THE STRANGE AND
WONDERFUL WRITING LIFE
by Neha Chollangi
On November 9th 2015, the Mississauga Central Library TAG
had the opportunity to bring in author, Megan Crewe, to talk about her writing
process.Crewe has published 7 books up to date including two series. She
focuses on writing young adult books and plans to continue doing so in the
future.
The beauty of writing lies in the fact that it requires no
prerequisites. Every writer is different and strange in their own way. Writing
stands independent of any external conformities. Anyone looking to start
writing can develop their own method and process without any restrictions.
However, it is often overwhelming to stare at a blank page with no idea of how
or where to start. In efforts to help young aspiring writers, Megan Crewe
explains her personal writing process as an inspiration that others can extract
from.
1. Brainstorm Ideas
It is always helpful to do some
brainstorming before you start to write. And it’s crucial to jot down ideas
that wander in your mind. Inspiration can truly come from anywhere and everywhere.
There are millions of potential ideas that can be hidden in shows, movies,
books, conversations, etc. For Crewe, a lot of her inspiration comes from other
stories. In fact, the idea for her first trilogy, Earth and Sky, came from
watching Star Trek.
2. Research
Once a solid idea for a story is
formed, research will play a huge role in making a novel develop more
substance. it is easy to write about fictional ideas such a ghosts, or time
travel, however, when involving non-fiction elements in the story, research is
essential. Researching will also expose you to concepts that can trigger new
ideas for the story. When Crewe was researching about viruses for her “Fallen
World” trilogy, she read the book “Hot Zone” by Richard Preston, from where she
derived several ideas for how to characterize the viruses in her own book.
3. Create Your Own World
According to Crewe, this is the
most fun part of making a story: bringing your imagination to life on a page.
It is often helpful to even mash together personal ideas with researched ideas
to make interesting and new concepts. When you are forming your world, remember
to make the ideas vivid. Crewe travels to see the places she bases her setting
on in order to make her story realistic. She claims that “the more realism you
have in your story, the more real it is to the readers.”
4. Make an Outline of the Story
Although many writers prefer
being impulsive and write with no previous planning, it is often very helpful
to create an organized outline for the plot. Outlines will also help avoid plot
holes that may arise while writing. By simply making short jot notes for each
plot development you will find that it’s a lot easier to make the story have a
smoother flow.
5. Write Write Write There is nothing
scarier than staring at a blank, white page. It may be overwhelming to look at
the big picture of writing a whole novel but small steps will get you till the
end. First of all, to avoid the dangers of social media, turn off the wifi on
the computer during the time you spend writing. Secondly, make goals for each
day of either how many words should be written or how many hours should be
spent writing. Don’t fret too much over every word and sentence. A rough draft
is nothing but rough. Write down everything with no filters. The editing comes
later.
6. Revise and Rewrite
Crewe does an unusual practice in
the process of editing her writing. She re-writes the entire novel on a
separate word document. She claims that practicing this encourages her to
revise every sentence in detail, without missing anything by skimming through.
Writing groups are also an essential part of rewriting. The perspective of an
outsider will really give you an idea of how readers understand your thoughts.
What may be crystal clear to you, could be confusing to others. Constructive
feedback is a writer’s best friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment