What is the greatest writing tip I can give you? Write from the heart.
I will never teach you where to put a comma or semi-colon.
Nor will I explain how to start your story or the best way to hook your reader
with a practiced word or turn of phrase. Why? Because I am not a teacher. I am
a writer.
You want to learn these things? Read a book. Read a crap-ton
of books. Take a class. This may sound crass, rude, or even indignant. Heck, I
know this doesn’t sound like me at all. But I say this from my heart. Which is
precisely where I told you to write from all along.
When you hear a song and each cord is struck just right you
feel it. Goosebumps rise to occasion. Your feet tap. You feel the desire to
move. You want it to move you, to let go. That is what it feels like to write
from the heart.
The world falls away from you. You are transported to a new
realm. In time the words are no longer words but truths that fall from the
movie in your mind’s eye onto the blank page. That is how you engage all the
senses.
Growing up English class was always referred to Language
Arts. There is a reason for that; writing is an art form. If a picture is worth
a thousand words then how much is your book worth that has 90,000?
Please comment below if you have any questions or concerns. I can also be reached on Facebook @authorcolleentews or Twitter @colleentews. Thank you.
How I love being in the "flow" when the words spill from fingers to keyboard to page! Even when my heart is quiet, writing from my head helps invite my heart to open up. Not every word I type is magic. Not every meal I make is delicious. Not every run I run feels good. But always I seek the heart. Thank you for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Angela. I think Neil Gaimen said it best (paraphrasing) "You write the first draft with your heart, the second with your head."
Delete