This is the third and final in a series of short articles on writing the stories of our ancestors. The first article is “Writing the Story of Your Ancestors”, followed by article two, “Writing 101 – Hooks and Closers”. Today’s article focuses on a few tips to hopefully make it easier for you to write an article.
There are many reasons to write about your ancestors but two of the most important reasons, to me at least, are, firstly, the satisfaction you will have in writing the article and, secondly, your relatives and/or descendants who will be so thrilled to read and know about their ancestors because you took the time to write their story.
This series began as a way to assist those who have entered the QBFHS contest but you don’t need to enter a contest to tell the story of one or more of your ancestors. If their stories are not told, the struggles and joys of their lives will never be known by their descendants.
Having said that, Qualicum Beach Family History Society members are invited to enter a “Tell Us a Story” contest. $100.00 will be awarded to the entrant whose entry, in the opinion of the judging panel, best meets the contest criteria.
Note: This contest is open to QBFHS members only.
Pay attention to images
Your right brain thinks in images, and when you write, you translate images from your right brain into words. Usually this process happens so quickly that you’re unaware of it. If you can make this process conscious, you can strengthen your own creativity. Stephen King calls this process “writing with the third eye — the eye of imagination and memory.”
Making mud/ laying track
Your first draft of any piece of work is “mud” – raw material – or it could be called “laying track”, which may be more explanatory. If the first draft is awful, don’t worry! It’s meant to be. It’s only raw material. However, if you don’t create the first draft, or you wait until you have a really great idea that’s worth a first draft, you won’t write anything. Write. Make mud.
Grow your writing with lists
Listing is a form of brainstorming. It grows your writing and it can be fun. Listing is an excellent technique to use when you get stuck in your writing, and it doesn’t matter what kind of writing you’re doing, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. Listing also helps you in the revision process to add texture to your work.
Just write – think on the page, or on the screen, NOT in your head
Thinking too much while you write is treacherous, because you can spend two hours “writing” and end up with half a page of work. Write-think. That is, think on the page, not in your head.
Use your magical Thesaurus
Your most useful listing tool is a thesaurus. Keep one on your desk to kick-start your brain. Your thesaurus and dictionary are perfect kick-starters. They’re also vital tools whenever you’re revising.
Set WIG goals — the best goals are always unrealistic.
What are WIGs? – Wildly Improbable Goals.
A WIG is exciting. Just thinking about a WIG will get your heart pounding. Working toward your WIG (writing a book, article for a magazine or whatever writing goal you have) can give you the beginning you need to get you up and running.
And at the end of that hard work, you achieve your goal, but there’s a twist. You never achieve it exactly as you envisioned it – you achieve something even better, something you could never have imagined.
Writing about your goals helps because, when you write, you’re using both sides of your brain, and are accessing your unconscious mind as well. You live in your left brain, which you regard as “you”, but you have a silent partner, your right brain, which is also you, and which communicates via images and feelings.
Separate writing and editing
Writing comes first, then editing. If you try to combine the two, you will block. Writing should come as easily to you as chatting to a friend. If it doesn’t, you’re trying to edit in your head before you get the words on paper, or on the computer screen. If you’re not aware of the danger of combining writing and editing, you’ll make writing hard for yourself, when it should be easy. If you don’t have trouble talking, how can you have trouble writing?
It’s good to struggle with your writing
How does this work? Let’s say that you’re writing a novel. This work is hard for you. However, you keep at it faithfully, working on your novel each day. You struggle with it for weeks. Then you give up. Although you keep writing, you say to yourself: “I don’t care anymore what garbage I write. I’m just going to do it. I’m just going to write.” This release leads to writing magic. Suddenly you’re inspired, and you finish the book in a rush. Although you will still occasionally struggle with your writing (because struggle is a part of life), you’ve broken through to a new level of functioning in your work. This new level would not, and could not, have happened without the struggle.
Good writing = truthful writing
Writing truthfully can feel like undressing in public, so many beginning writers worry about sharing their writing. Be compassionate. Firstly, to yourself. Write. Write for yourself. All writing takes courage.
When you finally show your writing to others, you discover the amazing truth that most people are not judging what you write. So write!
Good luck and may the writing genie be sitting on your shoulder!