“When a writer is born into a family, that family is doomed.” Czeslaw Milosz

Write what you know.

Generally that is good advice, especially for writers starting out on their writing journey. Draw on your life experiences and use those in your writing. Your life is what you know best, so it’s a good place to start. A big part of those experiences revolve around your immediate family, so write about them and draw on their experiences too. In your formative years as a writer, especially when you are young, this might be all you have to draw on for your inspiration.

I know that my early stories and novels I drew heavily upon my own experiences and those of my family. Much of this early writing may never see publication; it is part of your apprenticeship in the craft of writing.

As I developed my writing skills I was able to cast a wider net. Now I find I am able to let my imagination soar and take over more and more. I am now less reliant on personal experiences and more on imagination.

Writing exercises:

To help you develop your writing skills, try one or more of these ideas:

• Start writing a journal about your every day activities.
• Write a page or so about your favourite toy.
• Describe the place you went for a holiday when you were young.
• What happened on a camping trip when you were still at school.
• Think about your least favourite relative; describe why you don’t like that person.
• Write about the events leading up to an accident or tragedy in your family or friendship group.
• Write about your favourite teacher at school.

Good writing.

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, South Australlia

“It’s never too late to be what you could have been.” George Eliot

Do you want to be a writer?

I have – ever since I was eight years old. I dabbled in writing stories and poems in high school but then became sidetracked in teaching for 35 years. Teaching was always my second choice. All through my teaching career – a reasonably successful one I might add – I continued to consider myself a writer but could only devote serious time to it during holiday periods.

My writing received quite a boost when I bought my first computer in the late 1980s. All through the 1990s I built up a considerable body of writing and had limited publishing successes. I always considered that I would begin to write full time and very seriously when I retired. In part, I have succeeded in that goal. For the last six years I’ve written thousands of articles on my three blog sites. I’ve also written many short stories, poems and a novel for children.

The point of all this?

I agree with the Eliot quote above. Last month I celebrated my 63rd birthday. I’ve just completed the requirements for my Master of Arts Creative Writing degree. The novel I’ve just written will be submitted to publishers in the new year. My best writing years are still ahead of me. It is never too late.

Five years ago I would have scoffed at the idea of having a university degree. It is never too late.

Five years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of writing so much, but now I’ve written nearly two and a half million words. It is never too late.

Five years ago I could only dream of making money from my writing, but now have a steady income from my writing, especially  blogging. It is never too late.

Five years ago I had very few readers but now hundred of people around the globe read my words every day. It is never too late.

Good writing: it is never too late to become a writer.

“Do, or do not. There is no try.”

Yoda in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.

Fact: Many people would like to write a book.

Fact: Few people actually start writing a book.

Fact: Very few people actually finish writing a book.

Fact: Of those that finish writing a book, very few get published.

Like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, people have a go. They try to write a book, not realising the long journey on which they have embarked. When the going gets tough, they give up. So many give up so easily.

You cannot “try” to write a book. You must do it, or not. If you don’t have the persistence, don’t even start.

Harsh words, yes, but that is the reality.

Good writing.

Further reading:

• A writer’s virtues: patience and persistence
  

“Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.”

Mark Twain

Mark Twain has touched on the very essence of what it is to be human. Yes, we do all have a ‘dark side’ – that part of our nature that rarely, if ever, sees the light of day. We may well be acutely aware of this flaw but most of us are clever actors able to hide this face from public view. Jesus, in his criticism of the religious leaders of his day, called them hypocrites because they appeared as white-washed tombs which look okay on outside, but are actually full of dead men’s bones on the inside.

As writers we can tap into this deep well of darkness. We can let the protagonist have a flaw which other characters know nothing about. This dark side can be either a motivator stirring his resolve, or it can be  a burden, an obstacle preventing success.

This character flaw can be shown in various ways: through actions, through internal thoughts, through uncharacteristic responses to other characters,  through subtle hints which other characters do not understand and so on.

Possibly one of the best known example is that of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars stories. All the way through the last three movies he battles his fear. On many occasions he is urged to give in to the dark side, to allow his fears to breed hatred.

It is certainly worth digging deep within this rich vein of conflict within the nature of your main character, exploring it and then exploiting it for all its worth.

Good writing.

“All the things we achieve are things we have first imagined and then made happen.”

David Malouf, Australian writer

Imagination is a powerful, essential, elemental, almost organic  tool of the writer. It is the driving force behind all writers, especially writers of fiction. Without our imagination our stories cannot take shape, the characters cannot come to life and the plot limps along until either the reader or the writer give it up as a hopeless cause.

But when the writer calls upon an active imagination, the story can soar to wonderful heights, the characters can develop vibrant, energetic lives and the plot grabs the attention of the writer demanding to be written. And when this happens the readers are carried along in that imaginary world of delights and the book cannot be put down. Hopefully it also sells many copies via word of mouth too.

But I wonder if David Malouf was actually thinking along these lines?

Was he instead thinking about dreams and goal setting? It doesn’t really matter for it doesn’t negate what I’ve already written. Dreaming big dreams and setting goals with our writing (and all other areas of life) can result in amazing outcomes. Without dreams and  goals we tend to drift through life aimlessly.

Dream big – you might just surprise yourself.

I’ll give you a few examples:

• Imagine holding your first novel in your hands. Feel it, look at it, smell it.
• Dream about the day you sign a three book contract – and the satisfied feeling it engenders.
• Visualise walking across the stage to receive that literary prize.
• Plan and rehearse what you are going to say and do when you launch your first book.

On the last item my wife and I attended a friend’s book launch last year. My wife took detailed notes on what to do and how to run a launch – and she keeps reminding me of this. It spurs me on to get that manuscript finished and off to a publisher.

Dream big.

Make it happen.

Good writing.

]]> http://www.trevorhampel.com/imagine-it-and-make-it-happen/feed/ 2 http://www.trevorhampel.com/write-the-best-you-can/ http://www.trevorhampel.com/write-the-best-you-can/#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:30:26 +0000 Trevor http://www.trevorhampel.com/?p=1710 Today’s quote:

“I have tried simply to write the best I can; sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can.” Ernest Hemingway.

I guess countless writers would like to write as well as Hemingway.  Many have tried, few have succeeded.

In any endeavour this is an excellent maxim on which to base one’s activities. Always strive to do your best,  sometimes you will surprise even yourself.

I guess one could also say that sometimes we get lucky and write really well. I would contend, however, that if we continue to strive to be better writers, and constantly and consistently persist at the craft, that we will improve. I know I have and my readers tell me so. My most demanding reader and critic is my wife; she tells me that I’ve improved out of sight in the last few years. That is encouraging, and it helps me to keep going – and keep improving.

Good writing.

“I would love to write a book, but unfortunately, I don’t have a pen.” (Unknown source – it came to me from a Facebook friend)

We might laugh at a saying like this, but for some people, any simple excuse is enough to stop them from writing. Some common excuses are:

• I don’t have enough time.
• The timing is wrong – I’ll wait until I retire.
• I don’t have a good computer.
• I don’t know what to write about.
• I’m too busy.
• I’m too tired after a day at work.
• I have nowhere where I can write.
• I don’t have a pen.

You get the drift?

Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.

If you want to write a book, you actually have to start putting words down on paper – or at least in the hard-drive of your computer. There is no other way. Books will not write themselves. (Someone reading this in my archives in 50 years time might be able to argue that point, but I won’t be around to defend myself.)

So you want to write a book?

Good. Now stop reading this – and start writing (but don’t forget to come back here tomorrow; I’ll be waiting for you).

Good writing.

Related articles:

• Writing a novel – articles outlining how I went about writing a novel.
• A writer’s virtues: patience and persistence

]]> http://www.trevorhampel.com/i-would-love-to-write-a-book/feed/ 4 http://www.trevorhampel.com/writing-the-first-draft/ http://www.trevorhampel.com/writing-the-first-draft/#comments Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:30:52 +0000 Trevor http://www.trevorhampel.com/?p=1679

‘You have to write the first draft of your novel to find out what the b***** book is about.’ Tom Keneally at the 2010 Adelaide Writers’ Week.

Writing the first draft of a novel or short story can be daunting, scary, puzzling, confronting or fantastically exhilarating. Often all those things at once!

When I was writing my novel last year I was pushing the limits of my writing abilities. I had a strict deadline, I was recovering from a serious illness and I was frankly terrified that I wouldn’t get finished on time. The adrenalin was pumping overtime, but I did it. I found that once I built a little momentum in the first few chapters, the story and characters took over. Where normally I can often struggle to produce a thousand words in a day, I found that the momentum built to such a degree that I was sometimes churning out over 2000-3000 words in a day. The feeling was great and the story quickly took shape, structure and character.

I did have a sort of outline for the story. I didn’t have a strict plot as such. Instead I let the story write itself. Events I had planned had interesting consequences that I hadn’t thought of in the planning stage. I find that this form of writing works best for me. I’ve never been one to plan out every element of the plot, every aspect of each character or even how it will end. In that I can understand the Keneally quote at the beginning of this article. Writing a novel or story can be a journey of discovery.

On the other hand I can also understand those writers who must plan every part of the storyline and do extensive character studies before they write even one word. This process is distinct from the research stage. I had to do a great deal of reading in my research phase because my novel was set in a country where I had visited but not lived. I didn’t take many notes from my research. Instead I preferred to merely absorb the culture, the environment and the nature of the people.

Good writing.

‘You can’t get to the top by sitting on your bottom.’ The Advertiser, Adelaide, March 27th 2010.

In many walks of life that aphorism is very appropriate: you can’t succeed unless you are willing to get up off your butt and get working.

I believe the opposite is true – in one sense – when it comes to success in writing. You can’t succeed as a writer unless you apply your backside to a seat and start writing. I guess the meaning is still the same; it’s just the way you do it that counts.

Many people are in love with the idea of ‘being a writer’ but are not prepared to put in the hard yards, the lonely hours at the keyboard, the frustrating wait to hear from publishers and all that other stuff that goes with being a writer. They want to have written, but do not want the many hours, days, months and years or dedicated sacrifice and hard work  it takes to become a writer.

So I’d like to amend that proverb so that it is true for writers:

‘You can only get to the top as a writer by sitting on your bottom and writing.’

Good writing.

]]> http://www.trevorhampel.com/succeeding-as-a-writer/feed/ 2 http://www.trevorhampel.com/in-love-with-your-writing/ http://www.trevorhampel.com/in-love-with-your-writing/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:04:32 +0000 Trevor http://www.trevorhampel.com/?p=1666 Adelaide Writers’  Week 2010

On a number of posts over the last few weeks I have written about the writers who were speakers at this year’s Adelaide Writers’ Week (click here to read more).  I have also written about some of the things Australian writer Tom Keneally had to say. Here is another quote:

“I am still in a marriage with one book when I fall in love with another story.” Tom Keneally, 2010 Adelaide Writers’ Week

I know that feeling well.

I start off all enthusiastically on my work in progress. I marry myself to The Story. I do everything possible to please her, pamper her and see her grow in beauty. I am head over heels in love with her demands, spending long hours wooing her, meeting her every need and seeing that nothing gets in the way of our delightful nuptial bliss.

Then unexpectedly, with no warning sirens blaring, another Story comes mincing seductively along the path, knocks provocatively on the door of my heart and whoosh…. I am carried off in flights of imagination, falling madly in love with this New Story. Something has triggered my heart into believing that this New Story is the Love of My Life.

Practical help

In this situation I know I have to remain faithful to the original story. I need to keep focussed on what I am doing to the exclusion of all else. A very practical way of dealing with this new distraction is to spend a few minutes jotting down the salient points of the new story. File it away – in such a way that it is easy to locate  again in the future. Then forget all about it. She will sulk, she might whine and carry on for a few hours but eventually she will settle down and bide her time until she can take her rightful place in your life.

Good writing.