Today, I saw on the internet someone asking how to choose a literary genre to write. Someone answered by telling me to write what they know. That couldn’t be a more truer statement for me as a writer. I’m a very realistic writer. I write not only from my imagination, but also from my heart.
I also sometimes write based on experiences that either I have gone through or I know someone who has gone through them. These experiences have helped shape who I am as a person. They have made me stronger and look at the world in a different way. Life is full of those experiences and there are people out there who may never get to experience a different side of life. Maybe they won’t have to go through things that I have gone through (and some of them I hope they never do..) so I feel it’s my responsibility as a writer to help share it with them, so they can learn what it’s like.
I’m writing a novel based on a very serious subject. It’s one that I feel very passionate about. I’ve seen it tear people down and wear them to the point where they are hardly living anymore. They become empty shells without a voice because they’re too scared to talk about it. I’m here to open up those lines of communication. I’m here to let people know it’s okay to talk. It’s okay.
Now, not everyone is one of those “reality writers” as I’ve been called before. Write about what you’re interested, what you’re passionate about. If you really love a subject, then that is going to come across in your writing. Personally, I want to read books from writers who love what they’re writing. Not ones who are just writing to become the next Stephen King or JK Rowling.
Just be true to yourself as a writer. Only you can really define yourself in the writing world.
Now, to end this post, yesterday I was a blog award, thanks to Barb!
The rules are:
- Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award. Thank you again, Barb. 🙂
- Share 7 things about yourself. You can see that below.
- Pass the award to five bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are amazing. See my choices below as well. (The amount can be changed to how many you want to give out)
- Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award.
Okay, 7 things about me that you may not know. Wow. Okay, there will be things that some who read my blog will know because I’ve known them for such a long time. Let’s get started.
1. My favorite color combination is pink and black.
2. When I was really little, I used to dance to Michael Jackson songs in my family’s dining room.
3. Other than my novel, I also have a screenplay that I plan on finishing…well..after the novel is done. 🙂
4. I really want to investigate a real haunted place. Ghost Hunters is probably one of my favorite shows. Ever.
5. I have a serious phobia of….squirrels. Yeah, it’s true.
6. Music helps inspire my writing. I make play lists for each writing project I have.
7. You may know that I love JRR Tolkien. In a college class, I once wrote a paper comparing the theme of war in the Lord of the Rings to Tolkien’s experience in WWI. I thought it was a great paper.. obviously my professor does not appreciate Tolkien as much as I do haha
Now, to pass on this award. I’ve thought about it today and I couldn’t decide on a certain number of bloggers who are awesome. Because you know what? You all are. Everyone who visits my blog inspires me, so you all deserve it. Your blogs make me want to better myself as a writer. 🙂 You encourage me and continue to give support when I need it the most. So, thank you! You all have fantastic blogs to be so proud of. So, please take the award and enjoy it!
This post really resonates with me because both my first and current book were spawn from ideas about subject matters that were dear to me. I once read a quote that said “be more of what you want to see in the world.” So through my books, I plan to introduce my readers to these serious subject matters and hopefully open their mind to seeing things through my characters eyes with compassion and love.
That’s a great quote. That’s sort of my plan as well. I think a good book has great potential in healing people the way medicine cannot. I want to help people see a different side of life they may never see and hopefully, that will change some perspectives on certain issues.
“Just be true to yourself as a writer. Only you can really define yourself in the writing world.”
Very well said Melissa, I couldn’t agree more. I don’t think you should write for a specific market, you should write what interests you, what you’re passionate about and then see what genre it falls into.
And congratulations on your lovely award!
squirrels??! I have the same issue with bees 🙂
I never think about what would be more “marketable” as a book. I always think about what I would like to write and what means more to me. If I’m not interested in something, the book isn’t going to be interesting either.
Squirrels are so scary! Especially in the area I live in, they’re like, um, kamikaze ninja squirrels that jump out at you and chase you. Seriously. It’s happened lol. They’re crazy.
Bees are pretty freaky too. They can sting you and that hurts. A lot.
Lovely post and very true. The best works I’ve ever beheld have been those written by people who had passion in what they were writing about and a seeming dogged determination in crafting their story “just so”. I’m not saying this in application to the more commercial genres out there because the bent is very different (although I have found some wonderful gems in genre fiction lately, but those are not easily come upon). Personally, I now write about the things I’m passionate about, the things I can see occurring based upon the things I observe now. Is it real? I think it could be and that is ultimately what all writers are striving for. The story has to be real to them and, subsequently, become a believable reality for the reader.
I really think some writers panic while in writing mode and just starting writing something they feel readers would like. They may start thinking about marketing to the public and become fearful that the story they would love to write wouldn’t be. So, they trash it. I believe every writer should love what they write. I always tell people who are just starting out with writing and they don’t know what to write. I always tell them “write from the heart.” That’s kind of my motto nowadays.