How have I grown as a writer? Has my writing changed? What have I learned?

I guess the first question might be how far back should I go?

I wish I still had the essay I wrote for my Junior year English teacher in high school. To be honest I thought I was doomed at the time. He assigned us a 500 word essay on an odor and I had zero idea how I’d pull that off. Like maybe 50 words on something I could smell, but 500? But being diligent and not wanting to appear like a loser on my first day, I sat down and began. I chose the smell of sheets dried on a clothesline outdoors. Likely few people today would have any idea how fresh and clean and wonderful sheets dried in the sun and wind was given everyone pretty much uses dryers today, but laundry day was the best day ever to climb into bed at night. I loved that scent. I got an A+ which is why I wish I’d saved the paper. Who knew??

But I digress. My first novel was written before PCs appeared on the scene so it was written in pencil and today resides in a file at the very back of my file drawer. Actually, it’s not even in a file drawer. It’s in a file box somewhere at the back of my storage unit which currently is in desperate need of sorting and purging. But since this blog post is about how we have grown and our writing changed, I went and dug it out.

It begins with this: Chapter 1 – A Hasty Betrothal

The day was very cold and overcast and did nothing to life the spirits of the tall young man hurrying across Oxford Street on his way to present himself in Cavendish Square. Lord only knew what it was his grandmother wanted to rake him down for now.

Not so bad as I’d feared. Setting up my presumed hero with a problem right off the bat. Something I am always careful to do today. But that was followed by a lengthy description of his grandmother and her habits which really didn’t drive the story along all that much in those first important pages.

That was one of the many lessons I’ve learned over the years since that was written. Since that day I’ve attended many conferences and workshops, been a member of a number of writer’s clubs and participated in brainstorming and critique groups. I’ve also published 13 books, and had short stories included in several collections. Also the world of writing, publishing and books has changed so much it’s barely recognizable.

In the fifty years since I wrote those words, we went from an average of 30,000 novels published in the US to over 4 million. That’s just a starter. Also the world outside of books has sped up. Instead of just 3 channels of television to watch we’ve gone to hundreds. Then there are all the electronic games to divert our attention. The classics, many published a couple hundred years ago or more were the only personal form of entertainment. Those books could ramble on for a hundred pages and not lose the reader’s attention because there wasn’t anything else. Today a book has to grab your attention in the very first paragraph or it’s doomed.

So, I’m happy to see that my first effort did just that. Maybe not with quite the cliffhanger intensity I aim for today, but it was a decent start. Other things I’ve learned along the way was how to create compelling characters. Not just ones I personally liked, but the kind that engage the reader and have the reader gnawing on their knuckles when things go bad for them.

I’ve also learned the value of research. Either fictitious or real – taking the time to learn what the AREA is like if it’s fictitious and everything possible to know about a real setting. I have learned that physically going to the area or the setting is more than just seeing what it looks like, but what the people are like. Are they friendly or snotty? Is it busy, or quiet? Talking to people who live and work there for insider information makes the settings in my books today far more real feeling than that first book which got all its substance from my reading the Georgette Heyer novels.

I’ve learned to people watch, as well. I can base some of my character development on my personal experience. I am a mother so I know what babies, toddlers and teenagers are like basically. But times change. The things I recall being interested in as a teenager, for instance, and those of my own kids are so far in the past, it’s important for me to talk to a few teenagers today if I have a character that age in my books. Eavesdropping on conversations gives me great ideas about how different characters might speak, how they leave things out, express anger, or joy etc. It’s also a great way to get a visual for how people move.

Early on, I was told to write what you know. That included things like jobs, but after a few books, the careers need to branch out. So, another area of research. Talk to a teach or visit their classroom to find out what the job is really like. Spend a day in an ER if your character is going to work there, whether they are a nurse, doctor, orderly or the intake desk. I took the Citizens Law Enforcement course, took two ride-alongs and made a friend of the only female on the major crimes squad when I was preparing to write a police procedural.

In addition to learning more before I start to write, both about people and places, I’ve learned to parse my writing. Instead of long and perhaps boring descriptions, I try to make my people and places come alive by showing instead of telling. Readers can learn so much about a character by seeing them in action rather than me describing them and bogging the story down with narrative. I’ve learned to give the reader a peek into the past through dialog and thought rather than bringing the action to a halt by dumping tons of backstory. I’ve learned how to effectively use a thesaurus for two reasons. One is to avoid repeating the same word over and over. The other is to search for nuances that a different but similar word can bring to the scene, which also lets the reader feel what the characters are feeling and experiencing.

Lastly, I have learned that first draft is the FIRST DRAFT! There will be a lot of editing to follow. Not just a few minor correction like I noted in those pencil written lines I read through before I started this blog. I hope my writing has grown as much as my understanding of the craft. I might not be selling in the millions of copies but my readers are faithful and always eager to pick up my next book, so I might be doing something write, er right!

So, now it’s time to visit some of my Round Robin Blog Hopper buddies and see how they have changed.

XX

Diane Bator 

Sally Odgers 

Anne Stenhouse 

Connie Vines 

Bob Rich