I spent last weekend at the South Carolina Writers Association StoryFest Conference. It was a great little convention, and I learned a lot. We had some good speakers and of course, assorted agents, editors, and publishers made an appearance. One of our keynote speakers, Janisse Ray, spoke on 5 Challenges to Great Writing.
Here’s what we learned:
- Thinking It’s Easy. Writing is hard. Janisse likened it to a brick wall, but if you keep punching the wall, eventually cracks will appear and you will get through.
- Giving Up Without Realy Trying. To make goal-setting work, you should write down your goals—but don’t talk about them to everyone. Studies actually show that people who talk about goals are less likely to achieve them. Make your goals attainable, also.
- Convincing Readers Through the Senses. You must write about people and create a world with weight and extension. Showing is scene building, while telling is reflection. You can tell the difference between a scene and a reflection by noting certain phrases. For example, a scene would say things like “One day…” or “This particular day…” while a reflection says “Often when…” or “Usually…” Just remember there are more than the usual five senses.
- Seizing the Reader’s Attention. This is perhaps the biggest challenge to the writer. As Benjamin Percy puts it, “The work is not about us; it’s about the other.” Janisse says there are three ways of perceiving: bodily, interior, and environmental.
- Believing All the Genius Comes from Inside You. A writer, says Janisse, is Coyote or Kolopelli. Sometimes the words just seem to flow from somewhere outside of you.