A passion for writing, a passion for books

Good writing is a combination of factors. Getting all of them right is not always an easy thing to do. It requires practice, patience, perseverance and a willingness to learn. Even when you have all of the elements relatively mastered, if you have the order out of order then you may be hurting your literary success.

A lot of folks decide that they want to be a writer. That’s great. It’s really cool when someone has something inside of them that they need to or want to get out and their chosen form is the written word. Perhaps they have a favorite writer that they want to emulate. This too is a good thing and a logical starting point for a new writer. There are some well hidden traps here, though.

Writing is about craftsmanship and artistry. If you have one without the other then in the most simple terms, your writing won’t work. Crafted writing without artistry is flat and gray. Artistry without craftsmanship ranges from annoying to miserable. You can have it all. You can have the whole world in the palm of your hand, it’s just a matter of getting the order right.

Here is a key piece of advice: Work the craft. Become a craftsman. Know the ins and outs of good writing. Study grammar and style. Above all else, practice. Work on your writing and hone your skills. As you do this, your natural writing voice will emerge. Once your voice has found its sea legs, the artistry will come out.

If you choose to sacrifice craft for art then you may never achieve the level of success that you deserve. From a pure artistry perspective, maybe you will end up with a self published book that you can give away to friends during the holidays but your chances of a viable literary career are essentially nil. (Yes, this even applies to you aspiring poets out there.)

Here are some tips to help bring out the crafty you:

• Write as much as you can. Writing even a little every day will help you understand word flow and usage.
• Read as much as you can. Try a few different genres to see how writing essentials are handled in each. Take notes about authors you like then decide what it is that draws you to them.
• Work on understanding grammar. This does not have to be as dry or as boring as it sounds. Here are two good examples of “fun” grammar books:

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite

• Consider joining a writer’s group that is focused on writing, not necessarily the literary merit.
• Start a blog and post something consistently. This gets your writing exposed to the masses and can instill some confidence in your writing.
• Don’t be afraid to start small. You can work on your craft at your own pace. This is not a race. You’ll know when you are ready to move forward – be happy with baby-steps.
• Be patient. People work for years getting a firm grip on the craft. It may come quickly for you or it might take a while. Who knows? Just keep plugging along.

Now that you have the tools to work on your crafty ways, go ahead and get started. Your artist will emerge over time, but the craftsman in you needs to be on solid footing first.