Tuesday - The Writer's Life - What's Next #MFRWauthor #writing

You've made that decision to become a writer. You've been a reader for years and have read many books. The blank screen faces you and you begin and realize this is mainly gibberish. There is no story flowing from your fingers. What's next, you wonder. Maybe you go back to re-read some favorite books, trying to figure how the writer of that story reached the end from the beginning. Still nothing except maybe a title makes sense on that blank screen. What do you do?

I can speak from my experience. You find some books that may show you the way. At the library, you find books that speak of writing and you take a few from the shelves and take them home. Does this help? Perhaps a bit but there is so much advice given and some of them are in opposition with each other. Now you are more confused than ever.

My system was to read each book and make comments in a notebook from each one and then try to make sense of what I learned. Then a sudden thought emerges. No two writers approach their stories in the same way. Confusion addles your head.

Maybe you head to a college and enroll in a course on creative writing. This may give you some more hints as to the process. Still you can't fill that blank page with words that make sense and a story that gives you hope.

My path to writing my first novel began with writing short stories. Next time I'll talk about those first stumbling moments when I learned a bit about organizing all those notes I'd made on writing and found my own way to making a story.

What about you? Did you read dozens of books on writing or find a class on creative writing? I'd really like to know a bit about how you approached the writer's life.