Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Learning How To Write Quality Fiction

By Patty Goff


Most writers have a good imagination but consistently producing work of high quality requires more than just imagination. Discipline, perseverance and courage are just some of the qualities needed. Writing is both an art and a craft and it takes time and patience to learn a craft. Self-doubt is one of the biggest hindrances many authors face. It takes determination to keep writing despite any self-doubts and to keep persisting in your pursuit of learning how to write quality fiction.

Reading books written by good authors is one of the ways to improve. Compare plots, characters and styles. You will get a better idea of what works and can use your observations to improve your own writing. Reading your novel aloud can also be a great help. Do your sentences have a rhythm? Are they too long and convoluted?

The life of a writer requires a certain amount of being solitary. You need to address unnecessary issues that eat away at your time and intrude upon your space. Planning, writing a draft and rewriting are virtually impossible under certain circumstances.

It is one thing to have a good idea for a book. It is quite another to actually sit down and consistently write page after page. Many of the best authors stick to strict writing schedules in order to do this. They know that unless they do this, they will not be successful. Many of them do a number of rewrites until they are satisfied.

Listening to the suggestions and positive criticisms of others can do a great deal to improve your writing. Other people in a writing group or workshop are there to hear what you have written and give you valuable feedback. It may be difficult to expose your work to others for fear of harsh criticism but remember that the intention is to help you improve.

Most writers are very observant people. They are constantly examining what is around them and it helps to carry a notebook wherever you go so these observations can be recorded. Impressions and thoughts need to be recorded as they are often fleeting and disappear as quickly as they come. The best authors have learned how to show rather than tell in their writing and these observations can help you do this.

Most successful writers have the quality of persistence. This is important as writers have to persevere despite discouragement and rejection. Even successful writers admit to having times of self-doubt and when you are facing this you need to be able to push beyond it. Take courage from the fact that many excellent authors suffered a number of rejections before becoming recognized.

Dedication, long hours, commitment and infinite patience are all necessary when it comes to perfecting the art of writing. Just about every person has an idea for a book but not many have what it takes to actually produce one. To improve your writing is most certainly possible but like anything else of value, it requires some sacrifice to succeed.




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