writing real fiction, your way, not contriving your writing. Let GO.

FICTION WRITING LESSONS, May 2006

WRITING REAL, YOUR WAY, NOT CONTRIVING YOUR STORY. LET GO.
by zentao

(Originally written as a post in z7, this has been amended for public consumption.)

Okay. Flat out, z7 (and now FWW) is about writing and writing it YOUR way. Not "his way," "their way," or anyone else's concept of what is "right writing" and "wrong writing." R__'s piece is a latest example I cite. It is totally HER. She let loose and her genius came out. And she was brave enough — yes, I said brave enough — to share it…I'm sure with much trepidation.

I watch you people take your gold and muck it up with LEARNED RULES. Not my rules, not your rules, not anyone's good rules or bad rules, but rules you've heard through the grapevine or from profiteers whose job depends on them selling you the next best gimmick that is supposed to make you a made author.

NO.

RESOUNDING NO.

You WRITE YOUR VISION AND VOICE.

REPEAT: You WRITE YOUR VISION AND VOICE.

You WRITE YOUR STORY, the STORY THAT LIVES AND BREATHES AND MAKES YOU SWELL WITH TEARS OF JOY AND RAPTURE.

That's YOUR writing.

Everything else is pap.

So what if the syntax isn't just according to Strunk. We can fix that. So what if it is rough around the edge. If it has the core, it's got the gold. We can easily knock off the chunks of slag.

So, please, people, quit worrying the bullshit.

EXERCISE:

Fill yourself with the most prepotent vision, the most prepotent story you dream of writing. Fill yourself with it until you feel as if you will burst. Now, sit down and let your fingers do it. Just let that story O-U-T. Even just a few paragraphs. Write it out until you run out of "first energy" and find a natural pause. Then, with hopeful mind, read back, allowing yourself the excitement that, perhaps, maybe, what you have inside and what you are — your dream work that you've harbored all these years for whatever reason, afraid to share for fear of rejection, ridicule, etc. — has just been given birth.

Now post it somewhere permanent. (In your private folder, a private post on your blog…somewhere safe and forever…which does NOT mean only on your harddrive nor printed out on some paper you might somehow lose.)

Post the RAW MATERIAL here, NO EDITS.

Afterwards, what I will try to do to any who dares post, is show you where the gold is. (This was an exercise done in z7 when contrivance was governing several author's works.)

I don't want contrived. I want your…

…SOUL.

REMEMBER: LEAVE THINGS — YOUR WORDS, YOUR STORY, YOUR DRAFT — ALONE TILL THE END. YOU THINK TOO MUCH, ANALYZE TOO MUCH, PONDER WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG TOO MUCH INSTEAD OF POUNDING KEYBOARD.

Believe in yourselves, people. Believe in your vision, your power, then let your inner voice speak full volume. Once you own the craft, just write. Don't contrive. Good word, that — contrive. Look it up, then don't do it.

Once you do, I hope you all see that there IS a difference in your writing when you compare passionate uncontrived writing to contrived words. There is a difference that mostly revolves around immediacy, intimacy, reader engagement, vicarious participation, complete suspension of disbelief…which all happens with writers doing this exercise because the writer, him or herself, is totally immersed in the moment…therefore the read immerses the readER into the moment. When done actually and honestly, the end comparison between what an author writes REAL verses what they contrive demonstrates the oh so obvious to such an extreme degree that you cannot avoid the conclusion in the result.

I expect NOTHING LESS from all of you. Write real.

Lesson TOC (Table of Contents)…4

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