CREATIVE WRITING

Five Basic Lessons for a Future Author

Start today, focus on yourself and your talents. Make your dream be your future​

Writing Lesson 1

Sit to yourself in your private writing room, make sure you are not disturbed, let the silence subside, let your thoughts flow through you. Think of this idea:

I’m going to write.

I’m going to be someone who writes stories.

I will be an author who publishes stories that are read.

The first thing needed in your new writing career is that you decide what you are going for.

What do you want to write?

— Insightful articles or essays?

— Short stories — or longer prose?

— A novel?

— Or maybe poems?

Once you have decided, the next step is to take the consequences of this choice.

You have to have it clear in your head that this is what you want, and you know why you want it.

And then you have to take on all the consequences of what you have decided.

Now you can start.

And what you have to start with is learning. Look around, search in nooks and crannies, find out, discover, research thoroughly, browse, take a close look on everything you find about writing that you can learn from!

You have the dream that you want to write.

You want to be a writer. Then there is only one thing that applies. Learn from others, learn everything you can find. Learn from other authors, learn from masterpieces in world literature, learn from misunderstood and ignored works and authors, learn from experts in the craft of writing, learn from sources wherever they are found. Learn from what is relevant to your writing, learn from what is apparently not relevant to your writing.

Your potential for learning about writing is enormous — almost limitless — because creative writing is so extensive and wide!

Writing Lesson 2

Look at others, see what others are doing, read the stories of other authors that you see can be interesting.

Get in touch with others, read them, comment on their texts, show that you read them and that you are interested!

Contact other authors, join communities, writing groups, support groups for writers.

Writing Lesson 3

Find good tools

Find free tools and apps, use everything that you can benefit from: correction programs, dictation programs, sales programs — there is so much out there! And a lot of it is free.

Also look at tools that you have to pay a sum for. Sometimes it can pay off! You can save time, you can increase your writing skills by leaps and bounds because you buy a good tool.

There are lots of groups and forums for writing enthusiasts online, there are blogs, websites, apps, workshops, forums, software. There are courses, and other custom tools that you use when you need it — and this applies to all areas of writing, marketing or publishing.

Writing Lesson 4

Focus on what you can achieve, what you can control. Do not think about the rest, what you will not be able to control.

Do you want to publish a novel?

Well, that’s a hair-raising goal. But it’s good. But what happens if you write for one year and submit a script to publisher after publisher and no one wants to publish your book?

You will be disappointed, sorry. And you might give up, in the end. Give up the dream of publishing a book.

But it does not have to be this way!

Is the quality of your book good enough, do you get feedback from readers who would like to read more from you?

Then there is every reason to consider alternative ways of publishing.

Are you sure you have a product that is good enough in quality, have you received feedback from readers who say they would like to read more? Then you can take care of the publishing yourself, you can explore alternative ways to publish your texts, use available and effective tools and publishing channels.

If you have a book you want to publish, research various support schemes, find private and public support schemes available in the country where you want to publish your book.

Get in touch with printing companies, bookstore chains and alternative distribution channels.

Attend trade fairs, squares and other relevant events where you can communicate your writing, and sell your books. Remember that direct contact with readers is perhaps the best way to grow your readership.

Writing Lesson 5

Be yourself.

Find and cultivate your own, unique and authentic writing voice!

Be sure to cultivate your talents, especially the writing talent, what makes you have your own, unique writing voice, a special spark in what you write.

Protect yourself and be fully aware of it. Do not let yourself be stopped by critical negative voices within yourself.

Then you can start building your own, unique writing career.

Good luck!

Øivind H. Solheim is a novel author and a nature photographer from Norway who loves writing fiction, poetry, essays, and articles helping others understand life, other humans, and themselves. He has published five novels, two non-fiction books, and a poetry book.

Visit Øivind H. Solheim’s profile

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“Make Your Dream Be Your Future​”