Guest Post by Jeremy Raynolds - 5 Main Problems Writers Face When Starting

Being a writer is comparable to the work of a painter in terms of designing a special universe in which the audience is able to lose itself. Creative people appear to be wizards because they form grotesque stories out of nothing. Still, they are human beings who have their own baggage of puzzles, resulting in grievances or thoughts holding one down from doing the job: writing. In fact, authors often struggle with the concept of an idle page, with the construct of story writing format, and failure to love their own art. However, all writers experience similar feelings.

Today, we are going to lift the veil on ‘how to write a story’, along with the major challenges arising during the process of creating.

Writer's Block

Unfortunately, this problem is the most common to creative people, especially writers. At the same time, it’s normal, as you cannot simply have your inspiration overflowing all the time. So, you wake up, day by day, with no creative ideas, and all you want is to push this aside and write, but you can't. You feel totally crushed, and certainly, not in the mood for constructing any valuable content. Such writer's block can be very risky, especially if this emotional state persists. Frequently, such trouble occurs when you are sitting still. To fight this, engage in sport activities. Make sure you are getting enough workouts; it will not only make you strong, but also set your mind in the right direction. Walk outside, meet with friends, and have fun. You will be surprised at how productive you are at the end of the day, and creative writing ideas will come naturally.

The absence of thoughts

You might be assured that you are skilled enough, but still be out of plan or writing ideas, because writing a story is much harder than writing an essay. No worries, it’s a regular thing among contributors, and the good news here is that there is always a solution.

Creative writing is based on two points: observation and reading.  Admire sights around you, be it trees or any other part of nature. Read and discover everything that comes your way. Reading is an elixir to the poverty of sense.

Being timid and doubtless

These are the main problems which may afflict a novelist. No matter how much experience you have or how valuable your skills , you cannot move on until your confidence with the subject builds. Removing doubt is not only about being aware, it is also about being prepared to claim your own worth.

In case you cannot quiet the crippling voice of disbelief inside, another thing to remember is to find a person who will understand and support you. This individual will help you accept yourself and think big. Also, and this is important...join writing groups or writing courses to get acquainted with someone who can be your ‘champion’ and, in turn, can champion you.

A so-called ‘perfect style of everything’

Everything starts before you take a pen or press a button on a keyboard. You try to draw an ideal picture in your imagination, and you never find it possible to transfer the right meaning. It is all about perfectionism, and the whole nine yards. Many people have a battle with the peculiarities of perfectionism, and this is why a short story may take two months to write. The reason for such procrastination is that the artist prefers not to release anything to the audience until it's fully edited and "perfect", and sometimes, this can be our undoing. Do not be afraid to free write, and then improve upon it later. You'll be amazed at how much writing you get done.

Fear of rejection

It is the consequence of being criticized by the society or even your followers. You might be overwhelmed by the emotional breakdown. The first step is to realize that it is just a feeling, not a reality. Surround yourself with devoted friends who can help you build fortitude and work on reconstructing your self-assurance.

In fact, there are no perfect “fit-all” story writing tips. There is only self-confidence, getting things done, and being focused. The key to getting more done is to concentrate.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Jeremy Raynolds at jeremyrray89@gmail.com

Amateur tips on reading, writing, and teaching composition

A hand holding a pen on the statue of Isaiah
at Piazza Spagna in Rome.
27 October 2008
Flickr: Roma Italy - Creative Commons by gnuckx

Writing is a part of life, used every day, but not always in the correct capacity. Good writing (or proper writing, or both) needs to be taught. What is most important is that people have to care about their writing, and not only care, but re-evaluate their ability to read, write, and teach.

Inspiration is crucial to any type of writing, be it creative or academic. There are times when the line between academic and creative writing can become blurry, but all writing is technically a creative outlet. There are no strict rules on writing, only guidelines set forth by texts like A Writer’s Reference. A writer must find their own voice and style, while adhering to the writing structure necessary for the audience.

Audience is a big thing to consider when writing. If the audience is a fiction fan, then as a writer, it is possible to leave them out of the writing, to keep some secrets and surprises in store for later. An academic audience must be included in the writing process at all times, because they need to fully understand the research and purpose of the paper. A writer can always break some rules to include tone, as long as the writing makes sense. Academic papers deal with structure, surrounding a thesis that requires sources, sort of like a big argument cushioned by a series of smaller supporting arguments. In contrast, creative writing is a showcase for the writer’s story and style. Eric Mast of the Writing Center echoes Flowers & Hayes on the purpose of writing by saying, “writing is a thought process and the reader should identify with that process”.

Mast also has some other tips for writers, specifically writing teachers. He believes that it is not possible to fully learn about teaching until the first day of class. A new teacher may prepare thoroughly, but what Mast suggests is to pretend confidence as a new teacher, even when the outcome is unsure (as it will most often be in the first year of teaching).

A composition teacher’s best friend may always be Hacker & Sommers A Writer’s Reference. It is a textbook filled with easy to follow steps on all types of writing, and included are several examples on how to utilize each writing step. Planning a draft, writing a thesis and introduction, creating body paragraphs, and writing a conclusion are writing steps outlined in A Writer’s Reference, and they are steps all composition teachers should be comfortable with.

Background and real world knowledge are other tools a teacher can apply to their teaching methods. Though, Mast warns that even as professional work environments and teaching environments share similarities, they are definitely not the same thing. Teachers should find their own balance of control to maintain in a classroom, remembering that the students are not employees and there are different rules in a classroom than in a workplace.

Reflecting on learning, writing, and teaching can appear to be a boring exercise. However, once completed, the process is an eye opening one because it expands the writer’s overall knowledge on their competencies and their deficiencies in each area. A writer/learner/teacher can discover things about their own writing and learning curves, and discovery leads to improvement. Self-improvement puts any writer/learner on the right road to becoming an effective teacher. Teachers should be familiar with the learning process from both sides (student and teacher) so that they can recognize their students’ needs at a relatable level.