TITLE (EDIT) Food For Thought: Writing For Readers
DESCRIPTION
I think the site [Storymania] is absolutely brilliant, it gives people the confidence to show people their abilities, and offers the chance of review, which is hard to come by. I would like to offer some tips on writing for readers which is by far the hardest thing to do. I don't portray myself as the perfect writer, but I know these tips should help would be writers to improve their own work. They are not rules, only food for thought. [588 words]
Food For Thought: Writing For Readers Martine Hayes
As a freelance writer, I
spend a lot of time trying to format images from my memory into words. For some, including
myself, this can be a labouring task. I have met many an amateur, who insists that he has
written the ultimate novel and it only took him a couple of late nights and several cups
of coffee. I would be the first to applaud any would be writer on achieving this fete.
On reviewing this "ultimate novel" I found that there was
no fixture, like a house without foundations or A frames. Many young would be writers have
the idea that if they use as many swear words as they could possibly find, that this would
make their projects stronger and mature, when the opposite is actually portrayed. The use
of strong language, has to be used cautiously especially when you are presenting your
project to publishers etc....
I have just recently completed a novel where there is a few uses of
strong language. This wasnt to make me look hard or mature, it was to portray the
image of the characters which I had in the novel.
One couldnt imagine a serious villain holding a gun at
someone's head and saying:
"Right, you cabbage, dont make another move or
Ill flippin shoot you!"
The use of strong language has to be used effectively and in the
best way to highlight the character. Imagine this for example:
She swayed over towards the bar, her black, silk dress
caressed her revealing the shapely contours of her body. Her eyes were the darkest blue he
had seen, and he couldnt of imagined her to be half as beautiful as she appeared.
His heart began a steady pound as she approached him, he hadnt faced so much beauty
before.
Her voice was quiet and soft, "Fancy a fuckin
dance?" She asked. As soft as the lips which had cradled it.
A Word from the Heart
It
is therefore important to choose words as carefully as possible. One should never assume
that the reader will understand what you mean, you have to make sure, that the reader will
understand, she cannot ask you. Many readers interpret things differently, some like to
imagine themselves as the characters in the book. Some readers interpret things in
accordance with their own experiences, not yours.
Gilly Cooper is to me, an excellent escapist writer, she writes
about money and mingling with the rich and famous. A life which probably three-quarter of
the world would love to live. She takes the reader into this world and for a while, they
are no longer in their semi-detached council houses, with three screaming children and a
pile of ironing. She has an excellent skill, a powerful one.
Final Thought
In
writing for other people, one must remember that if you do not guide the reader, she
wont know where you are going. She will keep reading, hoping that eventually she
will find you. I would rather know that the reader has read the book out of enjoyment and
found the escapism, rather than trying to find the plot in the first place. Hey!, who said
writing was easy? Whatever you do, do it well, take your time, explain the obvious. Take
the reader with you.
Good Luck!
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