What do you want your writing to achieve and what are you doing to make that happen?

[BWFoster78]

If I ever achieve success as an author, I think I'll look back and say that the biggest thing I did right was to set a clear goal as to what I wanted to achieve. The goal isn't about how many books I want to sell or how many words I want to write. It's about what I want my writing to be like, what I want it to accomplish.

I started by considering carefully the books I most enjoy. What traits do they have in common? Why do I like them? By examining the commonalities, I determined there are two things I like, and I used those two characteristics to set my goal.

I want my books to:

1. Be engaging. I want my reader to have a hard time putting my book down, and, when they're forced to do just that, I want every second that they're away to be agonizing. I want them to put down the book and say, "That was fun!"

2. Evoke an emotional response. I want the reader to care about the characters so much that they experience what the characters are feeling.

Since I know what I want to achieve, all I have to do is figure out how to achieve it. To make my writing engaging, I determined the three following factors/techniques to be of the utmost importance (not to say that the same result can't be achieved by pursuing a different path, but I think this is the way for me to achieve it):

1. Tension, tension, and more tension.
2. Clear, tight writing.
3. Good control of pacing.

Making the writing engaging seems to be, by far, the easier of the two goals. I find many more books that achieve this goal than the emotional one and that I more easily achieve it in my own work. As far as I can tell, the three main factors/techniques involved in evoking emotion are:

1. Relatable characters.
2. Deep POV.
3. Not sure yet. I'll let you know when I figure it out. I think it has something to do with building to a climatic moment, but I'm not exactly sure if that's exactly what I mean or how it's accomplished.

Setting such goals, I believe, has the following advantages:

1. It's efficient. Writing well demands mastery of a lot of techniques. By narrowing down the definition of "well," I've focused in on the ones I need to work on first.
2. It gives me some idea of my audience. I'm not a marketing guy, but a piece of advice that I read over and over is that you need to know your audience. I have little idea of such, which concerns me greatly. I do know, however, that my audience likes books that meet these two goals. (I realize, of course, that I've created something of a tautology with this reasoning )
3. It gives me a measuring stick for "good enough." We've discussed on this board the meaning and the importance of "good enough" a lot lately. Determining this nebulous criterion is made much simpler for me by being able to say, "It's good enough if it achieves at least one of my two goals."
4. I think it will help me stay focused. When I gain more experience writing, I'll get better at determining story ideas that have more mass market appeal, and I'll discover new and exciting techniques with which I want to experiment. By keeping these two goals sharply in focus, though, I won't lose sight of who I want to be as a writer.

I get that I'm more analytical than most writers, and, perhaps contrary to the way I come across, I don't think, when it comes to creative process, that you have to do something a certain way. However, I do feel that this issue is important enough that, if you're not an established author, it may be beneficial for you to step back and ask yourself what you're trying to achieve.

All that to say, "What are you trying to achieve with your writing and how do you plan to get there?"

Thanks,

Brian

 

[Daichungak]

The books I enjoy the most are ones that surprise me. I hate reading stories that are written in a way that you know everything is going to work out for the main character. All too commonly the good guy beats the bad guy, gets the girl, saves the world and comes to a greater understanding of himself by doggedly adhering to his altruistic motives. (vomit)

People, events, motives and consequence are never purely black or white, good or evil, in real life and they shouldn’t be in writing.

A book that has main characters being killed or truly suffering, for reals killed not comic book or soap opera killed, gets and holds my attention much better than one where I know the MC is safe. An obvious example of this kind of writing is GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire.

 

[BWFoster78]

The books I enjoy the most are ones that surprise me. I hate reading stories that are written in a way that you know everything is going to work out for the main character. All too commonly the good guy beats the bad guy, gets the girl, saves the world and comes to a greater understanding of himself by doggedly adhering to his altruistic motives. (vomit)

People, events, motives and consequence are never purely black or white, good or evil, in real life and they shouldn’t be in writing.

A book that has main characters being killed or truly suffering, for reals killed not comic book or soap opera killed, gets and holds my attention much better than one where I know the MC is safe. An obvious example of this kind of writing is GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire.

So, do you make achieving this element of surprise your first priority with your writing?

 

[Scales]

Hello everyone, I just signed up yesterday.

To give people a different setting. My trilogy is set in a fantasy version of 1940s Japan.

And to have a different species of dragon riders that aren't humanoid.

 

[Svrtnsse]

My ultimate goal is to be able to make a comfortable living writing stories that I can be proud of.

At the moment, my first priority is to learn to write.

Where BWF seems to have a very methodical and analytical approach to reaching his goal I'm taking the more empirical route. I started writing a novel, not primarily to tell the story, but to see if I could do it and to learn from the process. I had a vague idea of how to go about it and what story I wanted to try to tell.
In the few months since I started I feel I've learned a lot, both from a technical and artistic perspective. I've also become a lot more aware of my limitations. I've recognised that I'm not as magically awesomely talented as I first believed and that I have a lot to learn. I'm not giving up though. I still feel I've got what it takes and I'm enjoying it and to me that's more than good enough.
I still have my lofty goal as stated above. I haven't spent much thought on the details og how to get there, but I've started and I'm moving in roughly the general direction of that goal.

 

[BWFoster78]

At the moment, my first priority is to learn to write.

That is a fine priority. I applaud it. If you can learn to fish, you can catch a meal anytime you want. I think a lot of beginners are so focused on the meal in front of them that they ignore the bigger picture.

I've started and I'm moving in roughly the general direction of that goal.

That's good at least.

The problem is that writing is a huge endeavor. There's so much to learn.

I found the concentrating on a specific area until I felt competent speeded my process and made me feel less overwhelmed.

 

[shwabadi]

I want the people who read my stuff to have fun reading, that's my main goal. Another important point for me is communicating to the reader exactly what's in my head. With music, different interpretations are what makes the art form really fun to deconstruct. In literature however, I don't think there should be any ambiguity or confusion when reading a novel (of course poetry and things like that are exceptions).

 

[BWFoster78]

I want the people who read my stuff to have fun reading, that's my main goal. Another important point for me is communicating to the reader exactly what's in my head.

I guess a larger part of the question is: What are you doing to achieve these goals?

 

[Svrtnsse]

The problem is that writing is a huge endeavor. There's so much to learn.

There is indeed.
Part of the idea is that by starting out writing a book I will encounter problems I weren't aware even existed. I've had to ask questions, both of myself and of others, I'd never thought of before I started out. I see this first novel very much as a learning experience.
By actually trying to write a book I'm coming across these issues in practice rather than in theory, which to me is very valuable. I also picked a character and a story that I didn't particularly care about. That way it wouldn't be such a personal blew to me if I failed writing the the book or if it turned out crap. I can mess about and experiment and try new things to see how they work.
I also learned that by spending this much time writing about your character you do start to develop some feelings for them and I now care a lot more about poor Enar than I did when I first started. This too is an important lesson.

 

[C Hollis]

For myself, it is simplistic. I have no lofty goals of being best-seller, or making riches off of something I love to do. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice to make a living off of this, but that is not the end all goal to what I do.

I get excited when I sit down to write. I can't wait to see where the people in my head take me next.
I get excited when I sit down to edit a story. I love to see my stories grow wings.
I get excited when I publish a story. I love to hear reactions from the readers.

Disclaimer: The following applies to me and I speak for myself and no others.
If my goal becomes a price tag, what I enjoy becomes work. When it becomes a job, the passion fades. When the passion fades, the stories die.

I want to write character driven stories and share them with the world, because this is what I enjoy.

To achieve that goal; I spend most every day of my life writing character driven stories.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I feel the #1 job of a writer is to invoke an emotional response in the reader. In my view, your second point leads to the first, writing an engaging story.

Over time, I've come to understand what I love about certain stories.

1. Characters. Do I care about them? Do they feel real?
2. Story lines. Are there surprises? Have they been subtlety foreshadowed, giving me an "Aha!" moment?
3. Story telling. Do I forget that I'm reading?

There are several methods for achieving the above. Throughout the last decade, I've tried to learn about (and put into practice) those methods that best suit the style I'm going for. I don't think the learning process will ever stop but I do feel the more I write, the more refined my style becomes.

Some of my key principles:
1. A strong lean towards showing over telling.
2. Use strong verbs & descriptors. Limit adverb use.
3. Concrete over abstract description. Clarity is king.
4. Distinct characterization.
5. Increase tension throughout.
6. End every scene/chapter with a hook.
7. Write for drama. Leave the boring bits out.
8. Strive for transparent writing (The reader shouldn't notice the writing).
9. Write nothing that doesn't either reveal character or advance the action/conflict.

Other than style concerns:
1. Commitment. Finish what I start.
2. Discipline. Write every day.
3. Accountability. Hold myself accountable for reaching daily goals. Do not except self-deluding excuses.

 

[Butterfly]

Making the writing engaging seems to be, by far, the easier of the two goals. I find many more books that achieve this goal than the emotional one and that I more easily achieve it in my own work. As far as I can tell, the three main factors/techniques involved in evoking emotion are:

1. Relatable characters.
2. Deep POV.
3. Not sure yet. I'll let you know when I figure it out. I think it has something to do with building to a climatic moment, but I'm not exactly sure if that's exactly what I mean or how it's accomplished.

3. Atmosphere perhaps... the overall environment and the things that lurk in the shadows, or just around the corner, false senses of security and calm. Can be used in shocking ways, such as a beautiful valley with lots of nature and scenery to look at but when reaching the bottom you find the aftermath of a battle that took place some weeks ago... or something like that.

 

[BWFoster78]

3. Atmosphere perhaps... the overall environment and the things that lurk in the shadows, or just around the corner, false senses of security and calm. Can be used in shocking ways, such as a beautiful valley with lots of nature and scenery to look at but when reaching the bottom you find the aftermath of a battle that took place some weeks ago... or something like that.

I love reaching a spot in the book where I laugh like I'm there with the characters (not the same thing at all as laughing at a joke or funny situation) or literally get choked up. I haven't found many authors able to produce such a response. It seems to me that the ones who are able to create a climatic moment by skillfully building to it. I'm just not sure how they accomplish it.

 

[BWFoster78]

I feel the #1 job of a writer is to invoke an emotional response in the reader. In my view, your second point leads to the first, writing an engaging story.

Over time, I've come to understand what I love about certain stories.

1. Characters. Do I care about them? Do they feel real?
2. Story lines. Are there surprises? Have they been subtlety foreshadowed, giving me an "Aha!" moment?
3. Story telling. Do I forget that I'm reading?

There are several methods for achieving the above. Throughout the last decade, I've tried to learn about (and put into practice) those methods that best suit the style I'm going for. I don't think the learning process will ever stop but I do feel the more I write, the more refined my style becomes.

Some of my key principles:
1. A strong lean towards showing over telling.
2. Use strong verbs & descriptors. Limit adverb use.
3. Concrete over abstract description. Clarity is king.
4. Distinct characterization.
5. Increase tension throughout.
6. End every scene/chapter with a hook.
7. Write for drama. Leave the boring bits out.
8. Strive for transparent writing (The reader shouldn't notice the writing).
9. Write nothing that doesn't either reveal character or advance the action/conflict.

Other than style concerns:
1. Commitment. Finish what I start.
2. Discipline. Write every day.
3. Accountability. Hold myself accountable for reaching daily goals. Do not except self-deluding excuses.

I feel that you and I have very similar tastes/attitudes.

Have I ever read anything of yours? If not, I'd like to.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I feel that you and I have very similar tastes/attitudes.

Yes, with a few departures (like opinions on the importance of voice), I think we agree on many points of style.

Have I ever read anything of yours? If not, I'd like to.

No you haven't yet. There's less than a handful of scribes who have. When I'm done with my current work we can certainly trade reading.

 

[BWFoster78]

When I'm done with my current work we can certainly trade reading.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[Caged Maiden]

My goal is to send this WIP to an agent I'm hoping will give it one glance and love it as much as I do.

I don't have any shortage of confidence. I feel like I know what I'm doing now.

TO prepare:

I'm perfecting my editing process (the thing I've struggled with the most). I'm also trying to use outlines more, even if it means writing them after I've written a chapter of the book. Getting into a good habit is never wasted time.

I'm also writing every day. Well, writing or editing. Kinda both. I spend hours every day looking at my work, thinking about writing theory or responding to posts that get me more excited about honing my skills.

I also remind myself to be patient. I'm not ready. I got a partial request last yer that I got so excited about I botched the submission by sending a poorly edited and wrongly formatted manuscript. Bridges, once burned, are hard to rebuild. SO I'm reminding myself to take my time and put in s much effort as it takes to make this WIP a success the first time. I remember when we sold our first house. Our goal was for the first person who looked at it to buy it. That's exactly what happened. I often shoot for goals and realistically assess what it's going to take to reach it. I'd rather wait now than hurry and finish something, doing a rush job, and get rejections again. I'm going to send out my story, exactly as I see it and edited as good as I can get it. And cross my fingers that it's exactly what the agent wants to see. No more sloppy work for me. I've worked too hard to sell myself short now.

Another thing I'm doing is continuing to crit for other people. It really helps to keep yourself sharp and if all you do is go through your manuscript making little word-nit pickiness changes, you never actually get better. When I read for other people, problems stand out more and I've trained my brain to treat my own work with more of a discerning eye. lso, having people crit for me is super valuable and helpful.

Okay, so there's my goal and how I'm working to accomplish it.

 

[Chessie]

One of the things I'm currently doing is reading Alan Watt's "The 90-Day Novel". Its totally up my alley, I dig it big time. His process is easy going and deep. I also crit the work of other writers, read my fair share of books, and stay true to what's in my heart that wants to come out on the page.

In order to achieve my writing goals, I'm going to also be a student of writing forever. Constantly evolving, knowing that I'll never get it done but that I'll keep getting better, makes me feel free with my writing.

Far as the goals I have with my writing, I want to entertain, uplift, bring in a sense of magic and wonder to my readers. I want them along on this journey with me...this beautiful storytelling journey that will go on throughout my life.

 

[BWFoster78]

Far as the goals I have with my writing, I want to entertain, uplift, bring in a sense of magic and wonder to my readers. I want them along on this journey with me...this beautiful storytelling journey that will go on throughout my life.

Anything specific you're doing to help you achieve entertaining and uplifting writing that brings a sense of wonder?

 

[Svrtnsse]

Anything specific you're doing to help you achieve entertaining and uplifting writing that brings a sense of wonder?

This too is a goal of mine. For now my main avenue of reaching that is to be in that state of mind when writing. It's hard to write sunshine when it's raining.

It's going to be tough though. My story is taking place over a week in late spring and it's easily going to take me a year to write it. It's going to take some effort to write a believable June afternoon, when the November rains are pissing down outside. I strongly believe that being in the right mood will help you write that mood though. I believe I'll achieve it through putting on the right music, but the future will tell if that's enough or not.