Wait! I know what you are thinking. Something like “ugh, how typical for a English Literature assignment.” I agree that it’s quite typical, but I believe you might be interested in what I have to say concerning this subject.
I like to compare the action of writing with the art of carving. In the beginning, you just have a block of clay. Your tools are your mind and imagination, and each one of the little strokes you give the clay is a word. But be careful ! Your strokes can’t be careless, or the whole sculpture will be weakened. Like your strokes, your words have to be carefully chosen so they can precisely render the effect you chose them for. For example, do you see the differences between “see”, “watch”, “observe”, and “notice”? They are quite slight, but choosing one of these words over another can change the meaning of a whole sentence. And once you’re done, once you’ve checked your work again and again for imperfections, you finally take a step back, and admire your masterpiece.
Of course, it’s a difficult thing to do, but in the end it’ll be a great experience. Writing will enable you to acquire a better knowledge of whatever language you’re experimenting with, and the quality of your expression will also improve. However, those aren’t the reasons for which I, myself, write. It’s actually something that can be found in Lisa’s post about drawing ; the feeling of being in control. When you are writing a story, especially fiction, the only limit to your power is your imagination. You can create whole worlds in the span of a few Word pages. You can create governments, histories, religions, animals.... You can write a story about drama, romance, adventure ! You can create characters, or use already existing ones. You want to write yourself into a story? Nothing is stopping you! You are a puppeteer, controlling everything with your words. All you need is a red thread to guide you ; a plot.
But easier said than done. A plot doesn't always magically appear in your brain when you need one - many writers that suffer from writer’s block can confirm that. However, inspiration can arrive anytime ; on the bus, in your bed, in class… If you are really blocked, I would recommend searching for writing prompts of the internet. They are thousands of them. For example, not so long ago, Solène sent me one that read “You finally build enough courage to talk to that cute someone you see everyday on the bus. Their face turns dark as they respond ; ‘you shouldn’t be able to see me.’” I took that, tried to do something with it, and ended up with a whole story about mythologies that had nothing to do with a scene in a bus. Once you get started, it goes very quickly !
When you are ready, sit down, make yourself comfortable, and take your computer - or your pen. Keep in mind that the best thing to do is write what you would want to read. If you need to read a story with a happy ending, write that. If you need to read something very dark, so be it ! That’s a good way to ensure that you’ll be satisfied with your works.
Finally, ask yourself these three questions ;
1. Who is the main character ?
2. What does the character want more than anything ?
3. How can I prevent them from getting it ?
Elise
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