Things I’ve Learned About Writing
By Kimberli Burgess
Writing, for me, is more than just putting words on a page. It’s a form of escape. I have a dear friend who is a cyclist and he told me that riding is like that for him. I believe that most people appreciate some kind of escape from their everyday lives. I encourage young writers to go forward with their passion to write. It may be just the escape that you need. You’ll never know how far you can go without even leaving your bedroom; until you write.
I first started writing when I was in the sixth grade. My vocabulary wasn’t that large yet and this resulted in simple sentences. I knew it and it bugged me that I couldn’t come up with something better. I wanted more than anything to become a better writer. I kept working at it and when I was in the seventh grade, I was accepted to participate in The Young Writer’s and Artist’s Fest. I was invited to read a story in front of a panel of three to four judges who had previously read it. They provided advice on what to work on in order to improve. I was happy to be accepted to participate the following two years as well. The Young Writer’s and Artist’s Fest made me want to write even better pieces.
I’ve learned many things through my experiences with writing. I hope that these tips will help you as well.
- Expand Your Resources:
Keep a dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia close by whenever you’re writing. I know that it really helps me when I have all three of these books. Sometimes I need to look up a word and see what it really means. And many times, I need a thesaurus to find substitute words for boring words like ‘good’, ‘nice’, or ‘bad’. I read a thesaurus like a novel. An encyclopedia is amazing for finding information about historical events and descriptions. If you’re writing a story based on horse racing you’ll need to know everything you can about horse racing.
Along with helpful resource books, there are other resources that you can turn to. I find that watching TV can be an awesome resource as well. You hear ideas, words, and learn about the world around you. Family, neighbors, and friends can be valuable resources as well. You can learn a lot from sitting with someone and just talking with them. Give it try, you may be surprised. Read everything from children’s books to adult literature. Read magazines, newspaper articles, your little brother’s country report; anything.
- Get Involved:
Get involved in everything that has to do with writing; such as clubs, forums, and contests. I’ve joined a few forums and have posted my work online for others to critique. Although I don’t always agree with their judgments, I still listen and take into consideration everything that they say. There will always be those people that will tell you that your work isn’t good enough. And there will always be those people that will tell you that you need to change this and that. But, don’t be discouraged. Remember, they are offering their opinions.
It’s important that you surround yourself with people who have a love for writing. Networking is important for all writers.
- Write, Write, Write, and Write Some More:
Write down every little thought that won’t leave you be until it’s recorded on paper. Some of your ideas may be crazy and completely off the wall (trust me, I know) but write it down anyway. One of your greatest pieces may come out of that crazy idea.
I’ve written several pieces that don’t seem to be related to anything else I’m writing, only to discover that I use every one of them either as a basis for a later story or as a bit of color or suspense where needed.
If you’re reading this, you’re already interested in writing so get going and put on paper what’s already being written inside of you! The world is waiting to hear from you.
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Kimberli Burgess is a young writer who regularly participates in discussions on the Young Voices Foundation message board. When she’s not writing she enjoys cycling with her dog, Yoshi, and singing along with her favorite band, Mae. Kimberli also loves rollercoasters. She says, “If I could, I would build one in my back yard, the bigger the better. And when I’m not doing any of that, I hang out with my friends.”
If you’d like to see your work published in the Tips and Advice section, submit an article about writing to Bobbi Carducci at bcarducci@comcast.net for review. Writers who have five or more articles accepted for publication receive a certificate of achievement and are listed on the website as contributing writers. Extra points are given if you can make us say, “Hmmm, I never thought of it quite that way.” We are always delighted if you can get us to laugh.
Eavesdropping for Success
Bobbi Carducci – Writer/Publisher
Director of Young Voices Foundation
I love gossip. Ever since I was a shy skinny thing with a freckled face and the ability to blend into the background, I’ve been fascinated by the conversations going on around me. Even now, when I spot people talking, I watch for a while looking for that certain something in their faces to indicate something interesting is going on, then I inch toward them as silently as possible and tilt my head just a bit, listening. I’m rarely disappointed.
I remember my mother and my Aunt Pat, talking about the lady across the street who let her kids run wild all day and went bare legged to church on Sunday. “Bold as brass,” they said, their ominous tone predicting a bad outcome for her boys.
“Did you hear about the Walkers?” my Dad asked the guy in the hardware store.
“Yeah,” he answered shaking his head sadly, “I saw the moving truck out front last week. It’s a darn shame too, with the baby coming and all.”
“What happened to the Walkers?” I asked, my voice muffled by a handful of jellybeans from the dispenser on the counter.
“Nothing you need to know about,” Daddy hushed me, reaching for a green one and popping it into his mouth. “It’s not polite to eavesdrop. You just keep your nose to yourself little one. It won’t do any of us any good if you start going around telling stories.”
I never found out what happened to the Walkers, or why leaving your pantyhose off on a hot summer day meant doom for your children but I did discover that telling stories can do a world of good for me and a lot of other people too.
These days I combine eavesdropping with writing whenever I can. It’s even become a lot easier now that everyone has a cell phone. Whenever I hear something delicious, intriguing or just plain funny, I jot it down. Then when I get stuck for a story idea or need a writing exercise, I search through my stash for an opening line and start writing.
Here are a few things I heard that just might get you started too.
At a local restaurant as a young woman handed a tissue to her distressed friend: “Forget about him, once a cheat always a cheat, and besides he’s a lousy kisser anyway……uh oh.”
At the grocery store, a harried Mom to her teenaged daughter: “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times, stop repeating yourself.”
At a basketball game, one guy to another, “Do you think we can get away with it?”
Words flow all around us everyday, and some of them beg to be crafted into a story. By taking only bits and pieces of conversations, you can turn tragedy into comedy, horror into romance and gossip into writing success. Are you listening? I am. Speak up a little will you please?
Breaking the Rules and Writing Your Way
Bobbi Carducci – Writer/Publisher
Director of Young Voices Foundation
People love to give advice. Mention any topic from changing a tire to how to get your parents to listen and everyone you know will start telling you what to do.
It’s usually a good idea to listen to what they have to say. While it’s true you’ll hear conflicting opinions on every subject, it is also true that you will always walk away having learned something. Even if that something is the fact that you need to ignore everyone else and find your own way.
Here are some tips that didn’t work for me. However, I don’t attribute my lack of success with any of them to bad advice. I know when it comes to writing there isn’t any one magic formula that will guarantee success every time. What didn’t work for me just might be the hint you were looking for. Give these rules a try and if they work….or even if they don’t … feel free to pass them along to other writers.
- Write every day.
I don’t have time to write every day. I’d like to but I can’t and I know it. When life gets on the way of your creative muse accept it and write when and where you can. Write when the voices in your head won’t be quiet and the story demands to be written. That’s when your best work will appear anyway. Don’t succumb to guilt if you miss a day or two. Feeling guilty won’t change your circumstances but it will sap your creativity.
2. Write what you know.
Once of the best pieces I ever wrote was for a magazine for musicians admitting I have no musical talent at all. My husband is a gifted drummer who started playing in grade school and still rocks out between stints with the local symphony. My two sons play five instruments between them and my daughter sings a mean karaoke. I wrote about being lost in a sea of notes, left behind unable to decipher the language of music. Lots of musically challenged relatives of musicians wrote to tell their pitiful tales in response, leading to another article on trying again to play an instrument. (I failed… again)
A friend of mine was so bedazzled by a deadly chocolate dessert served at a localrestaurant she wrote a hilarious article about how she could never make such an elaborate dish. She sold it to a local magazine and (even better) got free dessert for month from the chef.
3. Keep your family out of your writing.
One of the industries best known editors provided this advice at conference recently. On the surface it makes absolute sense. Beginning writers often ask friends and family to critique their writing. This method won’t provide you with the most unbiased opinion on your ability but it can be valuable if you don’t stop there.
I can’t proof my own work. In my minds eye I skip right over punctuation and spelling errors and fill in missing words I intended to use. I see what I thought I said rather than what my fingers typed. Since I’m a self taught typist that can result in some very odd looking sentences. I ask my family to do an initial read through to catch technical errors before I take anything to my critique group.
Family is also a fantastic resource for material. Your catty cousin can become a model for the villain in your next romance. The bearded fat guy who ripped off your Aunt Martha could inspire an article on consumer fraud, and don’t forget that family stories are often just what Chicken Soup for the Soul and other anthologies are looking for. Keep your ears open and your fingers typing.
The list above could be much longer, but you can see where I’m going with this. Listen to advice when it’s offered then apply what works and adapt what doesn’t until you work is ready for submission. What’s not right for one editor today may very well be perfect for someone else tomorrow. And if your piece doesn’t sell at all it’s OK. One day, when you least expect it, the tide may turn and that rejected article sitting in your files may be just right for a brand new publication.
Which leads me to the one rule you must never break if you are going to be a successful writer. Never give up!
