I was trying to write then and I found the greatest difficulty was to put down what really happened in action; what the actual things were which produced the emotion that you experienced…the real thing, the sequence of motion and fact which made the emotion and which would be as valid in a year or ten years or, with luck and if you stated it purely enough, always. ~ Ernest Hemingway
Dedication
Writing well about what really happened and how it happened does not come easily, especially early on. Writers need encouragement, skillful guidance, and sound, practical advice to master their craft. Otherwise, they can flounder for years, repeating mistakes over and over again, turning what should be a rewarding and enlightening activity into an exercise in frustration.
That is why writing workshops, classes, and seminars are so popular. They take the mystery out of the craft and provide the needed discipline to help a writer develop their craft before they feel defeated.
There are five valuable elements that these venues provide:
- Tools of the trade,
- Inspiration,
- Feedback,
- Camaraderie,
- And often the most important one, Structure.
For the last 15 years, I have been teaching and facilitating writers in their craft. Though all five of these elements are invaluable, what I most often hear students say is that if it weren’t for the deadline of having to write, they might never get to it. Students, who take a break, corroborate this fact. They report back that without the deadline of having to show up with something, they easily put it off. Life is full of distractions and other choices.
Since COVID, there are many classes, workshops, and seminars available online. If you find these conflicts with your schedule and yet have difficulty dedicating yourself to the practice, engage a writing coach to keep you accountable. Most highly successful people have somebody to cheer him or her on. It helps them stay on track and successfully make it to the finish line. A good coach gives you a regiment that gives you the structure classes can provide.
Either way, writing and publishing a book is easier today than ever before. What and how you can write and the many ways you can market your work leave little room for excuses. Get the support you need.
Like most instructors and coaches, I offer a free consult for new clients. With the desire and the right support system, you CAN accomplish almost anything.
ENJOY!
Jasmyne