"FACT OR FICTION"

 

                

                                                     Writing Myths and Truths

 

Are you familiar with the phrase, people will believe a lie before the truth can put on his shoes? If only the truth wore shoes if it were even possible.

And why I want to put fact or fiction to the test. As writers, most stories are constructed mostly of fiction, but sometimes there’s a little truth in the mix.

 However, I want to dive a little deeper into writing myths and truths. Maybe some of the things you’ve heard along the way hold no substance and may be confusing to some new authors.

So what I’d like to do is break down a few of these misconceptions. Writing is hard enough, with correct punctuation and other grammatical fallacies to deal with, so why add more obstacles to the list.

To help me map this journey, I’ve used my best friend Google to clarify any confusion.

 https://storyshoutnews.com/10-common-misconceptions-writing/, written by Gwen Doria, gives us the breakdown of things we thought were true but aren’t.

1. Writers must always write an original piece

That is the main goal – to come up with original content. Writing original content, though, doesn’t mean you come up with something new. You need to take old concepts and create new ways to put them together.

“Good writing is essentially rewriting.” – Roald Dahl

2. Writing is difficult

This is neither true nor false. Being difficult doesn’t have anything to do with writing per se. It depends on the writer’s mindset. If a writer thinks it is difficult, then it is difficult.

“I get a lot of letters from people. They say: “I want to be a writer. What should I do?” I tell them to stop writing to me and get on with it.” – Ruth Rendell

3. Writing is a glamorous endeavor

Hollywood movies depict a writer’s life as glamorous. Maybe for some. But that is not the point. Writing is all about unglamorous hard work.

” There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. ” – Ernest Hemingway

4. Writing is only for introverts

Although some writers are, writing is not exclusively for introverts. Writing is associated with introverts because writers keep their focus by being in solitude. But really, any personality type can be a writer.

“Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself.” – Franz Kafka

5. Great writers are born, not made

This will lead us to the classic nature vs. nurture debate – which is a long topic so let’s not delve into that. One thing is for sure; a writer should possess a set of innate traits, refined and perfected over time with practice and experience.

“Writers aren’t born; they’re made from practice, reading, and a lot of caffeine.” – Alexander Chee

6. Writing requires a lot of time

Not necessarily. If you want to save time writing, have a “writing” schedule. If you have some roadblocks, attend some writing classes that will help you harness your skills and save time.

” Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e., do not cave into endless requests to have “essential” and “long overdue” meetings on those days. – J.K. Rowling

7. Writing is a science

Not true. There is no specific writing process that should be strictly followed. There are best practices to keep in mind, though.

” The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” – Mary Heaton Vorse

8. Writers are always clear about what they will write

Writing is a discovery process. No writer ever published the first draft of their writing. It is a series of hits and misses.

“Writing is an incessant process of discovery.” – Robert Hass

9. Good writing is about the use of fancy words

Effective writing must be able to touch the senses of its readers. It should be understood easily. So, fancy words are not necessary.

“Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very’; otherwise, you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.”  – C. S. Lewis

10. Writers don’t need professional relationships

It doesn’t end when a writer finishes writing a piece. A writer needs to network with like-minded individuals who can either help them learn or get published on various channels.

“It troubles me that people speak about writing for money as ugly and distasteful. – Joyce Maynard

What other common misconceptions about writing have you heard of? Tweet us and let us know!

 

Well, I hope Gwen has cleared any lingering questions of fact or fiction for you, and I hope you found her information helpful.