The Writing Room

Every workman or workwoman needs tools. What tools does the writer need to get the writing job done? In this post, I will share with you the contents of my writing toolkit and show you why I have included them. First, I will define the writing toolkit.  Read on to find out what tools may be put into the writer's toolkit and why they are necessary.  What is a writing toolkit ? I define the writing toolkit as a collection of tangible and intangible things that the writer need s to have in place to get the writing job done.  Here are the tools that I have in my toolkit. Imagination For years, I have been putting tools into my writing toolkit without realising it. Now that I think about it, I realise that t he first tool that I put into my writing toolkit was imagination. I update it as the years go by. Imagination is the ability to:  visualise to see things in your mind that you haven’t experienced before  to process your experiences ...

The story writing experts suggest that writers 'show' and not 'tell' in their writing. What does it mean to 'show' and not 'tell'? 'Showing' in story writing means that the writer writes in such a way to invite the reader into the story. It means that the writer creates scenes and organises the scenes in such a way to stimulate the senses of the reader. The reader should be able to see, hear, taste, feel and smell as a result of the words you use to tell your story. You show the reader what is happening by including the following in your story: action, appropriate details, dialogue, reflection, a beginning and an end. There is nothing wrong with doing some telling in writing your story but you should try to 'show' much more than you 'tell'. Here is a a very short story for you. To what extent does the writer 'tell' vs 'show'?  Enjoy.

How do you write the story that you want to write? Good question!  The simple answer is to experiment with your writing. When you choose to write stories, you have several points of views from which to do so. Do you think that your story would be best written in the first person, second person or third person? Why not have fun with your story? Write the same story using different points of view, then decide which works for you. Probably you'll discover that they all work quite well. Share the one you prefer or all of them with your readers for their enjoyment and to get feedback. Feedback on your work is always useful because it gives you a sense of what could be improved in your story and how your story resonates with your readers. Remember to show not tell ! I wrote the following very short story from three points of view. Here, I am sharing one version with you. Imagine the other versions. Enjoy. Remember,  inspiration for your stories is all around you . ...

Stories are everywhere. At this minute one is playing out right in front of you. You just need to capture it in words and share it using any of the conventions of story writing . Here is one of my very short stories that I created after listening to a conversation between two women. 

Yes by JBF Yes – the little word that heals or wounds The fragile heart’s respite From friends’ capricious masquerades That cripple, that entice Like sleep the weary eyelids shade From the sun’s taxing rays. Yes, the word that accentuates Our deepest joys and fears.