Every writer has a journey! As promised, I will feature Guest Authors on occasion with their own unique perspective, experience and resources. Today, please welcome Indie Author, P.C. Darkcliff. You will find his bio and social media links below.
A good writer needs talent, imagination, and good vocabulary, but also discipline, stamina, and strong will.
When I first started writing, I never bothered to outline the chapters or plot my books, hoping that the story will take its course. The result was disastrous. I was like a drunk driver swerving along a highway, maiming my characters and wrecking my scenes. Then, when I looked into the rearview mirror and saw the mess, I turned around and went down the same path to fix it, causing even greater carnage.
When I learned to plot the story and write a paragraph-long outline for each chapter, the ride has been much smoother. It took me only a few days to outline my latest project. But those few days saved me from weeks and possibly even months or years of mindless writing and deleting. I wrote a 50k draft in a month and a half this past summer while traveling around Europe and visiting relatives, and all that thanks to vigorous planning.
Many writers are so eager to start writing the first chapter that they omit research and character development. I used to do the same… and again I caused a car wreck. My characters were pale, paper-thin ghosts, and I often had to interrupt my writing to go online and find whatever information I needed.
This time, I spent a day or two researching the settings of my latest project, and I outlined each character. It helped me dash through the first draft like a bolt.
It took me a long time to find my voice. I used to read a lot of nineteenth-century classics, and their language crept into my writing. I often used big, fancy words I didn’t really understand, which made me sound like a pompous idiot. Only when I stopped trying to impress my potential readers with my flowery language did my writing become digestible.
You need to write every day to find your voice. And while you write, imagine you’re telling a story to your friend. Read what you’ve written out loud to make sure it’s really you telling the story.
I’ve just started working on the second draft of my project. I’ve found that writing the first chapter is the most difficult part of the whole process. At times, I feel like throwing my laptop out of the balcony. I often close the laptop and go out to get some fresh air—but I always come back to finish whatever I started doing.
Every writer occasionally stumbles and falls, but please don’t give up and get back to your creative feet. We’re waiting for your masterpiece.
About P.C. Darkcliff
P.C. Darkcliff is the author of two novels, Deception of the Damned and The Priest of Orpagus. In 2020, he’s going to launch Celts and the Mad Goddess, the first installment of Deathless Chronicle.
Find him everywhere on social media in one click: https://plu.us/p.c.darkcliff Join his VIP reader list to get his debut novel for free: https://mailchi.mp/c5550d315607/pcdarkcliff
He has lived in six countries and on three different continents. Although ruinous to his bank account, the seminomadic lifestyle has been hugely inspirational, and many of my adventures have spilled into his stories. He and his wife have settled in southwestern Spain, where he can go swimming and cycling whenever he's not too busy writing. You can reach him at pcdarkcliff@gmail.com. His inbox is always open to you!
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Books Linked Below. Take a look.
