Hello everyone!Let me just take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Kristy, I am a wife and mother of four fantastic children. I also have a Burmese cat named Cashmere. We moved to Phoenix in January. I grew up here, but my family moved to Utah when I was in high school and I'm oh so glad to be back in the valley of the sun! I love it! (I named my daughter Summer... what can I say?)
My favorite job in the world is being a homemaker. Not the part involving the relentless cleaning, per say, more the part where I get to play with my kids all day!My second favorite job is writing. You'll usually find me doing one of the two.
A close third is art/crafts. I have a face painting business that is a lot of fun. (More time playing with kids!)
The common theme among all of the jobs I love is creating. That is what I really love to do. Create a home, a story, a work of art. I LOVE the talk President Uchtdorf gave on the topic!
So I guess what I want to talk about today is what does it take to CREATE a good story? Here are some ideas of what you will need:
1. Knowledge. You have to know how to put a story together. How to create a plot and good characters. Know your genre. Know your market. Plus a basic knowledge of the English language helps too. (Ha, ha. Actually when I tell people I majored in English in college they like to ask me, "So, do you know how to speak it yet?")
2. Skill. This is where you put your knowledge into practice. Some people call it talent. I don't like to. Skill can be learned. Writing a good story can be learned. The word talent can too easily lead into the Well, I'm just not talented enough mindset. Every one of us is capable of writing a good book.
3. A tendancy toward self-deprication... um, yeah, completely kidding on that one! Actually what you really need is motivation! Because self-deprication happens so naturally you have to have some underlying desire to keep going. What is it that will drive you to work it to the end?
4. Research. Know what you are writing about. Whether it's a fantasy or a biography, really truly know the world, the people, the "facts" that are pertinent to your book.
What else helps you in CREATING a really good book? Do you have any ideas for doing all it takes to get it done? What helps you?
Thanks Kristy! Welcome to our blog. We are so happy to have you for our new Tuesday writer.
ReplyDeleteI think an important part of creating a great book is humility. Be willing to listen to readers. Be willing to admit it wasn't perfect the first time. Be willing to change what isn't working.
ReplyDeleteYay Kristy! Love the plug for research!
ReplyDeleteGood book=brainstorming with my uber-creative hubby, after the initial concept is sketched out he gives me the "neh" response. Rebecca, I completely agree with you!
I so agree with Rebecca. I feel the most learning is allowing room for improvement. Isn't that just like real life, though? We don't like to be told we are wrong. We don't like to be criticized. We don't like to be judged.
ReplyDeleteIt is a whole new world out there, being a writer. We need to develop tough skins so that we can grow. (We need to face the criticism, the judgment and admitting we are wrong by changing things in our books.) Just like real life, maybe? Having our experiences smooth us out as we go along?
But, as in real life, living the gospel helps us to stay on the straight and narrow. What helps me with my writing a good book is turning to the Lord in that, too!
:)
Welcome Kristy! I'm so excited you decided to join us! And finally, finally, I can respond! Eeeh! Great post! And my secret to putting together a book is Prayer. I feel like if I have the Lord on my side, the book is just going to fly across the screen as I type.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to MMW, Kristy! I can't wait to get to know you better and read your takes on being a writer while juggling the whole mommy thing. Glad you could join us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warm welcome, everyone! And, good comments. I completely agree!
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