The Power of the Written Word
"Wherever you write is supposed to be a little bit of a refuge, a place where you can get away from the world. The more closed in you are, the more you're forced back on your own imagination." - Stephen King
Let’s just get this out of the way from the get go. Blogging is fun, posting content on Steemit is rewarding and receiving feedback based on your unique written or verbal creation within the platform is a beautiful thing. The fact that someone has taken their precious time to go through your handiwork and formulated an opinion based upon their interpretation of it can be very gratifying indeed.
Yet with so many diverse individuals and groups within our ever expanding community, it stands to reason that one person’s interpretation of your article may differ from somebody else’s. Wildly at times, given the right subject matter. And in the case of a novelist or author who paints their images using nothing but a canvas of words, the above statement holds truer still. Sometimes, our perception of how we want the reader to feel and engage with the content we offer can be quite a tricky affair. Especially given that we as authors clearly see the narrative we wish to express but perhaps not so much from the point of view of someone reading it though for the first time.
So I thought I’d post up a few basic techniques that I use to, if anything, improve the overall flow of the narrative as well as tighten up and structure the entire piece together a little better.
Visualization to Materialization
"'Harry Potter' gave me back self respect. Harry gave me a job to do that I loved more than anything else." - J. K. Rowling
One of the most useful things I do before even beginning to write anything down is understanding what I want to convey to my target audience. What kind of images do I wish to be conjured up within the reader’s mind eye? What feelings do I want my words to invoke? Will they be seeing the same things I saw when envisioning the story for the first time. I personally believe that it the key notion in creating appealing, magnetizing narratives.
We respond to pictures; it’s been long programmed into our DNA. When we read a story, we visualise it. We watch our own personal movie of the book interpreted through the words viewed on the page. So, I try to imagine that movie beforehand, but in much finer detail and crisp clarity. The characters will be real, wearing certain attire and acting in accordance to their given personality. The environments they interact in should also be in Hi-Def detail and completely lifelike in your own conscious mind. Take the example below, for instance.
An empty cigarette packet blowing down the street, the sun’s rays shining through the clouds hovering low in the sky above, an elderly woman with a limp in her right leg crossing the quiet street ahead.
All the little details add up, they all fit together like a jigsaw to create a new world. But this world has to be as fully understood and realized for myself first and foremost. That's an important component needed to translate those images into words to the best of my ability. This allows me to describe scenes easier, talk about those characters that I’ve already witnessed in my own imagination and keep the story nicely paced as I’ll simply be reeling off sequences of events as they happen. Melding and manipulating imagery is the glue that tied all my stories together in the past and I’m sure it’ll work just fine for you too.
Sorry… Could You Give Me a Little More Detail Please?
"I deliberately keep myself apart from a lot of stuff; I don't Tweet, I don't do Facebook, I don't blog, and that's largely because I spend my working life staring at a screen and hitting a keyboard, I am trying to cut down on that, not increase it." - Ian Banks
Well, the above subtitle's concept might work well in a court of law, but within the realms of literary story-telling, can prove problematic. Descriptive writing is the most important ingredient for world-building and characterization. After all, you can liken that to the ink that decorates your background. I totally get that.
However, I find there needs to be a careful balance between the overuse of adjectives at the expense of the flow of plot. You should give just the right amount of information to allow the reader to construct the scene you are inventing for them, then let the rest of the picture fill itself in without your intervention. The human brain is a tool made for deciphering. Patterns, sequences, whatever it may be. By design, we are literally made to solve conundrums where partial snippets of information are all we have to work with. In fact, the brain is an highly-evolved organ constantly decoding stream of complex code and interpreting suitable answers. It's happening all the time. Right now even while you are reading this! And this incredible ability we possess has never been more aptly applied than in the context of reading.
Maybe that went a little too deep, but understanding our mechanics allows us to see things from an external point of view with increased awareness. Your readers do not want to be hand-held throughout the journey you are taking them on. Impart just enough descriptive elements to allow the foundation of their imagery to take form. That’s all you need to do. Given equal amounts of time to both the flow and pacing of your story and world-building, without overlapping either, will add volumes to your writing technique and finished product.
Hey… If You Got Something To Say To Him, You Better Say It To Me First
"Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories." - George R. R. Martin"
An issue I found when beginning to write on a lengthier scale than before was time allocation. In that, I mean to the characters in each story. I would build a solid fountain for one of the lead’s, endow them with a rich background and unique traits only to leave them hanging and come back to their narrative arc much later down the line. Needless to say, you can see that it led to numerous rewrites and juggling of the plot.
One good technique I tend to use more now is character referencing. You may have already established certain key characters in your book but need to expand on certain other ones first. Character referencing is especially more poignant when first introducing them into your story as the reader will likely forget a lot of what initially read about them and the smaller intricacies of who they are until familiarity develops further down the line.
So, as the story unfold, a conversation between two characters in the future may drop a specific name you wish to remind the reader of. Or even insert some descriptive fact associated with the character. Always keep in mind that whatever is read by someone is in fact completely retained. Every detail. It’s just gets tucked away into the subconscious, awaiting for that key reference word to manifest that memory once again. Cross referencing when writing a book or any story-based narrative can be invaluable to collating all your characters within your reader’s mind’s eye and therefore keeping interest levels piqued.
Break Down the Barriers of Printed Artistic Excellence
Well, there you have it. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a few key methods I employ to approach what I write. In fact, one of the best analogies validating my points above is when going to watch a movie.
You see the trailer, get a good idea of what’s going on but still have yet to see the finished article. Well, the day arrives when you actually go to watch it, but in that time, you’ve subconsciously imagined what you expect to see. Your favourite action heroes getting out of last-minute danger, a cliff hanger at the end where a sequel might be in store, fight scenes that you’ve longed to see on the big screen.
We imagine what the experience will be like and go to check out whether the actual finished product meets those expectations. Imagination and the human mind are technological miracles.
The power of the written word IS magic. It would have to be. Humans look at ink put onto pressed pieces of dead tree and vividly hallucinate for hours. Excellent post! Upvoted and followed! Keep on Steemin!
Straight up the truth, very well put!! Loving your words and thank you so much for the humbling comments.
Steem on, my bro!!!
This is brilliant @ezzy !!!
Hey there, lovely @mammasitta! Thanks so much! Means a hell of a lot coming from you. I hope everything is great your side. Can't wait for us to meet up again.
Bless, awesome @mammasitta. :)
I am learning from you. I read many of your stories.......
All is good here in Vienna because finally I feel the sunshine. The winter was brutal.
I hope that @roelandp is cooking something for @steemfest 2. Can't wait!
Can't wait. Imagine you, myself and @exyle end up at another café at Steemfest 2 sitting and reminiscing about the past. That'd be a dream come true. :)
This would be super nice
This is such an awesome list! The best one I've seen so far here, and I'm not just saying that because you're my friend. Coming from such an esteemed author, it's awesome to read about this. It's like peeking inside your mind and learning from your process. I'll definitely use these tips to improve and be more like my bro @ezzy :D
Definitely resteeming this tomorrow. I just want my recent post to breathe a little longer at the top of my blog list first ;) Great work, brother. Your words are gold!
Hey, my brother @jedau! Listen, I want you to understand that "you" are "my" inspiration. You amazing individual you! I just have to put that out there because your inventive and creative originality I consider second to none. I thank you so much for finding some gold in my post. But these are just techniques I employ. You overflow with talent and that's something that resides deep within.
Bless you, my awesome @jedau! :)
I could say the same exact thing about you, my brother! If it weren't for your support, I wouldn't have even posted A Day in the Clouds and would've just settled with ordinary posts or walk away from here. You have such a gifted mind, and I'm glad that you have such a high proficiency in putting it into written words so that others would be able to bask in your greatness :D
Well, if I was the catalyst for the Steemit publication of one of the most original and clever books I've ever read, I'm honoured and proud of my actions. Your work belongs in high street book stores. You just need the right person to discover your creations and lift you to the stratospheres of recognition you so rightly deserve. I say again, "you" inspire "me" when it comes to writing and that is a true gift I'll never squander.
Man, if our work gets discovered, that'll be huge! For sure, I'm going to drag yours, @dreemit's and all our friends' stories with me if I ever break that barrier. I won't ever feel comfortable operating without the people that have stood by me when nobody is reading my work :D
My sentiments exactly, bro. It's the bridges you build with other individuals that socially define us as human beings. Onward and upwards for us all! :)
Once everyone else discovers the benefits, our fellowship would be way too stronger to catch up with! :D
This is excellent, I especially love that you pointed out what we were discussing the other day about just enough detail to allow the readers imagination to fill things in for themselves :) I have a difficult time reading Anne Rice books for this reason in fact, she goes much too heavy on the detail, forcing the readers to see what she sees and also dragging out scenes because of it.
I think it was John Steinbeck who said that he tries to say as much as he can with as few words as possible.
Love the peek inside your process my darling friend!
Awesome @dreemit. I think we may possibly be kindred spirits, lol! I was over the moon when you made that observation about my narrative because I try to base most of what I write in the same vein. But then again, it's hardly surprising seeing the astonishingly brilliant level of quality your posts enjoy.
So, yeh, I thought I hardly ever write a "blog" in it's traditional sense so why not break the mould and give it a try. Of course, you were the catalyst. I actually have a few Anne Rice novels back logged on my Kindle for reading and will look out for that. But we can certainly relate to a few authors who like to bogged us down with way to much exposition. I feel fine-tuning that aspect is an art form in itself and well worth addressing.
So, I gotta say thank you for helping us open new creative avenues through your insightful comments and inspirational work. A true gem of a person in every sense of the word.
Steem on, amazing @dreemit! :)
Say as much as you can with a few words. I like that!
@ezzy what tool do you use to write your stories, books ?
As in tools, do you mean which methodologies I use? Because normally it's just me sitting in front of Microsoft Word with a bunch of notes scribbled out in front of me, lol...
Thats interesting and good enough and fun advice :) Thought there are special tools to make writing easier.
Oh, @mammasitta. My mind is the only tool I use (apart from my computer, lol). But I've read your articles and I'm sure you already know how good you are. You really know how to cook up a storm when it comes to blogging.
Blogging is very different than writing a book or even screenplay I will not publish on steemit. Too personal :) I was wondering what professional writers do to help themselves. For now I also use word or the submit tab for steemit stuff or even esteemapp via phone.
Anyways the dream, to finish a proper book with a completely different writing style, will take some time but on my mind and some on paper. I consider myself a storyteller so I might choose a ghostwriter to edit my thoughts at some point. Damn movie is in my head hahah !
The room I'm sitting in is hot. Another hot spring day has passed. It's the third one in a row. I can hear my dog heavy breathing trying to sleep. He still needs to lose his fur. The warm weather arrived way to early. He just farted in his sleep and it's not helping me breath. Shouldn't give him fish next time. I'm choking.
My laptop barely can stand the heat from the day time. The fan is blowing non stop. My laptop explodes when I read @ezzy post. It's to damn awesome! I'll buy a new one tomorrow.
Lol!!! Oh man... Now if ever I needed an example to showcase the points I was trying to make, this would be perfect! Except I think you don't have to imagine this story, it's sounds to me more like your actual real day events!!
Man... It's always such a pleasure to get any feedback from you. I couldn't have hoped for more! :)
great post... will digest this soon. Thanks :) resteemed
Bless, thanks very much! :)
You are welcome :)
Bookmarked for later, as I'm having some difficulty in this area myself. Hoping to find some inspiration.
Also, not sure how I wasn't already following you. Problem fixed. :)
Thanks for dropping by, my friend! I can only hope my post lives up to even some of your expectations! Might I add what a talented photographer you are after perusing through you blog. You have a keen eye, sir and certainly speak to us through your incredible photographic imagery.
Easy follow from me, @winstonwolfe. :)
Thank you! Also, if you can, be sure to tune in to @steemittalk Podcast today at 2PM CST / 7PM GMT.
I'm making a point to mention your post on the air for this week's episode. :)
Oh, that's awesome! Thanks so much! I'll make it a point to be there! :)
Fantastic tips there! Before joining steemit a few days ago I have not written much for ages. I believe it's much like a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly. I will bookmark your post and refer back to it often. Thank you for sharing!
Steem on!
Oh, thanks a lot, really! Please remember, just post regularly and keep your content at a high standard and you'll do great. I wish you the very best, sir and thanks once again for your great comments. :)
My pleasure!
Brilliant post. Right on point! I also believe that imagining it beforehand is better than jumping to writing it! :)
You and I are on the exact same page, my friend! All the best on this awesome platform! :)
You too!
Have a nice day :)
Good job @ezzy
Thanks a lot, my friend!! :)
I actually struggle the most with the visualization of the perception of the reader. The strategy I use now is to write the chapter, let it be for several days or weeks (depends on how much I think about it) and come back to it afterwards. The text feels like (almost :D) brand new and I can finally get into the theoretical perception of my reader. By the way yesterday I have open the registration for the DnD like game I told you about earlier. I would be honoured if a talented author like you joined :).
Hey there, @fingersik,
That's a great point you make above. I touched on it in my recent I and so agree with you. Some timeout is a great thing for increasing creative output and fresh thinking. I make sure to register but please keep in mind I've never played a DnD game before so may have to learn the ropes first.
Thanks for stopping by, pal. :)
Don’t worry! After reading the rules once, or twice, you will realize that it’s just like writing about your character, with the exception, that his destiny is not in your hands. Any time. I can’t really support good content with my votes yet, so I do so via comments.
Comments are way more important than upvotes when starting off on Steemit. Trust me, I should know, lol! You're looking at things from the perfect perspective, bro....
Heart-warming words! Thanks for that buddy :).
Thanks for the upvote , Upped back ! Awesome post ! Keep up the great work ! 👍👍👍🙋
Bless, @karenmckersie! I really appreciate your kind words. Thank you. :)
your welcome ! 👍
great...rs and upvote for u....
That's really cool of you, buddy! Thanks a lot! :)
u r welcome...
Little by little you get to greatness continue to make good post that you manage to be very great. I'm trying to do the same follow me I'll follow you
Thank you. :)
you're full of creative ideas.... i really appreciate you sharing
Very kind of you to say, sir. It's absolutely my pleasure. :)
thanks a lot
Well said! There is nothing more profound then the way words can sink into our skin, create worlds that are so vivid you can not help but believe with everything you are that they are real, that you know the characters. It is magic indeed.
Defo, pal! I love writing and do find it magical that a set of scrawled symbols has the power to push people to love, cry, laugh, in some cases even kill! It's crazy magical!
Thank you for the comment, my friend! :)
Great tips. I have not tried writing fiction yet, but the tips given here are a good start.
My pleasure, @positivesteem! I'm sure you'll do great. :)
Sometimes I ask myself, why do I write.
There is no audience; no rapturous applause.
Neither is there breathtaking visuals
Nor am I seen.
But then again, I get to play god
While I create life out of thin air
And sense a pleasure so profound
Words - they portray the real me!
Very beautifully put, @nrajesh! You're obviously a very talented poet! Words can hold many different meanings within a world of unique context's. Great job and excellent comment. Thanks! :)
Thank you for this great post. I've been struggling with writing and this provided me with useful ideas.
No problem at all! I hope my suggestions assist in pushing your creativity to the next level! Bless, @beng05. :)
The power is very large when the author is recognized and loved by others, while his position has been waiting for many people, in his post he has not loaded people waiting, because I always wait for your writing ,,,,@ezzy
Oh, you're way too kind, @anwarabdullah! Bless you for your awesome comments! Very much appreciated! :)
Thank you very much @ezzy :))
Amazing post..like it!! followed you for more.
Thanks very much, @life-dailydose. :)
Insightful and very interesting. Love how you explained it! :)
My pleasure, @shellany! And thank you for taking the time to read it. :)
Thanks for the tips !! 😉
No problem! Best of luck on Steemit! :)
I love this post and it's really helped me. Thanks, upvoted and followed.
Well, I'm honoured that you took the time to stop by and check it out. Very humbling word indeed from you. Really, thanks! :)
You're most very welcome and the honour is all mine. :-) Looking forward to your future posts.
Thanks, bro. Wish you all the success on Steemit... :)
Thank you, likewise Ezzy.
Maybe it also depends on what channel of perception is primary. I usually rather listen to a word flow than see a flow of images.
Absolutely. Whatever works for you and increases productivity. The above has personally helped in staying consistent and pro-active in my ideas and thoughts. Best of luck to you.
Thank you!
Very cool. Words are powerful!
Bless, @businesswri. Thanks for the great comment. :)
Your welcome :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend
And you, buddy... :)
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This was a very helpful article. I have been studying this very topic over the last few months, trying to get an understanding of the balance between over and under describing plot, and characters. Every little bit of education helps.
Thank you, sir. I simply expanded upon some of the techniques I find help me to write. It's one of the hardest areas I find as a writer because of that fine balance. But once mastered, an invaluable addition to your literary arsenal.
Thanks again for your great comments, @naquoya. :)
I have spent half my life writing (poetry, short stories, non-fiction and now novels) and there was plenty of stuff that just "didn't work", as well as magical pieces of writing that amaze me even now. What I have learned is that there is a "secret" that transforms words that might mean something to, as you call them, magnetizing narratives that enchant and capture the reader. If you want the reader to FEEL the story, YOU have to FEEL IT!
A friend of mine writes fantasy and when he talks about his stories, you can SEE the world that he has created because he SEES IT.
Thx for an awesome post!
Hey there, @anarchospace...
So glad we our gathering such an awesome collection of writers and poets. Great to have you aboard! :)
I couldn't agree with you more. Expressing yourself through the use of the written word is a combination of so many different factors. Conveying feelings, emotion, connection with the reader, flow, narrative and a host of other variables. If you only see your work as a collection of letters describing things, it'll never work.
So yes, be the story! See the story! And everything else will fall into place!
Thanks for the great comments. :)
Those are great bits of advice, and I thank you for them... I am still new to the art of word magic, and I find it sometimes challenging as I am not a native speaker, but having a few guiding rules would tremendously help. Would appreciate any feedback too! Following and catching up on the rest of your stories!
Thank you for your kind comments. I might be starting a short series of personal guides to creativity and narrative flow. Hope you can check them out soon. :)
The great thing about Steemit is that it had gotten me interested in fiction and writing after a very long time! Thank you for these tips.
My pleasure, sir. I hope they come in useful for you and wish you all the best here on Steemit! :)
Many thanks for the very kind words