Writing tools

I just finished the most amazing online course. I've taken several that I've enjoyed, and learned valuable information from them all. But most recently, I took Margie Crandall's Deep Editing Course. I learned so much that I can hardly believe it's taken me so long to find it. Of course, I felt that way after reading Noah Lukeman’s “The First Five Pages” and a number of other great books on writing.

One thing I learned from this Deep Editing course is that my instincts on many writing techniques were correct, but were things that my critique partners, in their attempt to keep me grammatically correct, were editing out. Now don't get me wrong, correct grammar is necessary almost all of the time. I hate it when published authors can’t seem to put together a sentence using proper English. But for emphasis, or to invoke strong emotion, breaking those rules skillfully once in a while is needed. Necessary. Otherwise, authors end up with watered-down writing. So I’m going to listen to my inner muse more, now that I know how to weld those tools correctly.

Most people who call themselves authors have talent. What they often lack is skill. There are a lot of great plot ideas out there, but they are mired in plodding prose and endless backstory dumps, with cookie cutter protagonists and lack of subtlety.

Think of the music, something dear to my heart. A world-renown pianist once said that people often tell him they'd do anything if they could play as well as he. And his reply goes something like this: "Really? Are you sure? Are you willing to begin piano lessons, studying with exacting masters who won't settle for less than perfect? Are you willing to practice for eight to ten hours a day, forgoing parties, dances, trips, sports, and every other distraction? Because if you aren't then you don't deserve it."

It may sound harsh, or arrogant, but he's right. Same for dancers. Doctors. Craftsmen. Any professional. If you want to be as good as they, you need to study, work, learn from the masters, and practice, practice, practice.

I do have a life outside of writing, and I haven’t given up every distraction. But I am serious and I spend a serious amount of time writing.

I’ve also set a personal goal to read at least one book on writing every month. Or take a class on writing. No amount of knowledge is a waste of time. And often, buried treasures are found.

Do you have a favorite writing book or class?