How to Develop Your Writing Skills - Part Six

You might think that I'm being a bit redundant with the words creative and fiction side by side in my sub-title, but the truth is, fiction can be far removed from the creative side of life. To put it another way, we need to approach our writing as a world of endless possibilities. We need to look beyond the ordinary, the mundane. What comes together on the page, not only needs to be a brilliant representation of what is in our minds, but it has to also convey the scene, emotion, and pace of the moment to the reader, without question.

We must find that single, unique quirk in a character that sets them apart from the rest, but still leaves an outside chance that this guy could be real. Our task in creating a sunset should not merely describe the light fading and the blue sky changing to variables of gray hues, but also find the jagged mountain peak that momentarily splits that light into two shafts, or causes the shadow of prairie grasses to thicken and lengthen, placing uneven profiles of light and dark across the parched and broken dusty landscape.

We need to reach inside our souls when we write to find that which our mind's eye sees . . . the color of an article of clothing, the distinctive howl of some bizarre creature in another solar system, or the odd motion of your protagonist's jaw when he devours a steak or lamb chop. Don't hold back, but it's also important to maintain a small connection of today's reality with the reader who is still living and working on planet earth.

Don't get over zealous with these creative endeavors. After all, they should not detract from the path your story is on or the pace of a brisk dialogue between two lovers, or the speed of an avalanche approaching the sleepy village below. They should appear at less busy times, almost as an afterthought, but with enough emphasis for the reader to picture each character or scene in their own mind, creating volumes of distinct memories and familiar associations throughout their time reading your book. Create a unique world in your head, then write it down. Be bold in your adventures, yet still relate your scenes and characters to the person turning the page, visualizing your creation for the very first time. Don't leave them guessing what you intended to convey. Never assume that your reader will understand what you see and hear in your imagination and fill in the blanks for themselves. Never.