Story writing

There is no correct way to write: Everyone writes differently. Once I have an idea for a story I usually come up with a title before I begin the story. The title helps to keep me focused--to know where I'm going with the story. I start out slow, and rewrite and polish as I go along. My brother, Bill, is the exact opposite. He is filled with words that fill up his pages. He writes much faster and don't even think about rewriting or polishing until he's finished. I think it's easier when one is filled with words, but you have to do whatever works for you.

I once read an article that recommended making an outline and following a format. "If, you write just two pages a day," it said. "You'll have your book written in a year." Wow! Doesn't that sound great? I tried it, but my creative juices simply dried up and left. I simply didn't have the time to produce two quality pages every day. There was no time for rewriting or polishing. I didn't accomplish anything and what I did write left a lot to be desired.

When my brother and I decided to work together, our goal was to write stories about our childhood. We did not follow an outline or even plan on our stories turning into a book. We wanted only to preserve family stories, shanty life and to capture the essence of our father.

We set only one limitation for ourselves and that was to write stories--something with a beginning, middle and end. We did not want just facts or snippets. A story starts with a thought or a happening and then builds until coming to a climactic conclusion. Our dad was a story teller--the best ever. And our book is a tribute to him.

We didn't write together, we just edited each others stories. One of the benefits of working with someone is your ability to see a story with fresh eyes. This is when things pop out at you. Things that you miss when you are so engrossed in your writing. If you are writing alone, like most writers, just leave your story for a few days or a week; and when you go back to review it, you will see that not everything you wrote is golden. Read it out loud. If you stumble, it needs to be rewritten. That's the name of the game--write, rewrite, and rewrite again until the words flow smoothly throughout your story.

Use of dialogue: The use of dialogue will draw the reader into your story and make them feel like they are right there as the story unfolds. That's what readers want--to feel what you feel. Even if you are writing your stories for family only, you want the text to grab them and make them take notice. Dialogue will help you achieve that. The following is from our book, A Speck In God's Eye. See how the dialogue helps you visualize the scene, almost as if you are right there.

It was Christmas day. Bill was in the hospital, waiting for company. He was flat on his back, with both eyes bandaged, following surgery for glaucoma.

The day seemed to drag on, and I found myself straining to hear if I
could detect Ma's familiar voice coming down the hall. I knew the
minute she got off the elevator. I could hear her footsteps.
She had her dress shoes on, the ones with the wide heels. They clicked
loudly with each step as they made contact with the tiled floor.

"This is it," I heard her say, as she reached the door of my room.
Dad and Lola were with her.

"I suppose you thought we were never coming," Ma said as she entered the
room. "But I made a few cookies to bring along, and we had to wait for
them to cool."

"A few cookies!" Dad exclaimed. "We damn near had to hire a
U-Haul."

I laughed. It was so good to hear their voices.