Kandi J. Wyatt
Any time I can get an author to write a post that I can share with not only you my readers, but also my students, it is a win-win. I asked Kandi to write about writing. So many out there are curious about how to get started. Here are Kandi's Six Key Elements for Writing.
Writing a story is something that takes time and patience.
There isn’t a magic formula that makes a tale unique and special. The
originality comes from the writer diving into their own experiences and sharing
in story form the truths they learned. However, there are some key elements to
have in place for writing.
1.
Consistency
As you write, you want to do it on a consistent basis. That
means every day for some people. For others, it might be every Tuesday at 9 pm.
Whatever it is for you, make sure you have planned writing time and that it’s
held sacred. Don’t let the normal everyday distract you from writing. An
emergency here or there is okay, but don’t make everything into an emergency.
2.
Practice
Like consistency, practice is key to improving your craft.
The more you write, the easier it’ll come. When I first wrote in high school, I
wasn’t consistent nor did I do a lot of writing. But later, when I started
writing for publication, I wrote more and each story progressively got better.
3.
Listen to experts
Editors and other writers will know the craft of writing.
Listen to them. But be careful. Not all editors are who you need. Take for
example my story Journey from Skioria. I’d originally written it to have
the style of The Secret Garden in third person omniscient. The editor I
found read the first snippet and returned the manuscript with an ebook of her
own. I was to read the book and change my manuscript to fit her style. I should
have stuck to my guts and found a different editor.
That being said, I’ve found the best editor for me. She
works with me and my stories to bring out the best in my books and in
me. As I write, I’m now hearing her voice instructing and warning me on problem
areas. That makes my writing better in the long run.
4.
Learn from others
This may be similar to number 3, but it’s with the idea of
training. All athletes train for their sport. They go to camps and learn. The
same is true of writers. Go to conferences and learn from the speakers. My
go-to conference is Realm
Makers. It’s every July and often they have a winter retreat option. They
even have a teen track in the summer for kids to learn to hone their craft.
Read books on the craft. Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird,
Steven James’ Story Trumps Structure, Terry Brooks’ Sometimes the
Magic Works, or Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water are all good to
read and learn from. Another book, not quite on the craft of writing but on
creating is Allen Arnold’s Chaos
Can’t. (In reality any of his books—The Story of With, Waves of
Creativity, and The Eden Option—are excellent.)
5.
Read in your genre
The best way to improve your writing is by reading the type
of books you want to write. Since I’m publishing two to three books a year, I
don’t have much free time, but I can read at lunch, listen to books on the way
to work and home, and there’s even a few minutes before going to bed. Reading
for enjoyment enables you to absorb the things you love about a book or
author’s style. When that happens, you’ll find those things will begin to
naturally make their way into your books.
For me, it was H.
L. Burke’s books that brought the light romance into my series Four Stars over Ardatz: Sovereigns.
I loved how it wasn’t the main plot of her books, but it came naturally. I read
many of her books (I’m way behind on her superhero universe) and the romance
became a natural part of my own series.
6.
Live Life to its Fullest
The best way to write is to live life and have experiences
that you can draw upon. My first story I wrote that actually worked was written
after my first year in college. I’d come home to earn money to go back to
school the next semester. My job was in a mall at a cinnamon roll shop. I wrote
my sister, our friend group, and my boyfriend into a mystery around the mall.
It was probably cheesy and amateurish, but I wrote it. In reality, it was a
stepping stone to my later published works. I could say I’d finished a full
story. It wasn’t novel length, but it was a complete story.
So, go out there. Live life, read, learn, and grow. Then
write. Write to your heart’s content. Never give up. Never allow someone else
to tell you that you can’t. You can!
