·        The Art of Writing

·        Memoirs

·        Freelance Writing and Short Stories

·        Novels and Screenplays

The Art of Writing

The profession of letters and literature, although it stands apart by reason of the great destiny and general use of its medium in the affairs of men, is yet an Art like of other Arts.

…Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 – 1894).

The illustrious Scottish Novelist, Poet and Essayist – Robert Louis Stevenson – was once described as being able to ‘pick the right word upon the point of his pen, like a man playing spillikins’ (pick-up-sticks game).  There are many people who strive to become proficient in the Art of Writing and to develop skills where they can create and relate a story, but there are only some who have a talent to write words that will stir the interest, emotions and soul of a reader.

After writing their first story, many aspiring authors discover that their work isn’t unique and that the world is full of talented people who can write an excellent tale, and there are only a very select few who actually receive formal recognition for their efforts.

I’m a writer of fictional stories, and through my own experiences, I’ve found, after completing the laborious task of creating the manuscript over many months or years, that it is only one of the many steps in the process of being published.  In my view, I believe some of the basic attributes necessary for writers of fictional stories is to have lively imaginations, sufficient for them to become one with the characters and the plot - stirring a sense of interest and excitement within the reader, for without those elements the story will lack conviction.

One of the most frustrating hurdles writers have to overcome is finding someone in the literary world who’ll read their manuscript, let alone publish it.  If writers want their manuscripts to be viewed by literary agents or major book publishers they’ll need to prepare a covering letter with a brief two or three page synopsis to get their foot (or manuscript) in the door, and they’ll have to be enterprising in their selection of words because there are thousands of writers out there doing the same thing. The correctly chosen words will set the process in motion; using words that’ll catch the editor’s eye and words that’ll create the first step in the sales pitch - creating interest and wanting to know more.

When Donald Maass, the noted New York literary agent, was asked: ‘How can a writer give profoundly of themselves while also shielding the creative spirit against rejection?’ Donald Maass answered: ‘He regards rejection as information, not always quality information but information nevertheless - the rejection tells you that you have more work to do and sometimes points you in the right direction.’  When asked what he looked for in a synopsis, Maass replied, ‘Just a few basics, a hint of what’s different and don’t try to convince me you are a good writer because the purpose of the synopsis is to get me to read it - to create interest.’

I often wonder if writers like Robert Louis Stevenson first thought about the prospect of making money from writing before putting pen to paper; or did he regard that as a secondary consideration when he was inspired to write the classic Treasure Island.  I would like to think that his passion for writing drove him to create written works that would thrill millions of old and young readers alike for decades, using his imaginative words to take them to other Worlds.

In more modern times, there are other talented practitioners of the Art of Writing, like Frederick Forsyth, who have become successful and earn a generous income.  However, he hasn’t always been successful, and it was reported that his well-known novel – The Day of the Jackal – was written in a few weeks while he was bunking on a sofa at a friend’s London flat because he was stony broke.  Forsyth employs numerous skills and techniques when creating his political thrillers that includes basing his story on an actual plausible international crises; having a number of narratives running through the story; explaining in detail the techniques used by criminals and police; throwing in a couple of  red herrings and ending with an unexpected but satisfying twist of plot.      

Memoirs

The Memoir form of writing is certainly autobiographical in nature, but it’s not meant to be as comprehensive as retelling a person’s entire life story and it’s intended to only relate a specific or slice of one part of a person’s life experiences.  The time frame within a Memoir is usually limited to a single memorable event or moment, although it can be linked to a longer series of circumstances that make up a particular period in the writer’s life.  The story is usually narrative in nature told through the eyes of the writer or a nominated narrator, and might focus of the emotional significance resulting from a conflict within the story.

In most Memoirs, a small amount of dialogue might be used to give greater impressions of events and to provide the reader with a better understanding of the circumstances.  In many cases, the Memoir writer might be attempting to record some important turning point in their life such as a major incident that changed their outlook on life; the relationship to a certain individual in their life; sacrifices that they made in their life; happy and unhappy times or a some lesson that they learnt which helped them to mature and gain greater understanding of others.  However, the Memoir writer should decide if they are writing the story for family, grandchildren or non-family readers, as that decision will probably determine what information will be included.      

Freelance Writing and Short Stories

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) first used the word Freelance, to describe a medieval mercenary warrior who he referred to as a Free-Lance.  However, over the years, the word has often been used to describe contractors in a number of occupations but it’s mainly used in newspaper journalism.

While working as a Freelance Writer, the individual enjoys greater freedom but lower rates of pay, unless they have achieved a respectable reputation in their field and might enjoy an exceptionally high income.  The experience of writing articles and submitting them to newspapers and magazines can help both in developing a network of clients who offer a variety of assignments or growing the writer’s expertise. The payment for such work can vary and may include negotiated ongoing payments or fees on a regular basis for writing the articles or a set contract rate paid on completion of each article, that could be approximately $3.50 for 250 words or $6.50 for 500 words and upwards, as the writer is regarded as a self-employed contractor.   

In most cases, after Freelance Writers are hired to write specific assignments according to a client’s requirements, and once submitted, the writer no longer has any copywrite claim to the works produced, but the work experience does help the writer in improving his writing techniques and skills.  

Novels

When describing Novels, many people have suggested that the written work is mainly fictional prose that is composed of a plot with the actions, speech and thoughts of characters taking place within the writer’s mind.  However, the term can also describe non-fiction work, with the word prose being applied in both cases as it is derived from the Latin word prosa - meaning straightforward.

In creative writing, many writers will compose stories as they go along, and are often referred to as fog writers, and while this writing technique might produce an acceptable storyline, it could end up requiring a greater amount of editing.  However, there are other writers, called outliners, who plan their story from beginning to end.  Those writers might start with a one-sentence thought, gradually expanding it to a paragraph and then into a chapter.  However, before they start, many outliners will research the subject matter completely to ensure that memorable characters drive the storyline and are supported by elaborate dramatic action sequences.

The story can vary from 20,000 - 40,000 words for a Novella and 95,000 - 120,000 words for a Novel. There are some publishers, who produce the Novel’s text in a 12 font, giving the appearance and feel of a much larger book; however others are satisfied to print in an 11 font, with an average 310 to 354 page Novel.  

Screenplays

Although Screenplays are another form of storytelling with written words used to create the initial storyline, the script is composed of narrative, dialogue and descriptions; it’s a story that’s told with pictures.  It can be either a linear story expressed in one continuous form with related incidents and events or a non-linear story, with the story structured in bits and pieces.  The World renowned, screenwriting teacher, Syd Field, suggests that visual story telling should be presented in a Three Act structured form using specific techniques and skills with a Beginning, Middle and End.  

In Act I, called the Set-Up, Mr Field sets up the story and introduces the main characters while establishing the storyline and circumstances. The dramatic or comedic action starts in Act II, called the Confrontation, and Act III, called the Resolution, provides the solution where the characters live or die and are either a success or failure. However, the Three Acts need to have a structured relationship within the visual medium so the storyline can be driven by images of dramatic actions.

When creating a Screenplay, the writer must keep in mind the length of the script, and with an average two-hour film length, where one page equals one-minute film time; it’s sometimes difficult to condense a storyline to 120 pages.  In one Screenplay, based on an already published Novel of approximately 300 pages, the script was condensed to 117 pages or 117 minutes, and in those circumstances, it’s necessary to cut out certain parts of the original Novel’s story.

After the Screenplay is completed in an acceptable script format, the writer must be able to attract the necessary film producers and directors by submitting a Logline - a descriptive sentence or two on the story, and an Overview - a paragraph describing the story.  If there is sufficient interest, the writer then submits a Treatment, approximately five pages, discussing the characters and storyline in more detail, and if the film company is still interested then they will ask the writer to submit the Screenplay.