The Write Spot: B. Michael Radburn. They Own the Night

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

B. Michael Radburn. They Own the Night

About The Write Spot

First and foremost, The Write Spot is a writer’s tool aimed at the complete beginner; the writer who has the imagination, but not the knowledge of how to sort those ideas into a well structured story of commercial value.

There is a particular discipline necessary when writing short stories for specific markets, and I strongly advise any writer contemplating a major work to master the art of short story writing first. It will teach you to ask that vital question during the first draft of a passage, “Is it relevant?” and assist your editing skills for the final draft. Professional short story writing is guided by theme and restrictive word counts, so stories have to be planned carefully to fit the publisher’s guidelines.

I suggest reading the tuition in its complete form first, then, if you feel motivated by its content, come back and attempt some of the exercises using the appropriate chapters as reference points. BMR

Scroll to the foot of the page to commence.

Creative Writing Tips

● IDEAS LIBRARY
Build a library of ideas over time in a notepad or book. You’ll be surprised how quickly you forget ideas if they’re not written down right away. It may be an opening line, a location, character, a name or plot line. Keep your notebook handy, as you’ll be surprised how much you draw upon it as a personal resource later on.

● WRITER'S BLOCK
We have all heard the term, and all suffered from it at one time or another, that moment when you stare at a blank screen with all good intention to write, but nothing is forthcoming. This is writer’s block. There are lots of reasons why it happens, but the best way to combat writer’s block is to simply start writing. It won’t be pretty at first, but it will kick start the process. Once you’re in the creative zone again you can go back and fix anything you’re not happy with.

● KNOW YOUR MARKET
It’s the age old question. “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” The same can be asked of writing. “What came first, the market or the story?” I’ve been on either side of the fence with this, in the early days having written stories without restraint before the arduous task of trying to find a market for them. This isn’t an unreasonable strategy to appease the artist within, but if you want to aim for publication, then you’ll need to approach the task at hand a little more business-like.

Do a little ground work first. Research markets (usually magazines) that publish the stories you’d most like to write. Read several issues until you get a sense of what the editor likes. Then contact each market (they usually have a Web presence these days) for a copy of their guidelines. Remember, half the battle of getting your stories read is in its presentation. Editors have a desk perpetually full of stories, and will often skip over anything that doesn’t fit their guidelines or that looks unprofessional. You may have the best story in the pile, but if it looks like shite, there’s every chance that it may be skipped over.

● GOALS & REWARDS
Writing can be largely a thankless pursuit. Always pleasing on a personal level, but often unappreciated by others. Let’s face it, there are plenty of good books out there unpublished, just as there are plenty of questionable books on the shelves. So it’s important to reward yourself throughout the process. Set yourself a goal, then reward yourself if you achieve it. This will also help you with the discipline side of writing.

The Write Spot

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

B. Michael Radburn. They Own the Night

About The Author

About The Write Spot

Creative Writing Tips

Useful Links

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