Gary Schmidt: Tips For Writers Everywhere
Greetings and hellos to you all! On Wednesday I got to go to a writing thing at a local college, where I got to go to a few classes and learn how to become better at doing certain things when I write. (I'll share some of the things I learned in a later post.)
Gary Schmidt, an author of several awesome books was also there, and he talked to us writers about things writer's must love, or they will fail at what they do.
Thing 1: You have to love words.
Thing 2: You have to love questions.
Stories begin with questions and end with questions. Stories give you questions. It is inevitable. Writer's shouldn't want easy answers. They have to ask questions and question answers until they get to the real meat of it.
Thing 3: You have to love the world you mirror in your writing.
Our world is filled with broken things, good things, complicated things, simple things. We as writers must recognize our world with its goods and bads, and love it.
Thing 4: You have to love your audience.
He also told us that writing is meant to serve. So ask yourself, does it serve? When asked what we as writers want to do when we write, the response is usually something along the lines of, "I want to bring beauty, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding into the world." If you start with that, you've got it wrong, Gary says. Writing is meant to serve.
Stories go in many ways. Which way will your stories go?
Gary Schmidt, an author of several awesome books was also there, and he talked to us writers about things writer's must love, or they will fail at what they do.
Thing 1: You have to love words.
Thing 2: You have to love questions.
Stories begin with questions and end with questions. Stories give you questions. It is inevitable. Writer's shouldn't want easy answers. They have to ask questions and question answers until they get to the real meat of it.
Thing 3: You have to love the world you mirror in your writing.
Our world is filled with broken things, good things, complicated things, simple things. We as writers must recognize our world with its goods and bads, and love it.
Thing 4: You have to love your audience.
He also told us that writing is meant to serve. So ask yourself, does it serve? When asked what we as writers want to do when we write, the response is usually something along the lines of, "I want to bring beauty, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding into the world." If you start with that, you've got it wrong, Gary says. Writing is meant to serve.
Stories go in many ways. Which way will your stories go?
Yay, I meet the criteria! xD
ReplyDelete*applause*
DeleteI don't get the 'writing is meant to serve' part, could you please explain it?
ReplyDeleteOh, and Amanda, I've been trying like every day to see your blog, but I can't...I have an invitation from you, but when I made a Wordpress account and logged into it, I still couldn't access your blog. :(
Hmmm. Odd. Let me try inviting your actual Wordpress account again. Sorry about that. :P
DeleteAudrey, writing to serve means that the things you write are there for a purpose. To help someone. To serve them. Maybe it provides them with enjoyment, maybe it educates them on a topic.
DeleteWow, all of those things actually apply to me. To some extent at least.
ReplyDeleteI saw your comment to me on Liam's blog, and I did not get your email. I left a response with an alternate email that might work better.
Okay. I shall try using that one. (:
DeleteMy email is evil. I STILL have not gotten your message. However, whilst doing a search for your name, it pulled your email address from a blog comment, so I sent a message to you. Maybe this will work in reverse.
DeleteBoo to that! D: But I have gotten your message. (:
Delete