meetings, we read out our pieces and everyone gives feedback. The best part about the group is the range of genres, including women’s fiction, fantasy, science fiction, crime, general fiction and humour. The scope is inspiring and I learn as much from critiquing others’ work as I do from the advice I am given (which is often extremely helpful – a fresh pair of eyes is worth ten re-writes). Having first met seven months ago, we are now very comfortable with each other and no one takes negative criticism as anything other than constructive. We stick strictly to the timetable to ensure everyone’s work gets a fair hearing, but we punctuate the meetings with casual conversations about how we’re keeping motivated and our general writing lifestyles.
I find I push myself to write more every month to ensure I have good quality work to show the group at the next meeting. I look forward to our sessions immensely because it is my only chance to meet with other writers. I had a short story published last year about a woman who killed her husband. Some non-writer friends who read the story were surprised by the content, having expected that my stories would reflect my own life. I think they were concerned that I was hiding some dark secret! This serves as an example of why I need the group. They understand writing and imagination.
I take every piece of critique I receive from the group on board. I do not always make the changes they suggest but I do consider every point and I firmly believe my writing in general has improved because of the feedback. If the group ever disbands, I will be devastated. Internet sites, blogs and forums are interesting, as are self-help books. But nothing beats actual personal contact with other writers and, if I ever become a famous writer and am asked to give advice to aspiring authors, it will be: join a writing group.”
If there isn’t a writing group in your locality but you would like the support of a group, consider starting your own. Ask around and see if there are other writers nearby who would be willing to join and share their expertise and stories. Stick an ad in your local paper or on the supermarket notice-board. It doesn’t matter how many members you get. If there are enough people to share their work and a room you can use to gather in, you have the makings of a group that can be a valuable support.
There are numerous ways in which to keep your creative mind active. Ok I have to admit here that I love my little Nintendo DS. I’m not a games fan in general but I love word games, brain training exercises, crosswords and logical problems. It’s something to do in the evening when your brain is still active but you’ve run out of words for the day.
I recently read about a writer that loves Scrabble and crosswords and gives himself a break by doing a quick game on the computer. The Internet has a wealth of word games and puzzle sites that you can explore in your downtime. There are also sites that give you creative prompts so that if you find yourself between projects and you need to flex your creative muscles, you can find something on the web to kick start new thought processes.
Any writer should have on their shelves a few books like The Creative Writing Handbook by John Singleton and Mary Luckhurst, Life-Writes by Suzanne Ruthven or The Creative Writer’s Handbook by Cathy Birch. Books that give you ideas, exercises and prompts so that if you feel like trying something different or, if you need a break away from your main writing project, you can do something else to keep your creative mind active.
One of my clients goes to the theatre or to the cinema, not just to enjoy a night out, but to analyse how plays and films work. She looks for audience reactions – what makes people gasp in horror? Laugh at the same time? When do they feel tension? What endings do they come away talking about? It’s her way of analysing the best points of screen and playwriting with a view to informing her own work but it’s not as strenuous as a writing session.
What ways can you use your creative mind to support your writing but have fun doing at the same time?
If you have lots of experience and something to share with other writers, think about coaching or mentoring beginner writers. Many writers support their income by tutoring students for colleges, universities and online writing schools. But could you take it a step further? Make yourself available as a coach or consultant?
If you have access to an office space or have a home office, you could consider taking on clients and charging for your services. There are some great home study courses that you can take to learn the basics of life coaching or NLP and combined with your writing skills, you could be helping other writers to tap into their creative potential and overcome any obstacles that life throws at them.
There are so many people who start writing but need the support to get to a finished product. Often when I mention that I’m a writer, someone will say they have started a book or would love to write their memoirs or have this amazing idea for a story but they just need the encouragement to see their goals realised. Being a coach or consultant can help many aspiring writers to achieve their goals and often it is just having someone to talk to who has been there and done that that can spur them on to becoming a published writer too.
You can also move forward by helping out in your local community. Community groups love guest speakers and writers who will host workshops for them. I’ve worked with women’s groups and active age groups to help them produce books or to get them started on their own personal writing projects. You might not get paid a fortune but giving something back to the writing community is ultimately rewarding and to be able to have helped others fulfil their writing dreams is a pleasure in itself.
Many of us have subscriptions to organisations, guilds or societies. Is there a way you could become more involved? Like taking a position on their board or heading a regional group? Talk to the organisations you are involved in to see in what ways you could take a more active role. If you don’t have the time to be a permanent member of the board, you might be able to help out in other ways. Is there an event that needs organising? Or a competition that needs judges? Think about offering your services to societies that support writers and sharing your skills and expertise with your fellow men and women. As you move forward in your writing career, help others to move forward in theirs too.