DJ Alling

The Writer’s Workbook is now available!  I thought I would give you all a sneaky peak into the introduction that I just got finished.

Introduction

I am a writer. I know that because it is what I do, I write.  I write fiction and non-fiction, and have even been published a few times.  Even back before I was ever published in any way I was still a writer, even though I never dared call myself by that lofty title.  I was certain I didn’t know enough about the writing business to be a writer.  That may have been true.  It still may be true today, but that is another story altogether.

My point is I wanted to know everything there was to know.  So, I did what most writer’s do.  I bought books about writing, dozens of them.  I searched used bookstores and libraries for every how-to-write book I could find.  Then the internet became popular and I was ecstatic with all the new learning opportunities that were opened up to me.  I spent hour upon hour online in workshops, chat groups, and reading free information that was supposed to “teach me to be a writer.”

Every book or website or article asserted that their way to write is the “right way.”  Perhaps if I had only read one book and adopted that writing style for my own I would have been successful, but that is not my way.  I don’t believe there is one “right” or “wrong” way of doing anything.  So, instead I took bits and pieces from everything I read.  That is “my” way.

What I found, however, is that even with all of the information I had, all I had learned, my basic writing style did not change.  I had really learned any more about writing or being a writer in the workshops or from the books that I had learned in my college writing courses.  What had changed was the way I prepared to write.  Every writer has his or her opinion about writing preparation.  Some say the only way to go is to focus on your plot, hammering out every little detail before writing, some say forget the plot, let your characters drive your story.  Some say you can’t possibly write a good story without a detailed outline to go by, other’s prefer to sit in front of a blank screen or paper and just let the words flow.  But even with all of those differences, most of what I read agreed, you have to prepare in some way.  They just didn’t agree on which way.

Being who I am, I found myself taking bits and pieces of advice from each source.  A lot of the books had different worksheets for preparing to write or “pre-writing” in them, but the worksheets never gave enough writing space and usually there was only one so the only way to really use it would be to photocopy it.  Putting a book in a copy machine and getting a useable copy is quite a pain.  Plus, some sheets had what I wanted or needed, but some only had one or two things that I could use.  That is when I started adapting them for my own use.

I made up my own worksheets by typing up the questions I wanted on the computer.  I had worksheets for working out plots, character interviews, etc.  I had re-worked things I had read and learned into a method that worked for me.  As I began editing and working with other writers I would often send them a worksheet that I thought they might find helpful.

At first I used the worksheets while on the computer but I encountered a couple of problems I hadn’t anticipated.  The first was that every time I would try to fill in a worksheet, the entire formatting would get messed up.  This is not a big thing, but it annoyed me to no end.  The second problem was that most of my ideas came when I was away from the computer.  I usually carried a spiral notebook or some type of paper with me to scribble notes, but then I rarely had time to re-copy them into the computer.  I had bits and pieces of dialogue, character histories, and story ideas on sticky notes, in various notebooks, and on random sheets of paper scattered everywhere.  No matter how I tried I couldn’t keep it together.

I started printing out my worksheets and putting them into a binder.  This was ok, but the binder was bulky and I couldn’t easily take it with me.  Added to the size of a binder, the sheets kept tearing loose.  It was a real mess and a hassle.  One frustrated day I told a writer I was working with I was going to publish all my worksheets into one printed book so I could keep it all together.  Her response was, “Great, let me know where to buy it.”  I was a bit shocked, because I had only meant that I was going to self-publish it for myself to use.

I never dreamed anyone else would want it, let alone, buy it.  But, the idea stuck so I decided to explore it.  I talked with several writers I worked with and my writer friends, and they all said the same thing.  They would buy a book that was nothing more than a compilation of worksheets they could use for pre-writing.  So, that is how the Writer’s Workbook was born.

The Writer’s Workbook is exactly what it’s name says, nothing more or less that a book for writer’s to work in.  Its purpose is not to teach you how to write, but to give you the tools you need to prepare to write.  I am not vain enough to think my worksheets are the be all or end all to writing.  They are simply what works for me, and I think they can help other writers as well.

I will close this lengthy introduction with a few words of semi-wisdom I wish someone had told me years ago.  If you write, you are a writer.  Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.  Whether or not you write well is a different story.  There is correct and incorrect grammar, there are good and bad writers, but there is no right or wrong way to be a writer. If you want to be a writer, don’t just think about it.  Do it.  A writer writes.  That applies to everything in life.  Nothing gets done by wishing and hoping, things get done by doing.  If you want something, you have to work to achieve it. Write.  Never give up on your dreams.  Always keep learning, and always keep moving forward.  Take constructive criticism well and learn from it.  Ignore destructive criticism.

Happy writing.

Tags: writer, writer's workbook, Writing, writing advice
Posted in Writing